Travel assistance for students attending further education

Possible subsidies, passes or travel cards available for students aged 16-19 and where to get them.

Newham residents who attend a school sixth form, Newham 6th Form College (NewVic) or Newham College of Further Education (NCFE) could be eligible for travel assistance as detailed below:

• Students at a school sixth form, either in or out of Newham, should apply to the Newham
• Student Support Section, students at NewVic and NCFE, should apply directly to the colleges
• Student attending colleges out of Newham should contact those colleges directly for information on their transport scheme.

The Mayor of London has announced that free bus passes will be available to students up to the age of 18 and to a limited extent those who become 18 while they are completing a course of study. Therefore the Newham travel policy is only applicable to those students who can show that they are not eligible for support under the Mayor of London's travel scheme. If a free bus pass is withdrawn under the Mayor of London's scheme due to unsociable behaviour, then the student will not be eligible under the Newham policy either.


Summary of Newham travel assistance scheme
(see sections 3,4 and 5 below as well)

• Age: 16 -19 at the start of the course
• Must live at least 1.5 miles from place of study - measured in a straight line
• Need to prove that a suitable course was not available closer to home
• Course of study should be full time (minimum 12 hours per week)
• The assistance is based on the cheapest form of travel
• The school or college where the course in being taken must be in the state sector and/or be receiving funding from the Learning and Skills Council.

Funds are cash limited and applications are dealt with as they received; therefore it is possible that some applications could be refused on the grounds of lack of funding.


General

• Apply to Transport for London to obtain information and application details for under 18s free bus passes. Most local shops that deal with oyster cards should have application forms.
• Transport for London provides Photo Cards, which are available to students aged 18 and over, which can be obtained and authorised from their place of education.
• Students aged 16-17 can apply directly Transport for London for the student photo card.
• The card costs £5.
• The card gives you 30% discount on your travel using busses, tube trains, Tramlink and Docklands Light Railway.

When can I use at travel pass?

Travel passes and concessionary fares can be used at any time.


What happens if become 19 before the course ends?

Provided the course of study started before the age of 19, support will continue until the end of that particular course of study.


Will I be assessed before I get support with travel costs?

For attendance at Newham FEIs, the only criteria is that the home to place of study distance must be over 1.5 miles 'as the crow flies' straight line distance. If you go to an FEI outside of Newham, you should contact that college to see what their transport support policy is.

If you get an EMA, you are still eligible for travel support, but you may have to make a contribution towards it from your EMA payment. Those attending colleges should apply to their college to see what level of support is available. School sixth form students should apply to Newham Student Support Section.


What support is provided for students with Special Educational Needs or physical disabilities?

Enhanced transport support, e.g. coach/minibus or taxi, will only be provided as detailed in the Statement of Special Educational Needs (SSEN) and/or agreed by Local Authority special educational needs officers as part of the student's transition plan. BUT students are expected to attend a place of study that is the closest to their home. If they want to attend a college that is further away, they will have to show that a similar course of study was not available closer to their place of residence.

Students can check on courses available in Newham on the websites of Newham College of Further Education (NCFE): www.newham.ac.uk and Newham Sixth Form College (NewVic): www.newvic.ac.uk. These sites will also have information on site location and transport routes. There is also a school sixth form centre run by Newham's two Voluntary Aided Catholic Schools, St. Angela's and St. Bonaventure's. You can contact them by email: stangandstbonvic@ftnetwork.com.

Students with statements of special educational needs (SSEN) can apply if they started their course before the age of 21 instead of 19. This age restriction will also apply to those student who were on school action plus of the Special Educational Needs Code of Practice and were getting additional resource funding while they were attending school. Support will continue until that particular course is completed.

Courses of less than 12 hours per week will be considered where transport needs are mentioned in the students' SSEN and/or transition plan agreed by Newham Local Authority's special educational needs officers. The minimum distance will be waived for the same reasons as well.

Support will be provided as detailed in the SSEN. But, the level of support will be reviewed on a termly basis. While each case will be treated on its merits, except in exceptional circumstances it is expected that students will receive support for independent travel during the course of their study from their college, and the level of support for transport will be gradually reduced. So for example, if you were provided with a taxi during the first term, in the second term you would be expected to have progressed to be able to use public transport for the rest of your course of study. Escorts will only be provided in exceptional circumstances.

Where a student with a SSEN has to attend a residential college for assessment, and where the application is supported by the relevant agencies, travel costs for the student and where recommended, an escort, may be reimbursed to a maximum of five visits.


Do you provide mobility/independence training for students who face difficulty with transport?

A scheme covering Newham post 16 institutions started in September 2003 and will continue while government funding is available. This has also been extended to support some pre 16 students who are attending a Newham maintained school in years 10 or 11. The funding is limited so unfortunately not all students with special needs can be supported in this way.


When should I start to apply for transport support?

• Students attending a school sixth form should apply to the student support section in the term before the course starts.
  
• Students with assessed Special Educational Needs or their parents/carers are:
• • Encouraged to check much earlier in the admissions process, when they are considering which college to attend, whether they would eligible for enhanced travel assistance, such as a coach/minibus or taxi, to go to a further educational institution (FEI) that is not the closest to their home or outside of Newham. This may well avoid disappointment and possible financial difficulties if the request is considered to be outside of this policy because, for example, a similar course of could have been available at a local FEI.
  • The student's pre-16 place of study and/or their allocated Connexions adviser should be able to provide support and advice in this matter.
  • Students without SEN applying to the two Newham Colleges, should apply to the colleges at same time as enrolment.
  • Students attending other FEIs should contact those institutions to find out the best time for application for travel assistance.
    

What help with travel is available if I want to go to a course outside of Newham?

• Students attending a school sixth form will be supported
• Students attending a college should apply directly to their college
• See the above for information for students with assessed special educational needs.
  

What help is available for students who attend a further education institution which is beyond daily travelling distance and they need to stay away?

Support with travel costs is available at the beginning and end of each term for more information see SEN transport services.


Useful contacts


Newham College of Further Education (NCFE)

Linda Toms
Email: Linda.Toms@newham.ac.uk


Newham Sixth Form College (NewVic)

David Ball
Email: dball@newvic.ac.uk

Claire Shire
Email: cshire@newvic.ac.uk


Connexions

Michelle Rogers
Tel: 020 8221 4652


Transport for London

Bryan Goodeve
Tel: 020 8282 6228

Website: www.tfl.gov.uk