In response to SEN Home to School Transport guidelines, Gloucestershire County Council have provided answers to Frequently Asked Questions:
SEN Home to School Transport
SEN Travel Enablement
Frequently asked questions regarding home to school transport for SEN students as schools return in September 2020
In line with the government’s aim for all young people to be back at school full time from the start of the autumn term, your child will be returning in September. You may have questions or concerns regarding what their home to school transport will ‘look’ like in light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic which we would like to address now. If there are any questions that we haven’t covered here, please contact the team by emailing sen.transport@gloucestershire.gov.uk and a colleague will be happy to get in touch.
The provision of home to school transport in September is being planned in accordance with the latest government guidance ‘Transport to school and other places of education: autumn term 2020’ , published on 11 th August 2020. This guidance was developed with advice from Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). It is possible that our plans may have to change if further guidance is issued but we will continue to keep this document updated. In the meantime, we are making arrangements now to ensure we can transport all eligible children with additional needs to school in September.
Will you transport my child in the same ‘bubble’ or zone that they are in at school?
We have been working closely with special school Heads and understand that many schools will be operating in ‘bubbles’ or zones in September. We will support school ‘bubbles’ by ensuring any vehicle we use only transports children to one school, but this may include children from another group within that same school.
However we will be adhering to safer travel principles as outlined by the government.
Will there be social distancing on home to school transport?
Government guidance for the full opening of schools states that social distancing requirements will not be compulsory from the autumn term on dedicated home to school transport or on public transport. Whilst we will endeavour to keep passenger numbers as low as possible on each vehicle, there is no guarantee that social distancing can be maintained and it is for parents to consider their own child’s needs in light of this. Some vehicles may appear ‘busy’ but they are, in fact, transporting children who will be in that same group all day at school.
Does my child or the driving crew have to wear face coverings?
The law regarding wearing face coverings does not apply on dedicated school transport. However, passengers, drivers and passenger assistants are strongly advised to wear face coverings and passengers will be provided with two washable, re-usable face masks each for their personal use. Whilst we highly recommend their use, this will not be mandatory as we understand that some students with additional needs will not tolerate this.
More Questions and Answers:
To read the rest of the Questions and Answers, please visit the Gloucestershire County Council article here: SEN Home to School Transport
