Post 16 Transport Statement 2024/25

Newcastle City Council Post 16 Transport Statement 2024/25

The 2026/27 Post 16 Policy is currently under review by the Children and Families Directorate.

We have now reached the next stage of the process, please see letter dated 28th April 2025.
A full report on the proposals will be discussed at a Cabinet meeting in July 2025. Cabinet meetings are public meetings, and anyone can attend.  Details of the venue and timings are published on the Council website. www.newcastle.gov.uk
You can find a copy of the draft 2026/27 Post 16 policy statement here
Tell us what you think of this policy statement by –
Filling in a short online form by clicking here: https://forms.office.com/e/E20hqPCs6N

Writing to us at:  Post-16 SEND Transport Consultation, SEND Transport Service, Newcastle City Council, Floor 3, Civic Centre, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8QH

Responding via Let’s Talk Newcastle Online: www.letstalknewcastle.co.uk

Tell us what you think in person at one of our personal drop-in sessions:
 

These drop-in sessions are for individuals who wish to give us their views in person.  This means that you might have to wait until someone else has finished speaking with our staff.

Call us and leave your views on 0191 277 8886.

Remember the deadline for responses is 5pm on Sunday 25 May 2025.
You can also find the report on the Newcastle Local Offer.
 

Mark Patton

Assistant Director: Education and Skills

The following transport statement applies to travel in the 2024/25 academic year.

It must be noted that this Statement is currently under review by the Children and Families Directorate and is subject to change.

There is no automatic entitlement to free home to school or college transport once a student is over compulsory school age. Compulsory school age ceases on the last Friday in June in the school year in which a child reaches the age of 16. This is usually at the end of Year 11. However, Newcastle City Council will provide travel assistance to eligible learners aged 16 to 25 years to their place of study to promote participation, where the council deems it necessary.

Students with Special Educational Needs Disabilities (SEND)

Some students aged 16 to 25 years with Special Educational Needs, a disability or a medical need may be eligible for travel assistance if they study full time on an approved course if assistance is necessary for the student to attend the place of study. Support will usually be in the form of a travel permit unless exceptional circumstances apply. 

Students with special educational needs or a disability aged 16 to 25 years who attend a Further Education College have the same entitlement to travel assistance as those attending a school setting, except for the following:

• Escorts may be provided to a further education establishment if a student's disability or medical condition requires this.
• Assistance required to alight from transportation must be organised by prior arrangement with the college staff.
• Support is only available for attendance at establishments in the Newcastle area, except in exceptional circumstances

Personal Travel Budget (PTB) for children with additional needs

Personal Travel Budgets (PTBs) will help you to arrange your child's home to school travel arrangements in a way that suits your personal circumstances.

A PTB is provided to parents or carers of children with Special Education Needs Disability (SEND) who are eligible for travel assistance. It allows families to make flexible arrangements, monitor the quality of their child's transport directly or they could work with other families to achieve the best possible travel arrangements for their children.

What are the benefits of personal travel budgets?

To provides freedom and flexibility for your family to choose the most appropriate travel arrangements for your child that best fit with your personal circumstances.

It provides choice and control over how funding is used to get your child to and from school on time in a way that suits you, your child and your family.

It ensures resources are distributed in a fair way according to need.

It allows you to explore opportunities to share with other parents and potentially increase your buying power.

It offers families an alternative to the traditional services that the city council can provide.

Who can get a Personal Travel Budget?

You can get a PTB if your child is eligible for travel assistance from the city council through the SEND Transport Service.  Additionally, when deciding to offer a PTB, we would look at your child's attendance record at school.  You may be refused a PTB if your child's attendance is currently below 80% (this means 64 half day sessions or 32 full days in a school year).

For further information contact SEND Transport Service on 0191 2774646 between 7.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday. 

Or email SENDTransportservice@newcastle.gov.uk

Newcastle SEND Transport Service Independent Travel Training Offer

Newcastle City Council promotes independent travel training which enables young people with additional needs to learn new skills which can be used for travelling to post 16 education or training placements using public transport. Independent travel training enables young people to gain confidence, develop social, communication and life skills, promotes good health and wellbeing and ultimately leads to them becoming more independent. 

It increases access to education, employment, and training opportunities, to health services and social/leisure activities. If a young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan), the need for support with travel after the age of 16 should have been reviewed and written into their Transition Plan, which must include the views of the young person. The Transition Plan should specify actions that will be taken to help the student develop their independent travel skills in preparation for attending their next placement after leaving school. 
For more information contact the SEND Transport Team on 0191 2774646

Applications for travel support for post-16 students with additional needs will be assessed in accordance with the criteria outlined on the Special Educational Needs Disabilities web page.

Appealing a decision not to provide Transport

If you wish to appeal against a decision not to provide travel assistance to a post-16 student, please contact SEND Transport Service at:

SEND Transport Service

Newcastle City Council
Children and Families Directorate
Civic Centre
Barras Bridge
Newcastle upon Tyne 
NE1 8HQ

You must state why you disagree with the decision and provide any additional information to support your appeal. We will review our decision in the light of any new evidence provided, this will then be communicated to the learner within 20 days.

Further information about SEND Transport is available using the contact details below during business hours only.  If you contact the service outside of business hours, please leave a message with your name and contact details and a member of the team will respond when the service reopens.

SEND Transport business hours
Term time – Monday to Friday 7.30am – 4.30 pm
School holidays – Monday to Friday 9.00am – 3.30pm

SEND Transport Service
Newcastle City Council
Children and Families Directorate
Civic Centre
Barras Bridge
Newcastle upon Tyne 
NE1 8HQ

Email: SENDTransportservice@newcastle.gov.uk
Phone: 0191 2774646

Further information in relation to services available in Newcastle for Children and Young People with a Special Educational Need or Disability can be found using the Newcastle Local Offer.

Financial help for home to school/college travel through a Bursary Fund

Students aged 16 to 19 years continuing their education in a mainstream setting do not usually qualify for travel assistance. The Newcastle 16 to 19 bursary  offers financial assistance for young people to continue their learning and this can help with travel costs.

In Newcastle the following secondary schools are part of the Newcastle 16 – 19 Bursary scheme which is managed by the council:

• Benfield School
• Excelsior Academy
• Gosforth Academy
• Jesmond Park Academy
• Kenton School
• North East Futures UTD
• Sir Charles Parsons School
• St Cuthbert’s Catholic High School
• St Mary’s Catholic School
• Studio West
• Thomas Bewick School
• Walker Riverside Academy

You can contact your school for more information.

Who can apply for the bursary scheme?

There are two types of bursary.  You can only apply for one of these, depending on your personal circumstances.

Standard bursary

To apply for the standard bursary, you must meet all four of the following conditions:

• attend a school in Newcastle which is part of the scheme
• be starting Year 12, 13 or 14 in September of the academic year
• be aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August of the academic year
• live in a household with an annual income (including benefits and tax credits) below £32,000.00

Enhanced bursary

To apply for the enhanced bursary, you must meet all four of the following conditions:

• attend a school in Newcastle which is part of the scheme
• be starting Year 12, 13 or 14 in September of the academic year
• be aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August of the academic year

and you must also belong to one of the following groups:

• be in care
• recently left local authority care
• receive income support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself or financially supporting yourself and someone who is dependent on you and who you are living with, such as a child or partner
• receive Disability Living Allowances or Personal Independence Payments in your own right, as well as Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit in your own right

Who do I contact if I have any questions?

If you have any questions about the scheme you should speak to your school.  If they are unable to help, you can contact the council’s Schools Bursary team.  Please provide your first name, surname, the school you attend and ideally any online reference number.

The government's own website provides general information on bursary schemes.

Public transport information

A range of transport providers in Newcastle and across Tyne and Wear provide cheaper transport on the Metro, buses, ferry and local rail services between Newcastle and Sunderland for students with a valid student ID card.

Network One Student Travel Ticket

If you’re under 19 or a student, the network One student travel ticket will allow you to travel throughout Tyne & Wear on virtually any bus, the Metro, Sunderland to Blaydon rail line and Shields ferry.

It can be used 7 days a week from the start to the end of service.

To be eligible for you must be aged over 16 on 1st September 2024 and a Student at School, College, or University.

If your Student ID Card shows all the following information you can use this ID Card to buy Network One tickets for Students and Young People.

• Name of educational establishment.
• Student’s name.
• Student’s current passport style photograph.
• An expiry date.

To apply for a Network One Student Travel Ticket, you will need to scan and email your original birth certificate, driving licence or passport to:- info@networkonetickets.co.uk, together with a current passport-style photograph.

You will have to provide your full name and address and state the name of your place of education or training provider. You will be sent a Network One Photocard and a Network One Young Person’s ID Card, which will have the six-digit number from your Network One Photocard written on it and the date of your 19th birthday. 

For further information on a Network One Young Persons ID card Is available on their web page. 

Stagecoach Under 19 travel

Under 19's can buy discounted bus tickets for all Stagecoach buses in Newcastle, South Shields, Sunderland, Teesside and Hartlepool.
Tickets can be bought on-board or on the app.
Most school buses in Tyne and Wear are operated by Nexus and Stagecoach (along with other North East bus operators) operate a network of services at school-times on their behalf. 

For information on tickets and services mainly for the use of scholars in Tyne and Wear, please see here  https://www.nexus.org.uk/bus/guide-buses/school-bus-services for further details. 
Although U19 ticket holders no longer require a Stagecoach U19 ID card, drivers may occasionally ask for proof of age.
Valid forms of ID include: 

•    Provisional driving licence
•    Full driving licence
•    Passport
•    NUS card
•    Student ID (stating DOB, from school/college)
•    PASS card
•    Nexus Under 16 Pop card
•    Network One Young Persons ID card
•    Arriva Teen Card

Nexus - Free bus and discounted bus and Metro travel if you are disabled

Nexus Concessionary Travel Pass

If you are disabled (see below for details of which disabilities apply), live in Tyne and Wear and have a Concessionary Travel Pass, you can travel on buses for free.

Metro journeys are not free of charge but you can avoid paying full fares after 9.30am by buying a Metro Gold Card. Metro Gold Cards can only be used with a valid Concessionary Travel Pass. They are also valid on the Shields Ferry and rail services between Newcastle and Sunderland.

Everyone applying for the Concessionary Travel Scheme on grounds of disability has to be initially assessed by the Social Services department of their Local Authority. You should, therefore, contact them for advice on what you need to take with you by phoning 0191 2788100.

If you are eligible for a Concessionary Travel Pass, you will be given a Confirmation of Eligibility form.

If you have one of the following types of disability and live in Tyne and Wear, you may be entitled to a Concessionary Travel Pass:

• Blind or partially
• Profoundly or severely deaf
• Without speech
• Have a disability which means that you cannot walk except with excessive labour, at an extremely slow pace or with excessive pain
• Do not have arms or have a long term loss of the use of both arms
• Have a learning disability
• Someone who has been, or would be, refused a driving licence on certain medical grounds

Further information regarding the definition of these criteria is available from Social Services.

If you qualify under one of the above categories and attend college or are in paid employment for at least 15 hours a week, you can apply for an All Day Concessionary Travel Pass, which can be used at any time.

With a Concessionary Travel pass Pass you can travel:

• Free of charge on buses in Tyne and Wear from 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
• Free anywhere else in England on local buses, between 9.30am and 11.00pm Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays.
• For 60p on the Shields Ferry from 9.30am Monday to Friday, all day at weekends and on public holidays.
• For 50p on Northern Rail services between Newcastle and Metrocentre/Blaydon, from 9.30am Monday to Friday and all day at weekends and on public holidays

More information - for adults

Nexus Companion Card

What is Companion Card?

A Companion Card lets you take someone with you free of charge when you travel on buses in Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Northumberland and Darlington. It’s available to residents of Tyne and Wear who receive certain allowances and need a companion to make all, or some, journeys.

So if you need to take a companion with you in order to be able to use buses, and they normally have to buy a ticket, they no longer need to – as long as they are travelling with you, and you have your Companion Card with you. If you have a Metro Gold Card, your Companion Card will be valid on Metro too.

Will I qualify for a Companion Card?

You will automatically qualify for the scheme if you receive either of the following:

• higher rate care component of the Disability Living Allowance
• higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living Allowance
• high rate Attendance Allowance
• the Mobility component of the War Disablement Pension (WDP)
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - the decision letter must either show that:

1. you have scored at least 8 points in either the Communicating Verbally or Planning or Following a Journey sections, or;
2. you are in receipt of or have been awarded the enhanced rate (meaning you have scored at least 12 points) of the Mobility component of PIP

You should only apply for a Companion Card if you need a companion to make all, or some, journeys. A companion is someone who offers you significant assistance throughout the journey - this means help in boarding, moving around and getting off a vehicle. This card is not for people who can travel alone, but who need a carer in other aspects of their life. When you're travelling with a companion, they must accompany you for your entire journey to be able to use your Companion Card.

How to apply

You will need to complete a Companion Card application form.  Request one by calling 0191 2020747, emailing customerrelations@nexus.org.uk or writing to:
Companion Card Applications, Nexus, Nexus House, St James' Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4AX.

• Apply for your first Concessionary Travel Passes
• Request the replacement or renewal of an existing Concessionary Travel Pass
• Apply for your first Companion Card

TaxiCard - cheaper taxi travel

The TaxiCard scheme can help people with mobility difficulties travel independently.  It allows them to travel with one of our approved taxi companies at a discounted price.  Members get issued with a card which is credited with a set amount of money every year - they use the money on their card to help pay towards each journey they make.

TaxiCard is an annual scheme.  In order to join you must qualify for at least one of the benefits listed below (see ‘Documentary evidence required’).  Please note: you will need to provide formal proof of the benefits you receive eg a relevant certificate, letter or notice, with your application.

Documentary evidence required:

• High Rate Mobility Component of Disability Living Allowance
• Registered Severely Visually Impaired or Blind
• Higher Rate Attendance Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) - the decision letter must show that you have scored a minimum of 8 points in the Mobility component under ‘Moving around’.

Further information about the TaxiCard scheme contact the Customer Relations team on 0191 2020747 between 09:00am-5.00pm, Monday-Friday.

Website: TaxiCard | nexus.org.uk

Disabled Parking and Blue Badge Scheme

The Blue Badge scheme allows people who have difficulty getting about to park their cars close to the facilities and services that they need to use.  They last for three years and need to be renewed.

If you have a Blue Badge you can apply for an exemption account for using the Tyne Tunnel which needs to be renewed annually. 

New legislation came into force on Friday 30 August 2019, with guidance and revised eligibility criteria produced by the Department for Transport.

The criteria now means people with non-visible or 'hidden' disabilities may be eligible for a Blue Badge.

See our parking pages for more information about how to apply for a Blue Badge parking permit or contact the Blue Badge team by calling 0191 2787878 or emailing bluebadge@newcastle.gov.uk.