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The Education and Skills Act 2008, states that young people are required to stay in education, training or enter employment until they are 18.
When making decisions about which course, school or college to attend parents/students must consider:
There is no automatic entitlement to home to school or college transport once a student is over 16 even if free transport has been provided in the past.
Dorset Council is committed to supporting Young People in accessing Post 16 education and training and in addition have put the following provision in place to support this.
All School Transport into Mainstream Dorset Schools that have 6th Form provision is provided by independent bus companies.
If you wish to purchase a seat on one of these services, you are required to contact the bus company directly. The availability and charges are at the discretion of the relevant bus companies.
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South West Coaches
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Each School and FE College has a Mandatory Post 16 Bursary (16-18) scheme.
Eligibility for accessing these bursaries is managed by the individual schools. Some schools also provide other forms of support for Post 16 students to assist access to their place of learning.
Please contact the school or college directly for further information and charges, see appendix a or b.
There is also further information on the Bursary Scheme through the following website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advice-for-young-people-16-to-19-bursary-fund-guide.
Colleges have transport routes available to help students access their course.
It is important to contact the college to find out what is available and apply to them directly as soon as possible to ensure that transport is available for the start of the course.
Those attending Post 16 FE provision may also apply for a seat under the Surplus Seat Travel Scheme, if there are routes that wholly or partially assist a young person in accessing their Post 16 place and they fulfil the criteria set out in the section 'Post 16 Reduced Rates for the Surplus Seat Travel Scheme'.
They may also qualify for further assistance under the section 'Travel assistance for students aged 16-18 with Special Educational Needs, Disabilities or Compelling Medical Circumstances'.
Contact the college to find out if there is any support available for transport from the 16-19 Bursary, see appendix b.
If a young person is looking to engage with an Apprenticeship or traineeship, it is essential they talk to the Learning Provider who will be able to inform them of any transport assistance that may be available. Employers and Learning Providers should take into account a young person’s transport arrangements when planning any off the job training, particularly outside normal working hours, see appendix b.
If you are studying a traineeship you are also eligible for the 16-19 Bursary Scheme.
Some local public transport operators have concessionary fares/discount schemes for students.,
These are,
First Great Western
16-25 railcard
Damory /Morebus
passes.gosouthcoast.co.uk
First Group
Please contact the bus operator
Transdev (Yellow Bus)
Please contact the bus operator
South Western Railway
Cheap Train Tickets | No Booking Fees | South Western Railway
16-25 railcard
There are some situations where a young person travelling on public transport may be entitled to a free bus pass for off peak travel if they have a disability.
Young people aged between 16-18 and fulfilling the criteria set out in the section 'Post 16 Reduced Rates for the Surplus Seat Travel Scheme' may also be provided with additional support when:
Types of assistance that may be provided are:
Provision of dedicated transport is subject to the following conditions:
Applications for transport assistance must be received by the SEN Team Dorset Council, County Hall, Dorchester, DT1 1XJ by 31 May prior to the start of the course. A young person must re-apply for transport for each year of study.
All young people will contribute towards the cost of transport. For 2022/2023, Dorset Council has set this amount at £825.
If the family is on Maximum Working Credits or the student is entitled to free school meals, this will be reduced by 50%, consistent with the overall Post 16 Transport provision, see the following section 'Post 16 Reduced Rates for the Surplus Seat Travel Scheme'
In exceptional circumstances, the eligibility criteria with regard to ‘live over 3 miles from their nearest and/or appropriate school/college’ may be dis-applied for a young person with significant disability and/or mobility need and the contribution would be reduced by 50%.
Dorset Council is committed to supporting families in accessing Post 16 education and has in addition set up the Local Authority 16+ Assistance Scheme whereby a Post 16 student can qualify for a 50% reduction in the cost of their travel pass (those passes provided by the OSOO Contractors) or a 50% reduction in the £860 contribution towards transport provided by Dorset Council.
50% reduction in not available on public transport routes or rail.
In order to qualify for assistance under the Local Authority 16+ assistance scheme all students must meet each of the following criteria:
Please note, at the time of updating this policy, it is the Government’s intention to enforce the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR) on all routes carrying paying passengers. In the context of school transport, this means surplus seat pass holders.
This will require that all paying passengers must travel on a vehicle that has suitable access for passengers with disabilities – eg low floors or wheelchair lifts. As many vehicles used on school routes, such as older coaches, do not comply with these regulations, this will mean that they cannot be used to carry paying surplus seat pass holders. This will apply to all local authorities in England, not just Dorset Council.
However, it will not affect those pupils who are currently eligible for free school transport or surplus seat holders travelling on low-floor public service buses, PSVAR-compliant coaches or smaller vehicles such as minibuses and taxis.
This is likely to have some impact on school transport operators during the 2023/24 academic year and could potentially limit the future availability of surplus seats as a result. It is unclear at the time of writing this policy what the scale and timing of this impact will be.
Under Section 508F Education Act 1996 where a Local Authority considers it necessary for a young person between 19-25 to have travel assistance (Section 139a/Education, Health and Care Plans so highlights) in order to access an education institution or training, then the LA is required to provide free travel assistance.
If you are attending a college that is a considerable distance away from the Dorset Council area you should enquire directly to the college about transport support arrangements. Further details can be found at: https:www.gov.uk/grant-bursary-adult-learners
Please refer to the Home to School Transport Policy for the complaints procedure.
The Home to School Transport Policy and the Post 16 Transport Support Policy will be reviewed on an annual basis to reflect the changes to costs associated with SSTS fares.
If further changes are required Dorset Council will consult with young people and their parents through the consultation pages contained on the council website.
Please refer to other sections within the Dorset Home to School Transport Policy for further information on:
Further information on the 16-19 Bursary scheme is available through the following website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advice-for-young-people-16-to-19-bursary-fund-guide
In addition there is the 16-19 Bursary: 16 - 19 Bursary - Ferndown Upper School Sixth Form (fernup.dorset.sch.uk) – to support more general access to Post 16 but can be used in part to support transport.
Gillingham School, Hardings Lane, Gillingham SP8 4QP
The Gryphon School, Bristol Road, Sherborne, DT9 4EQ
The school operates a 16-19 bursary system to support access to Post 16 studies.
The school contracts a number of buses to transport students from the surrounding areas:
Paid seats available from Somerset - Request school transport on a paying basis (somerset.gov.uk)
Paid Seats from Dorset - https://www.southwestcoaches.co.uk
The school operates a 16-19 bursary system to support access to Post 16 studies.
There are also details of various public routes that student can access for attendance at The Purbeck School.
Queen Elizabeth’s School, Wimborne Minster, BH21 4DT
QE have a 16-19 bursary scheme that will support students in accessing 6th Form provision
The Thomas Hardye School have a 16-19 bursary scheme that will support students in access
Sir John Colfox
The school manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
There is transport available between Sir John Colfox School and the Yeovil College as part of the Yeovil College Partnership.
Shaftesbury School manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
As there is a shared 6th form provision between Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton – there is a free bus service between the two sites.
Sturminster Newton High School manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
As there is a shared 6th form provision between Shaftesbury and Sturminster Newton – there is a free bus service between the two sites.
The Woodroffe school manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
Further information on the 16-19 Bursary scheme is available through the following website: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/advice-for-young-people-16-to-19-bursary-fund-guide
The College manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
The College run a series of dedicated routes across the County to assist students to access their studies.
These routes are finalised on an annual basis depending on demand for each annual recruitment cycle.
Weymouth College, Cranford Avenue, Weymouth DT4 7LQ
The College manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
There are a range of routes serviced by the College and other public bus providers:
As well as local routes in and around Weymouth itself.
Students can apply for transport assistance if they live 5 miles from the college.
Bournemouth & Poole College, North Road, Parkstone, Poole BH14 0LS
Student Financial Support
16-18 year old students Vulnerable and Discretionary Bursaries; including College Meal and Travel Support.
At Bournemouth & Poole College, we can support with the cost of your course and travel costs.
If you are a student who is either in care or leaving care, you would be eligible to apply for a vulnerable bursary, which could include a monthly payment, paid direct to you to help you with those little extras, as well as receiving a College Meal Card and Travel Pass.
Discretionary bursaries are for those students who have a lower income within their families and are currently receiving one of the benefits stated in the criteria (http://www.thecollege.co.uk/student-support/student-finance).
Brockenhurst College, Lyndhurst Road, Brockenhurst SO4 7ZE
The College manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
The College is accessible through both public and train services from Salisbury, Southampton, Isle of Wight, Bournemouth and Poole.
There are various public bus routes to access Marchwood as well.
Yeovil College, Mudford Road, Yeovil BA21 4DR
The College manages a 16-19 bursary fund to support access to 6th Form studies.
The college is accessible from both Bus and Train routes:
1. Bus - Gillingham & Shaftesbury to Yeovil – (YC1)
2. Bus - Bridport & Beaminster (YC3)
In addition there are routes from Blandford and Sturminster Newton, Dorchester, Sherborne – updated routings and timings - Plan Your Journey | Traveline
Wiltshire College Salisbury, Southampton Road, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 2LW
Travelling to Wiltshire College
Studying at the Chippenham Campus - Travelling to Chippenham | Wiltshire College & University Centre
The Chippenham Campus is services by both bus and rail.
Studying at the Lackham Campus - Travelling to Lackham | Wiltshire College & University Centre
The Lackham Campus is services by bus. The nearest rail service eos to Chippenham (3.5 miles)
Studying at the Trowbridge Campus - Travelling to Trowbridge | Wiltshire College & University Centre
The Chippenham Campus is services by both bus and rail.
Studying at the Salisbury Campus - Travelling to Salisbury | Wiltshire College & University Centre
The Chippenham Campus is services by both bus and rail.
For students from Dorset – there are bus routes into Salisbury from certain centres in Dorset with a range of ticket options –
Salisbury Reds - Buses across Salisbury
This policy was last reviewed in 2023.
The next expected review date is 2024.