SEND Home to School Travel: Latest Update for September 2026 Aug 28

SEND Home to School Travel: Update – 28 August 2026

OCC has today, 28 August, provided the update below for families who are still awaiting confirmation of travel arrangements for their child or young person.

We know this won’t take away the worry for those of you who are still waiting, particularly with the start of term so close.

We have been in regular communication with OCC throughout this period, sharing the feedback and concerns we are hearing from parent carers. We contacted the team again today to share the latest feedback we have received and to ask for a further response and clarification for families.

We have also invited the Home to School Travel team to attend one of our SEND Connect sessions this autumn, to give parent carers an opportunity to hear directly from the team, ask questions and share their experiences.

Please continue to share your experiences with us.

We are listening and raising the issues and themes families tell us about directly with OCC, while keeping individual feedback anonymous. We will continue to share updates with you as we receive them.

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Update from Oxfordshire County Council

Home to School Travel Update for Families Awaiting Travel Arrangements

We would like to thank families for their patience throughout the summer holiday period. Arranging transport for approximately 8,500 children and young people across Oxfordshire, whilst simultaneously communicating arrangements to thousands of families, is a significant undertaking. We sincerely apologise to those families who are still awaiting confirmation of travel arrangements and appreciate that this uncertainty can be frustrating, and cause concern particularly with the start of term approaching.

Whilst the majority of travel arrangements have now been confirmed, a number remain outstanding. This includes a small proportion of applications submitted by the 30th June deadline, as well as some students with existing travel arrangements. Outstanding cases include a high volume of applications received after the 30th June deadline, applications where additional information is still required, and cases where transport arrangements are continuing to be finalised.

We recognise that waiting for confirmation can be concerning, particularly with the start of term approaching, and we want to reassure families that teams are continuing to work through outstanding cases as quickly as possible.

If you have not yet received confirmation of your child's travel arrangements

We appreciate that waiting for travel information can be frustrating and concerning, particularly with the start of term approaching. Our teams are continuing to process applications and finalise arrangements as quickly as possible.

If you have already provided all requested information, there is no need to contact the service. Families will be contacted directly as soon as travel arrangements have been confirmed or if any further information is required.

If you applied by 30th June

Applications received by the 30th June deadline remain our priority and we are working to finalise arrangements as quickly as possible. Where travel arrangements are not expected to be in place for the start of term, families will be contacted directly to discuss temporary support, which may include a Personal Travel Budget (PTB) where appropriate.

If you applied after 30th June

Applications received after the 30th June deadline are processed after those submitted on time and can take up to 10 weeks from receipt of a completed application. Where possible, travel support will be arranged sooner.

Travel support may be provided through a Personal Travel Budget (PTB), Oxfordshire County Council's Internal Fleet, or external transport provision.

If your young person is Post-16 and you have not yet provided their timetable

We have not yet received timetables for a large proportion of Post-16 young people. We are currently unable to confirm transport arrangements until we receive and review your young person's timetable. Whilst preliminary transport routes may be available, we cannot allocate a student to transport until the days they are required to attend their educational setting have been confirmed.

Schools and colleges do not routinely provide timetables to Oxfordshire County Council, and we therefore rely on parents and carers to submit this information directly every year. If you can please send through timetables as soon as possible so that travel can be finalised.

Once a timetable has been received, it can take up to 15 working days for transport arrangements to be assessed and confirmed. Timetables received close to, or after, the start of term may therefore result in arrangements being confirmed after a young person has started their course.

Unfortunately, until a timetable has been received and reviewed, we cannot guarantee that travel assistance will be in place for the start of the academic year. Parents and carers should therefore ensure that they have alternative travel arrangements available at the start of term until travel assistance has been confirmed.

What do families need to do?

If all requested information has already been provided, there is no need to contact the service and families will be contacted as soon as an update is available.

If Oxfordshire County Council has requested any outstanding information, such as:

• A Travel Information Form (TIF);

• A Post-16 timetable; or

• Any other supporting information required to assess an application,

  
  

This should be submitted as soon as possible to help avoid further delays.

We appreciate families' continued patience and understanding whilst transport arrangements for the new academic year are finalised. And again, apologise for any concern or inconvenience caused.

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Share your experience with OxPCF

Please keep telling us how home to school travel is going for your family — whether you are still experiencing difficulties or things have gone well.

The feedback you share helps us understand what is happening across Oxfordshire, identify recurring issues and raise these directly with OCC through our ongoing work with the Home to School Travel service and the School Transport Advisory Group.

📧 feedback@oxpcf.org.uk📱 WhatsApp/voice note: 07394 735666

Please remember that OxPCF cannot resolve individual transport cases. If you need action on your child or young person’s individual travel arrangements, you will need to contact OCC's Home to School Travel service directly.