Independent Travel Training

Independent Travel Training is a training programme for young people:

• who are living in the Wakefield district
• who have special educational needs and/or a disability 

What is it?

The programme helps learners to:

• use buses or other public transport
• get to and from school or college on their own
• travel safely

Who do we work with?

We work with students who have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) that are (one of the following)

• usually in Year 10 or Year 11 at high school
• in or about to start post-16 education

What does it look like?

Before training begins, we:

• assess the travel route to make sure it is safe
• speak to parents/carers and schools to see what support the learner needs
• assess the learner to decide if Independent Travel Training is right for them

If the learner is ready for Independent Travel Training, they will work with a Travel Trainer. They will learn how to stay safe and make good travel choices. This can include:

• using buses or other transport
• walking safely
• crossing roads
• understanding road safety

The learner will first watch the trainer, then practise with support. Over time, they will grow in confidence and start doing more on their own, while the trainer watches from a distance.

The goal is for the learner to travel the route safely by themselves.

Benefits for learners

Learners can benefit from:

• improved confidence and self-belief
• more chances to socialise
• learning to make their own choices
• more options for school, college, or work
• ability to travel safely
• feeling proud of what they can do
• confidence to try new journeys on their own

Benefits for parents and carers

Parents and carers can benefit from:

• the child or young person can travel to school or college on their own
• more free time for work, study, or relaxation
• confidence that their child or young person is becoming more independent as they grow up