The Surrey Student Transport Partnership (SSTP) currently consists of various representatives including:

Surrey LEA (Planning for Learning)
Passenger Transport Group
Special Educational Needs Transport
Student Finance Service
Partnership with Parents
Physical and Sensory Support

Connexions
Learning and Skills Council
FE Colleges and Sixth Form Colleges

The SSTP are working with the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) to improve transport for students.

The partnership has been set up to deal with post 16 Transport issues in response to the Education Act 2002.

The aim of the partnership is to develop a common vision for post 16 transport and to assist in improving student transport provision and support. We want to ensure that no student is prevented from entering further education either because they do not have transport services to get there or because they cannot afford to pay for them.

The DfES has allocated funding to the SSTP to allow us to progress improving transport provision and support for post 16 students. To date the SSTP have used their partnership funding for the following projects:

• The development of the SSTP website enabling students to obtain information on how to access Surrey schools and colleges via public transport and how to apply for assistance and support.
• The Wheels 2 Learn Scheme allowing students who can’t use public or private transport to access school or college by moped. The moped scheme offers free Certificate of Basic Training along with the appropriate safety equipment. Students can hire the moped over an academic year for the charge of £5 a week.
• Several colleges have been successful in obtaining funding through transport bids for accessible minibuses to provide transport to areas not currently served by passenger transport.
• Two transport surveys targeting
  • Year 11 students to identify levels of staying on rates and whether transport acts as a barrier to continuing in education.
  • 16 – 25 students to identify areas where problems with public transport and information need to be addresses.
• An independent travel training leaflet is under development and provides parents with the basic travel training tools to assist in developing essential life skills that will aid in enhancing a greater sense of independence .

The partnership is also reviewing Surrey’s policy statement on the provision of transport services and support to students attending further education. Why not take a look at the ‘user friendly’ summary of the support that Surrey can offer you.

If you’d like to give us your views on transport or have any queries then contact us through our email feedback facility.