Youngsters supported in solo travel journey

James Robinson on how a scheme aimed at giving children with additional needs the basic skills to travel independently has been hailed as a significant success

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MORE than 100 SEND pupils have been involved in a trial of the independent Travel Training initiative to give youngsters in Northumberland the skills and confidence needed to safely travel alone.

Parents have described the trial as giving their children a “new lease of life”

Initially rolled out with Year 10 and 11 pupils across the county, the programme was launched to help empower SEND children to travel to and from school using public transport.

Youngsters are provided with step-by-step support on how to use public transport, including reading timetables, identifying the correct bus or train, and asking the right questions to build real-world navigation skills. Training is delivered through small group work within schools and a series of one-on-one sessions.

Independent travel trainer, Donna Jackson, who delivers the sessions alongside colleague Dawn Atkinson, said: “We are overjoyed that this initiative has successfully supported students across Northumberland.

“We understand it’s a tall order to ask parents to trust us with their children, and that’s why safety is our number one priority.

“We ensure that we work patiently and methodically with parents and children to fully equip them for independent travel, completing the journeys with them and gradually giving more responsibility to the students as their confidence grows.