This paper summarises some work which has been ongoing since 1990 and which has focused upon school transport arrangements for children with `special' (additional) needs. The children concerned attend British schools and all have a significant learning difficulty or disability. They represent about 3% of the total school population. The children all attend state-maintained schools which are run by Local Education Authorities (LEAs) with a duty to provide education for all children within their area. The children concerned attend either a segregated special school, a special class or unit in a mainstream school some way from where they live, or their local mainstream neighbourhood school. The study was concerned solely study was concerned solely with the arrangements made by the LEA to transport children to and from school and was not concerned with the arrangements individual schools made to transport children on school trips. This latter area should become the subject of further investigation in due course. Because there has been very little research into the methods used to transport children with additional needs between their home and school, the investigation had no real basis of expectation other than the informal anecdotal. Also the work had to be carried out with little or no budget so could not possibly provide anything like a definitive picture of current practice. Information is acquired through the use of questionnaires completed by LEA officers and Headteachers of schools. The findings generally support the view that home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs is not a high priority aspect of the broader education service provided by the typical LEA. Most services paid too little attention to the assessment of individual pupil needs, staff training, service monitoring and communication with parents. (A)
Abstract