A scheme that helps young people to become independent and confident on their daily journey to school is celebrating the success of its 25th student.
Less than a year on since its launch, the Independent Travel Training Scheme has rapidly expanded and has ‘signed off’ its 25th pupil as capable of travelling to and from school on public transport on their own.
Woodlands High School student Stephanie Wood started her travel training at the end of November 2010 and has quickly gained the skills and confidence to be able to travel on her own now. The 16-year-old will be presented with a certificate on Wednesday March 9 to mark her ‘graduation’ from the scheme having successfully reached independence while travelling from home to school and back again on two buses.
Set up last year with Welsh Assembly Government funding for local authorities to develop innovative school transport solutions, the scheme aims equip young people with Special Educational Needs, who receive free transport to school in the form of taxis or minibuses, with the necessary skills and confidence to travel independently to and from school on public transport.
Working with secondary school pupils aged between 14 and 19, travel trainers deliver training on a one-to-one basis tailored to an individual’s needs and abilities to young people, who have been identified by schools as capable of reaching independence with training and support. Pupils learn about all aspects of planning and preparing for a journey from time management to timetable reading, how to flag a bus and pay for a fare, to improving confidence and communication skills.
There are three stages of training including a travel trainer accompanying each pupil to and from school from their home to the school gates and back again, progressing to pupils becoming more confident and capable with the trainer shadowing the journey from afar to assess skill levels and capabilities and eventually, the travel trainer meeting the pupil at their home address in the morning before the pupil is then left to independently travel the entire route to school and being met at the school gates before entering school.
Once a young person has reached independence, they are provided with a free annual bus pass from Cardiff Bus and the private transport they had previously used is stopped.
Pupils, who previously used private transport, are now travelling independently from Greenhill School, Whitchurch High, Llanishen High, Bryn Y Deryn Pupil Referral Unit and Woodlands High School and there is currently a waiting list of pupils for training with more schools across the city expressing an interest in the scheme.
Information about the initiative is also now available on the Council’s website at www.cardiff.gov.uk/schooltransport where anyone interested in the scheme can find out further details about the project and eligibility.
Executive Member for Education and Lifelong Learning, Cllr Freda Salway, said: “The Independent Travel Training Scheme is a very worthwhile project to provide young people with key skills that will assist in their personal development and extend the range of opportunities that are available to them. By helping young people to gain independence in this way, we can boost their self-esteem and assist with the transition into adult life.
“It’s great to see Cardiff leading the way here and I’m delighted the scheme has been such a success, going from strength to strength in less than a year. Congratulations to Stephanie and the 24 other students who have reached this milestone.”
