Independent Travel Training (ITT)

Newcastle City Council promotes independent travel training which enables young people with additional needs to learn new skills that can be used for travelling to education or training placements using public transport.

Independent travel training enables young people to gain confidence, develop social, communication and life skills, promotes good health and wellbeing and ultimately leads to them becoming more independent. It increases access to education, employment, and training opportunities, to health services and social/leisure activities.

The training is aimed at Children and Young People with additional needs who receive support from the SEND Transport Service to travel to and from school/college. 

We have dedicated travel trainers who are experienced in working with young people, their families and education staff with a variety of physical and/or learning disabilities or difficulties. 

Once a young person has completed the training, they will be equipped with all the skills, knowledge, and confidence to be able to travel independently.  There is no timescale stipulated and the trainer will always work with individual young people at the pace they need to gain the required skills to safely travel independently.

Before being signed off as an independent traveller a young person will be confident and competent in the following areas.  

• Leaving the house and walking to a bus stop safely. 
• Cross a road safely. 
• Able to read road signs.  
• Travel on public transport safely from home to school and back.
• Interact with others in a respectful manner. 
• Be able to cope with an emergency or unexpected circumstances (cancelled buses, missed stops) 
• What to do if a bus breaks down  
• Awareness of your surroundings and how to stay safe. 
• Stranger danger.

The following statements and videos are from parent careers, young people, and school/college staff where a student has successfully completed the training:  

“The training has encouraged him to do more things for himself.  He has grown in confidence.”

“It has given her new opportunities, a better social life and confidence.”

“I am happy that I have been signed off as an independent traveller.  It means I can now go out with my friends.  I have also learnt how to access and read bus timetables.” 

“The travel training sessions are really what the students want and need. They are enthused by the prospect of being more independent and travelling with their friends to and from school.”

“She's not had a problem at all and arriving with a smile each morning.  That is a definite success for you and the ITT program!

“The travel training sessions are really what the students want and need. They are enthused by the prospect of being more independent and travelling with their friends to and from school.”

Want to find out more information about Independent Travel Training? 

Contact the SEND Transport team at Ittinfo@newcastle.gov.uk or telephone  0191 2774646.