Skip to content

Travel training supports young people with SEND to become independent on their home to school/college journey. Our experienced Travel Trainers give the young person encouragement, information and support, and work with them on a one to one basis.

Travel Training is an AQA accredited programme through which students can gain certified awards to demonstrate and evidence their learning. 

Parent/carer involvement is a vital part of this process and open communication between you, your family and the Travel Trainer is very important.  We aim to Travel Train students within 3-4 months, with sessions taking place twice a week, although we understand that each student and family circumstance is different.  Your safety and wellbeing is at the centre of everything we do. A student is not signed off as independent until they have completed all aspects of the programme and until we see them complete the journey independently on a number of occasions.

We work with young people travelling on buses, trains and walking to school/college and cover all aspects of independent travel, including:   

  • road and personal safety
  • how to use timetables and buy tickets
  • what to do when things go wrong (for example, if the bus is late or cancelled)
  • how and where to ask for help

Personal 1 on 1 training

Travel Trainers give you 1 to 1 training and will work at your pace and with consideration of your individual needs.  While we understand that each young person and family circumstances are different, we would aim to Travel Train most students within 3-4 months (with sessions taking place twice a week).  Travel Trainers work throughout the school/college holidays and can be flexible in their approach to suit your timetables and other commitments.  Once you are considered independent, you can stay in touch with the Travel Trainer if any issues arise in the future and you can receive more Travel Training if you change address or move to a different school or college.  

Do you meet the criteria?

In order to take part in the Travel Training programme, you must meet all of the following:

  • Have a current EHCP
  • Use transport funded by Hertfordshire County Council; either a taxi or PTB (personal travel budget)
  • Live in Hertfordshire or have already finished the Travel Training programme, but need to learn a new route to help your education/employment chances, change of campus or college course.

(Travel training is for home to college travel only - we don't provide this for work experience placement journeys)

Everyone who takes part in the programme must be eligible and suitable. The aim is to support young people with needs to become independent, so we focus on those young people who will be able to develop their skills to a level where they can travel independently on public transport.

Apply for travel training

If you are interested in Travel Training, please speak to your college tutor or SENCo, or you (or your parent/carer) can contact us at travel.training@hertfordshire.gov.uk to chat about your options.  Take a look at our home to school transport policies.

Travel Training - toolkit for parents

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria and you are interested in doing some travel training with your parent or carer, we have produced a toolkit. It contains the areas you should cover, strategies you can use, and a useful resources section. There are 2 versions, an interactive parent toolkit (PDF 4.6mb) and a printer friendly toolkit (PDF 307kb), so you can print it off and use it in the way that best suits you.

Contact us

Email us at travel.training@hertfordshire.gov.uk to explore your options and see how travel training could help you. Take a look at our home to school transport policies.

Sean's experience

I began travel training in the summer holidays. I was keen to start travelling, but also nervous.

I need not have worried. My travel trainer showed me everything, including how to speak to transport staff. The bus drivers have been very friendly and helpful.

I felt proud when I went on the bus by myself. My parents were proud too!

If you like the idea of travel training, but you're feeling nervous, then I would say give it a go. Be positive and you can do it!"

Page was last updated on: 20/08/2025 12:52:51

Cookies

Like many other websites, we place small information files called 'cookies' on your computer.

Why do we use cookies?

To remember your settings, for example your language and location. This means you don’t have to keep entering these details when you visit a new page.

To find out how you use the site to help us update and improve it.

How do I change my cookie settings?

You can change the settings of your web browser so that it won’t accept cookies. For more information visit AboutCookies.org.

But, doing this may stop you from using some of the online features and services on this website. 

Cookies we use

Cookies do a lot of different jobs, and we use 2 types of cookies:

Required functionality cookies – these cookies are essential for the website to work.

Performance and feature cookies – these cookies help to improve the performance and feel of this website, for example providing you with personalised services.


Take a look at a list of cookies we use on our website:

NameTypeHow we use itHow long we use the information for

ASP.Net_Sessions

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

ServerID

 

Required functionality

An automatic cookie set by our software. 

Just for the time you are on our website.

_ga

Required functionality

To track the effectiveness of our website using Google Analytics. 

2 years

saved-pages

Performance and feature

To save the pages that you visit by clicking the heart at the top of the page. 

1 month

geoPostcode

Performance and feature

This stores your postcode (or partial postcode) when we ask you for your location.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

geoCoordinates

Performance and feature

This stores your location as a pair of latitude / longitude coordinates.

Just for the time you are on our website or 30 days (you choose this).

reckonerName-history

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of all answers submitted to the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

reckonerName-content

Performance and feature

This keeps a history of what content cards are clicked on when using the ready reckoner.

This is set in the control for each ready reckoner. If you haven't interacted with the ready reckoner for the set amount of days, the cookies are deleted.

SQ_SYSTEM_SESSION

Required functionality

This used to track user sessions on forms hosted on eservices.hertfordshire.gov.uk

Just for the time you are on our website.


Third party cookies

There are links and content from other sites and services on our website. These sites and services set their own cookies.

Below are a list of cookies that the other sites and services use:

Service namePurposeMore information

Google analytics (_utma/b/c/z)

These are used to compile reports for us on how people use this site.

Cookies of the same names are also used for the same purpose by other websites such as Building FuturesCountryside Management Service and Hertfordshire LIS.

Visit the Google Analytics website for more information about the cookies they use.

You can prevent data from being collected and used by Google Analytics by installing Google's Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Google Translation - googtrans

This cookie is used to remember which language to translate each page into if you have chosen to do so.

It expires at the end of your browser session.

Bing

We use a Bing cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Bing to find out more about their cookies.

Google

We use a Google cookie to track the success of our marketing campaigns and make them more efficient.

Visit Google to find out more about their cookies.

Facebook

We have a number of presences on Facebook, which we may link to. Facebook may set some of its own cookies if you follow these links.

Visit Facebook to find out more about their cookies.

Twitter

We have a number of presences and feeds on Twitter, which you may wish to follow or read from this website. Twitter may set some of its own cookies.

Visit Twitter to find out more about their cookies.

YouTube

We have a YouTube channel, which we may link to. YouTube may set some of its own cookies if you follow those links.

Visit YouTube to find out more about their cookies.

Netloan

This ASP.NET_Sessionid cookie is essential for the Netloan secure online payments website to work, and is set when you arrive to the site. This cookie is deleted when you close your browser.

 

HotJar

This session cookie is set to let Hotjar know whether that visitor is included in the sample which is used to generate funnels.

Visit HotJar to find out more about their cookies.

Siteimprove

These cookies are set to help us report on how people are using the site so we can improve it.

Visit Siteimprove to learn more about their cookies.