Call for families to help improve school transport

17 July 2026

Families are being encouraged to get involved in helping further improve support for children travelling to school in North Northamptonshire.

In recent years, a significant amount of progress has been made by North Northamptonshire Council in developing and strengthening school transport services for children, young people and families, with plans now in place to identify more opportunities for improvement.

By working with families, schools and partners, the council is looking to trial new improvements developed directly from public feedback.

Earlier this year, the council invited families and professionals to share their experiences of school transport through a survey, and a series of engagement sessions with Northamptonshire Parent and Carer Voice.

From this, five priority areas were identified where families and professionals felt further improvements could be made.

These are:

Clearer and more consistent communication – To improve communication, the council has worked with families to improve an Easy Read version of the Travel to School Transport policy, as well as website content and supporting information. These changes will be introduced over the coming months to help make information easier for families to access, understand and navigate.
Improving operator quality - To support the quality and consistency of transport operators, which feedback suggested would be most valuable, families may be invited to share feedback about their transport operators each term to help the council recognise and celebrate high-quality provision, while identifying further areas for improvement.
Annual Reviews and building independence – To support travel which better meets a young person’s needs, three new questions will be introduced into the annual review to help families reflect on how they can support their child’s journey towards adulthood and independence. It will also help the Transport team better understand a young person’s current travel needs and future aspirations.
Personal Travel Budgets (PTBs) – The Travel to School Transport Team have contacted families who are eligible for a current Personal Travel Budget trial directly. A PTB is funding provided to families to support them in arranging their child's journey to school. For some families, this can offer greater flexibility and control over travel arrangements. Learning from the trial will help inform future decisions about how this option may be used for more families.
Independent Travel Training (ITT) – Families of young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), in secondary and post-16 education settings who receive council-funded travel to school transport, are being invited to express an interest in taking part in a trial to help them develop the confidence and practical skills needed to travel more independently. The focus will be on helping young people build skills for life, not just for the journey to school.

We’d like to say a huge thank you everyone who took the time to provide feedback, which has directly informed and shaped the approach we are now taking. As we develop these improvements, some families may receive more communication from the council than they are used to, but I want to reassure families that participation in any trial or initiative is entirely voluntary. Our focus is on creating a Travel to School service that provides greater clarity, supports independence and gives families more choice, while continuing to meet the needs of children and young people across North Northamptonshire.Cllr Chris McGiffen, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Highways and Travel

Find out more about Travel to School transport on the council’s website.