To ensure that the council manages its transport services effectively whilst also meeting its statutory duties and ensures children are transported to school in line with eligibility.

The previous contracts which were in place to support these educational facilities terminated at the end of the Spring Term 2020. Noting that the council needs to be prepared for potential school re-opening during the current term it is important to have these contracting arrangements in place so that transport will be provided if required.

Development of a ‘call off’ contract was undertaken with advice from procurement officers and reflects the sporadic nature of school transport demands relating to these specific educational facilities. These demands result from referrals of individual pupils in relation to educational, health and wellbeing needs and can occur at any time and not necessarily conforming to fixed school terms. Transport eligibility in these cases results from the referral requiring the child to attend one of a small number of special educational facilities which in many cases is not their nearest school nor within the statutory walking distance.