Pupils at a school in Arnold with special educational needs and disabilities have received awards to mark their achievement of being an independent traveller.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s independent traveller training scheme helps boost young people’s confidence and self-esteem by preparing pupils with special needs with the skills they need to make own way from home to school or college each day. This includes using public transport and identifying landmarks to walk home safely.
This experience and skills of being a more independent traveller is helping young people to further education, work experience and increasingly their chance of employment.
Pupils from Derrymount in Arnold are among the 415 pupils at 34 schools and colleges currently signed up project with 480 staff from schools, colleges, the voluntary sector and transport companies trained to coach the students taking part.
One of the award winners was Tamzin Williams, 15, who is a pupil at Derrymount School. She said the scheme had helped her gain confidence.
She said: “It’s helped me a lot and I’m pleased to get this award. I feel a lot more confident now when I travel to school.”
Since September 2016, 25 students have become independent and now travel to and from school or college using public transport or walking.
Chairman of the council’s Children’s and Young People Committee, Cllr Philip Owen, who presented the awards said: “This is scheme is a fantastic way to support young people to be more independent.
“Most of us will remember the sense of freedom of travelling to school on your own. It can be a real milestone of independence.”
“The scheme not only helps more young people to feel ready to travel on their own, which brings many benefits for them in the long-term, it also reduces reliance on alternative forms of transport which can often be expensive.”
