Travel Training
St Francis School are extremely happy to promote Independent Travel Training as it gives the young person confidence, enabling them to move on to their next step on their life journey. It helps with work experience, jobs, volunteering and visiting family and friends.
It is a free service given by dedicated travel trainers and this then takes place once a week until the young person can confidently travel the whole journey by themselves. Road and personal safety training is given, and what to do if something changes.
Independent Travel Training is best learned at school as this is a place they feel safe and confident in. The trainers will then help the young person get used to the route to their next college or school setting. To be travel trained the young person will need to be eligible for transport, so those on school buses will be able to do the travel training.
A trainer will take your child on their journey to school or college to advise on:
- safety issues
- finding their way
- road safety
- planning a journey
- using a bus pass and paying a fare
- using buses and trains
- solving problems
There is a waiting list, as the training takes as long as necessary this is why sometimes the waiting list will seem a long time. The best thing that can be done now, is to put your young person on the waiting list (from as early as Y8).
Not everyone is able to be travel trained, and this will always be taken into consideration.
Lincolnshire County Council travel trainers have trained over 100 young people from this school since it started in 2009. More than half of those were travel trained on to their next education place.
Experiences
My son Alfie has just completed his travel training with Lynn. I was really worried about the whole process but having spoken to Lynn she explained what would be happening and how it all works and I was instantly put at ease. Alfie really enjoyed his travel training and Lynn gave him lots of strategies as to what to do if the bus is running late or if he misses the bus etc and she explained about winter time. Lynn also had time to answer our questions and again put our minds at ease. She gave Alfie a map and wrote the bus times down and which stand he needs to be on. I really would recommend travel training to any student. Alfie had a great time doing his travel training.
Hello I'm a parent of a 16 year old boy who attends St Christopher's school. The whole experience for my teen was exceptional. From the first meeting with Lynn, she made myself as well as my son very reassured. We talked about what plans when he leaves Post 16 and how we would plan for this, breaking down the journey, taking photo's of landmarks to help with his confidence.
We need more people like Lynn to give these adolescents the best chance to move in to adulthood. I appreciate that some can't make this transition to independent travel training but if they can do this & parents can help them, they gain skills of independence, confidence & trust.
We were first introduced to the concept of travel training at a school careers info morning. We had a chat with Lynn and I have to admit at that time I was unsure. She talked to our son and when we got home we spoke to him to make sure he was happy to start. He had traveled to school by escort on a bus which picked him up and dropped him off at the door since he was 4 so it was a big step. But at 15 he said he was ready, not sure I was! I am always the over cautious parent sending our son into the big wide world by himself.
Lynn was amazing. The training is undertaken one step at a time and he was supported each step of the way and at his pace and gradually each time did a bit more until he was confident enough to go solo. The training is very detailed and guides the students with lots of helpful strategies. He learned to catch 2 buses to school and home. I was amazed how well he coped. Some of his friends also did the training so on the odd occasion they could go into town for a look round and a McDonald's. Now he can travel to see a friend. It has given him so much confidence and he definitely walks taller these days. It is very easy to want to keep our children close but they need to do this for themselves and then you can all benefit from that feeling of achievement when they come home from that first independent journey as if it was nothing with the biggest smile!
Our son then went on to St. Francis, Lynn showed him the way (only one bus) and he independently travels there.
So speaking from personal experience I would highly recommend it, I appreciate all children have different levels of learning and ability but if they feel ready please get in touch with Lynn or the travel training team.
Hello. I am Parent of a 15 year boy who attends Lincoln St Christopher's School. When we had are first meeting with Lynn she was great. She talked with my Son about the bus routes and times and were to get of. My Son was very nervous at first. My Son has coped very well. I am very proud of him for doing the Travel Training. I would recommend anyone to do Travel Training because it will help them into Adulthood life. Lynn is very friendly and very helpful to.
