The benefits of travel training are long term as the training often results in lifelong changes in behaviour among learners. This is one of the reasons why travel training is most effective when received before adulthood, to maximise the long-term benefits.

Travel education and training gives students independence and valuable lifelong skills beyond school, including the ability to travel to employment, further education, and social events.

As a result of travel training, students may experience:

• increased independence, confidence, and self-esteem
• improved engagement at school and improved educational outcomes
• increased opportunities to access employment and further education
• increased opportunities to participate in social and leisure activities
• an opportunity to initiate valuable programs that move the student towards independence post school
• reduced responsibility and an opportunity to move their child towards independence
• increased trust and confidence in their child’s ability to learn new skills.

Schools may experience an opportunity to initiate valuable programs that guide the student towards independence beyond the school environment.

Parents may experience:

• reduced responsibility and an opportunity to transition their child towards independence
• increased trust and confidence in their child's ability to learn new skills

Parents may need support and assistance from the school to understand the program and see that the long-term benefits for their child outweigh any immediate reservations they may have.

Travel training is an educational program that supports the social and economic participation of students with disability through independent travel. Schools, parents, carers, and students each have a key role and set of responsibilities to support the safe and effective delivery of travel training.

A comprehensive framework for travel training involves assessment, planning, delivery, and review activities which are the responsibility of the student’s teacher. However, many aspects can be delegated to classroom support staff under the teacher’s guidance and professional supervision.

As part of its role in providing transport solutions for students with disability, the ASTP understands the importance of supporting students with disability to build their capacity towards independent travel to and from school.

In 2021, the ASTP undertook a survey of government and non-government school professionals regarding travel training supports for students with disability and additional learning and support needs. The survey indicated there was a gap in available travel training resources specifically tailored for use in NSW school settings. Based on these survey results, the ASTP decided to produce a range of practical resources that could support school staff to deliver safe and effective lessons on travelling independently.

The ASTP partnered with Road Safety Education, Policy and Work Health and Safety teams, and staff working in Learning Support within several government schools to develop travel training resources designed to provide schools with:

• general information about travel training for students with disability,
• a set of guiding principles for the implementation of high-quality travel training,
• a framework for identifying and supporting students capable of independent travel,
• practical resources to support schools in the delivery of travel training.

The principles and framework correspond with the core components of inclusive practice identified in the Department’s Inclusive Education Statement for students with disability.

The travel training framework is divided into the following sections:

1. Assessment
2. Planning
3. Delivery
4. Review

The resources and templates provided have been developed to reduce the burden of teacher planning and are for optional use by schools. These documents can be incorporated into the planning and implementation of travel training and adapted to suit local context as required.

The level of travel support required by an individual student must be assessed to determine their suitability to participate in a program of travel training. To do this, the school should undertake a functional assessment of the student to assess the student’s prior knowledge, skill level, family support and potential risks for independent travel.

To participate in travel training, a student must:

• demonstrate enough aptitude, motivation, knowledge, mobility, and skill to respond to a program of travel training to travel to and from school,
• demonstrate an understanding of routines and can understand and follow the instructions required to either walk or travel to and from school using public transport,
• demonstrate the literacy/numeracy/social and emotional skills required for the time and travel requirements involved,
• demonstrate the ability to use clearly understandable forms of communication (this may be verbal, written or any other form of communication system) including the ability to learn to use a mobile phone or other appropriate technology),
• be able to physically access the required mode of transport.

An Independent Travel Assessment Tool is available from ASTP to help schools determine whether a student has or can acquire the prerequisite skills and competencies required for independent travel. The tool is also aligned with the eligibility criteria for the Assisted School Travel Program and can be used in the context of determining a student’s possible or ongoing eligibility for the program.

The skill areas considered as part of this tool include:

• reading and numeracy,
• language, and communication,
• social/emotional,
• problem solving.

Schools should complete this form in consultation with the family and student to assess student capacity, before making recommendations for travel support or developing an Individual Travel Training Plan.

Where a joint decision is made to proceed with travel training for the student, the school could complete a Travel Training Guided Interview with the family and student.

ASTP can provide a structured interview guide to identify information regarding the student’s experience of using public transport. The guide assists schools to better understand the student and family’s goals and motivations, worries or fears and commitment to developing the required skills for independent travel.

Contact ASTP if you would like a lesson plan to explore the students back up plan in an individual or group format. Helping students to learn about what to do when unexpected events occur while travelling independently is an important part of travel education. The What’s your back up plan? lesson covers a range of scenarios or concerns so students can identify their ‘back-up plan’ to safely manage the situation if it were to occur. The lesson plan includes student worksheets, answer sheets, and a checklist to assess student preparedness for travelling called the Confident Traveller Survey.

For each student participating in travel training, a thorough risk assessment must take place to identify all foreseeable risks and to consider how these risks might be eliminated or controlled. The risk assessment must occur prior to the start of travel training to ensure all risk mitigation strategies are documented and safely in place for the student.

ASTP has developed a template Risk Assessment for Travel Training in consultation with the Department’s Road Safety Officers and Health and Safety Directorate. It aims to support schools to identify and control the potential risks a student might encounter when walking to and from or catching public transport or walking from public transport to school. A range of risks should be considered as part of the assessment including:

• environmental risks
• road safety risks
• personal safety risks
• child protection risks.

While the template provides some common examples of risk and standard controls that would apply to most students, the assessment should be tailored to the disability, health, learning and support needs of the student. A student’s local travel context should also be considered when completing the assessment to ensure appropriate safeguards are put in place.

The use of technology can support the safety of students with disability participating in travel training. Mobile phones can assist the student to check-in regularly with his/her parents or carers and be used in the event of an emergency or unexpected situation.

There are a range of travel, location sharing and safety apps that are available to students and their families to support trip planning, accessibility, and personal safety. Recommended apps include:

• TripView and TripView Lite
• Opal Travel
• Life360

For some students, a laminated, wallet sized card with emergency contact details may be helpful, particularly if their mobile phone battery runs flat, or to facilitate communication with a person in an emergency.

Teachers may develop an Individual Travel Training Plan to document the key learning goals of the student, the travel activities, or strategies to achieve those goals, and the timeframes for achievement.

Consulting with parents and carers can also help the school to determine the quickest and safest route, and the one most familiar to the student. Schools can record details such as the training schedule, transit route, method of transportation and approximate journey time in the Individual Travel Training Plan.

A quick reference Travel Training Checklist is available from ASTP for schools to use before, during and after travel training. The checklist includes a list of steps for schools to complete as part of the planning, delivery, and review stages of travel training.

It is recommended that each day of a student’s travel training be documented to note the skills and knowledge introduced or reinforced as a part of the practical lesson, and any key observations relating to the progress of the student.

A Travel Training Observation Report is available from ASTP to help schools document a student’s independent travel competencies and monitor their progress during travel training. Any issues or concerns that arise over the course of training can be recorded in the observation report at the time and addressed during subsequent training sessions.

Schools can use the observation report to review with the student what he/she had learned from training the day before. This presents an opportunity for schools to encourage the student to assess his/her own progress.

It is important to conduct regular monitoring of the student following their completion of travel training activities under supervision. Schools should consider conducting a formal review after a period of active monitoring. Monitoring ensures travel skills are cemented and helps to identify any issues that may require additional instruction or repetition.

During this review period, schools can re-assess the student’s confidence with independent travel using the Confident Traveller Survey.

Travel training is completed when the student has aptly demonstrated his/her ability to travel safely and independently.

The travel training resource package includes a Travel Training Post-Assessment Tool to help schools determine whether a student has acquired the skills and competencies for independent travel following participation in travel training.

Following the final assessment, the student’s outcome should be discussed with the student and their family, including any future travel arrangements if applicable. An outcome letter template has been developed to assist schools to communicate the achievements of the student.

If the student is being serviced by ASTP, it is important to note that in accordance with the program eligibility criteria, students who have the skills to travel to and from school independently may no longer be eligible for travel support services.

If it is determined that a student is no longer eligible to access travel support services, the school must inform parents and carers of this change to program eligibility and provide sufficient notice of the date by which alternate arrangements for travel will need to be in place. A sample review letter has been developed by ASTP to assist schools.

Schools can contact ASTP for the following travel training resources by phoning 1300 338 278 or providing contact details here.

1. Travel Training poster for parents/carers – A poster containing general information for parents and carers on travel training for students with a disability and additional learning and support needs.
2. Independent Travel Assessment Tool - a tool to assess the student’s prior knowledge, skill level, family support and potential risks for independent travel.
3. Travel Training Guided Interview – a series of stimulus questions to ask the student and parent/carer to identify the student’s travel training goals, the travel context, and the assistance the family can provide. It assists with planning for travel training by identifying the risks associated with the travel context between home and school.
4. Travel Training - What’s your back-up plan? - a lesson plan to be delivered in an individual or group lesson to teach students what to do when unexpected events or emergency situations occur when travelling independently.
5. Am I ready to travel Checklist- Sample checklist of organisation elements that can support students to feel confident and organised before travel.
6. Confident Traveller Survey - a survey which lists typical travel-related concerns to be used as a stimulus to assess a student's anxieties before, during and after travel training. Supplementary teaching activities include the Confident Traveller – Problem Solving Worksheet and Confident Traveller – Problem Solving Worksheet – Possible Answers.
7. Risk Assessment for Travel Training - a template to assist schools in identifying and controlling typical risks associated with independent travel during a training program and specific environmental risks associated with a student's specific journey.
8. Travel Training – Parent information and Permission form template - a template permission form to be provided to student’s parent or carer prior to the start of travel training.
9. Travel Training Checklist - a quick reference for the framework and a checklist of travel training-related tasks to assist the trainer before, during and after training.
10. Travel Training Observation Report - assists schools to monitor the progress of a student during travel training.
11. Travel Training Post-Assessment Tool - assists schools to assess skills and competency for independent travel post travel training.
12. Travel Training – Outcome letter template – a letter from the school to the student confirming their successful completion of travel training.
13. Assisted School Travel Program Review letter template – assists schools to notify the family that as the student has become an independent traveller following completion of their travel training, that they are no longer eligible for Assisted School Travel Program.

These teaching and learning resources can be modified and localised to suit the needs of individual students:

Safety Town is a road safety education resource for teachers, students and families. It provides a variety of interactive learning activities for students from Early Stage 1 to Stage 3. Teachers are provided with comprehensive teaching notes to support the use of the interactive activities and lessons.

The activities and resources in On the Move aim to challenge students' thinking and actions as a road user to help promote safe road user behaviour. It provides resources for students in Stage 4 to Stage 6 and comes with teachers notes and resources.

Road Set is an interactive road safety learning experience and education tool designed to help young people become better road users – and make Australian roads safer for everyone. Developed by the Australian Road Safety Foundation so some content may need to be adjusted for NSW Laws.

Kids and Traffic is an early childhood resource that has sample social stories; templates that support safe road use; driveway safety information; Cross Key Learning Area resources.

Professional Learning for Teachers:

• Road safety education for SSP and support unit teachers K-12 (MyPL codes – AC00117 or AC00135) Developing meaningful teaching and learning to meet the needs of their students. Available via virtual delivery or face to face.
• Stage 6 Life Ready - teaching the skills through Safe Travel (MyPL code – AC00139) - opportunity for teachers of Life Ready to improve their knowledge and understanding of the course by exploring it through the Safe Travel learning context.
• Unit of Competency CHCCCS034 - Facilitate independent travel - an accreditation program is also available for people wishing to obtain a nationally recognised qualification for Travel Training.

Further information:

First Stop Transport – Travel Training Workbook - a Transport for NSW guide for anyone delivering Travel Training. Additional information for people new to public transport is also available on the Transport for NSW website. An accreditation program is also available for people wishing to obtain a nationally recognised qualification for Travel Training (Unit of Competency CHCCC S034 - Facilitate independent travel).

NSW Department of Education Road Safety Education Webpage – information to support teachers to implement effective road safety education teaching and learning and links to professional learning designed for special education teachers.

TfNSW – Centre for Road Safety - Find road safety resources and learn more about TfNSW education, road safety programs, and awareness campaigns.

Information Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) – A program that provides funding to organisations to deliver projects in the community that benefit all Australians with disability, their carers and families.

Mobile apps:

Transport Apps – a list of relevant transport apps to support travel education, trip planning and accessibility.

Life360 - a real-time, location-sharing app, and a way to coordinate with family and friends. Users can get automatic notifications when family members come and go from home, work, and schools.