Your child's journey to school will probably take a new and unfamiliar route, possibly involving a longer walk, bike ride or public transport. How a child copes with these changes can very much depend on the kind of support that she or he receives - consider the following useful points:
- Where possible, practise the journey with the child a few times beforehand.
- Try to find at least one other neighbouring pupil who is going to the same school so that your child has a travelling companion.
- If the Local Education Authority (LEA) provides transport costs, make sure to apply for a bus pass in good time and impress on your child the importance of keeping it in safe place.
- Make sure your child always has 'emergency money' (separate from any other money, eg lunch money etc) in case she or he forgets their pass, needs alternative transport or has to phone for help. You could also provide them with a phone card.
