What is SESTA#

We provide a transport service to help children and young people with safety and/or mobility needs get to school. When a child or young person qualifies for SESTA, we either provide a place in a vehicle or a payment to contribute to their travel costs.

Who is eligible#

To be eligible for SESTA, a child or young person must:

• be aged between 5 and 21 years
• be enrolled at their nearest state or state-integrated school that meets their special education needs
• have mobility or safety needs that prevent them from travelling independently to school.

A safety need may be where a significant risk of harm or danger to the student, or to others, exists during the journey to and from school. This may be due to challenges such as:

• epilepsy
• communication and social skills
• understanding
• self-management
• decision-making.

A mobility need may be due to challenges such as:

• reduced mobility
• fatigue
• medical conditions
• limited motor skill.

If a child is eligible, they are not guaranteed a place in a vehicle as we will not always have a suitable service available. In this circumstance, the family can get the SESTA Conveyance Allowance.

Who cannot get support from SESTA#

Students are not eligible for SESTA if they are:

• receiving ACC for a short period of time
• boarding at residential schools, and need transport to and from home for the weekend or holidays
• enrolled at a private school.

How to support families to apply for SESTA#

Families are responsible for getting their child to school. You can support families to apply for SESTA or make the application on their behalf.

There is also a part of the application that must come from the school.

Applications for new or amended services should be submitted at least one full school term before the service is required. If the availability of transport is going to affect enrolment decisions for a family, discuss this with your learning support coordinator or manager at your regional office.

Parents and caregivers: SESTA application – Pokapū Waka Kura

Schools: SESTA application

If the child's needs mean they could be a risk to themselves or others while in a vehicle, you will need to help the family to complete a Safe Travel Plan form. This plan outlines any measures to keep everyone safe while travelling.

Specialist equipment funding#

We provide funding for specialised equipment if a student needs it to travel safely to and from school. Schools can help caregivers to apply. This is separate to the SESTA application.

School responsibilities#

Caregivers, service providers, and the Ministry all have a role in ensuring SESTA services operate efficiently and meet the needs of students.

SESTA drivers are expressly forbidden to touch any student or leave the vehicle unattended. This means school staff must:

• be present to assist in the loading and unloading of students into or out of a SESTA vehicle
• assist students, where required, in and out of the vehicle and fasten their seat belt and any other personal positioning devices
• make sure that students have been toileted and is ready to be collected from the agreed pick-up point at the agreed time
• inform the driver, caregiver, transport service provider and us if there have been any changes or events that may impact on student behaviour.

Find more information on school responsibilities in the guide below.

If circumstances change#

If the student's enrolled school changes, the family need to re-apply for SESTA.

If the student’s attended site (i.e. satellite school), residential addresses or itinerary changes, you need to tell us. You can do this by completing a Change of Information Request via the Pokapū Waka Kura | School Transport Hub.

Pokapū Waka Kura | the School Transport Hub

For all other changes, including if a child no longer needs to use the service, you must tell us using the email address below.

Email: [email protected]

Request for a review of a decision#

A caregiver may want to request a review of a SESTA decision. A review might be needed if:

• they believe we have incorrectly assessed the student’s eligibility for SESTA
• the type of assistance we have offered (for example, Conveyance Allowance or a vehicle service) does not reflect the student’s needs
• the student has started their final year at school and is assessed as ineligible from a new residential address
• there are exceptional circumstances that were not considered during the initial application (for example, a student is living in emergency housing or has been affected by displacement or natural disaster)
• there is new information available that may alter the original assessment.

Caregivers need to complete the SESTA review request form below and send it to us.

Email: [email protected].