What support is available#

Parents and caregivers are responsible for getting children to and from school each day.

The Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) service helps children and young people with safety or mobility needs get to and from school. If your child is eligible for SESTA, we provide a place in a vehicle or a payment to contribute to their travel costs.

A place in a vehicle#

We fund local transport providers in most parts of the country to drive eligible children between home and their school. 

This service is for students who have been approved by us. It is free.

When deciding whether to approve a place in a vehicle, we will consider:

• the safety of the student, other students, and driver on the service
• the length of time in a SESTA vehicle – journey times (one way); this should preferably be no longer than 40 minutes and must not exceed an hour
• the cost and availability of the service.

The service is for getting to and from school only. We will consider transport between multiple addresses and your child's school if:

• your child has respite or after school care arrangements
• your child has more than 1 home address because of shared custody.

Transport between home and an alternative address is your responsibility.

We may also contribute to the cost of specialist equipment. This is equipment your child needs to stay safe and comfortable while they travel in a SESTA vehicle.

Allowance for travel costs#

If no place in a vehicle is available, or we are not able to provide a vehicle service, you may be able to get an allowance called the SESTA Conveyance Allowance. We pay this directly to you to contribute to the costs of getting your child to and from school.

You could also get this allowance if your child travels in 1 of our vehicles but we can't take them all the way between home and school.

You can request the SESTA Conveyance Allowance as an alternative to a place in a vehicle.

The amount you will be paid is based on the distance between your home and your child’s school. It is calculated at a rate of $0.27 per km, to a maximum of $20 per school day. The payment is based on 2 round trips a day (i.e. home–school–home in the morning, and home–school–home in the afternoon).

The maximum payment that you can receive is $20 per school day, even if you have more than 1 SESTA eligible child.

Who is eligible#

To be eligible for SESTA, your child must:

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

What is a safety need#

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.

What is a mobility need#

A mobility need may be due to challenges such as:

• reduced mobility
• chronic fatigue
• medical conditions
• limited motor skills.

Your child is not eligible if they are enrolled at a private school or board at a residential specialist school.

If your 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, you can get the SESTA Conveyance Allowance.

We assess your application based on the needs of your child. We do not consider family circumstances when assessing your child’s eligibility or deciding what type of assistance to offer.

If your child's need is due to an injury and covered by the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), they are not eligible for help from SESTA. Contact ACC for more information about what support might be available.

Transport and getting around after an injury – Accident Compensation Corporation

How to apply#

You can apply online for a place onboard a vehicle, the SESTA Conveyance Allowance, or both. Talk to your school before applying as they need to support your application.

Apply at least a full school term before the service is needed. It can take time for our transport providers to organise a vehicle and driver. We may also need to make alterations to school property.

If your child needs specialist equipment to travel, ask your school to apply for this.

To fill in the application form, you will need to provide information about your child and their needs. You can find the details of what information you need by opening the online application form. You don't need to start an application to view this information.

SESTA online application– Pokapū Waka Kura Caregivers Hub

If your child's needs mean they could be a risk to themselves or others while in a vehicle, you'll need to complete a Safe Travel Plan form. This plan outlines any measures needed to keep everyone safe while travelling. Complete this form with support from your school and include it with your application.

Request for a review of a decision#

If you are not satisfied with our decision on your application, you may want to request a review of this decision. A review might be needed if:

• you believe we have incorrectly assessed your child’s eligibility for SESTA
• the type of assistance we have offered (eg Conveyance Allowance or a vehicle service) does not reflect your child’s needs
• your child 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 (eg your child 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.

You’ll need to complete the SESTA review request form below and sent it to us. Contact your school or your Learning Support contact if you need support with this process.

Responsibilities when using the transportation service#

You are responsible for making sure your child is ready to be collected at the agreed time each day. You must meet the driver and provide any help your child needs to get in and out of the vehicle. School staff are responsible for the loading and unloading of students at the school.

Except in emergencies, SESTA drivers are not allowed to touch any student. They also can't give medication to students in their care. If your child needs a teacher aide with them while they travel, this needs to be provided by the school.

The full responsibilities for you, the driver and the school are explained in the guide below.

If circumstances change#

If your child's school changes, you'll need to reapply for SESTA.

If your child’s attended site (satellite school), residential addresses or itinerary changes, we need to know. Your school will need to submit a request to change this information on your behalf.

If your child’s circumstances change, we will reassess their eligibility for SESTA and the type of service offered to make sure that it is still within our guidelines (including cost limits). This may result in an offer of SESTA Conveyance Allowance instead of a place on a vehicle.

For all other changes, including if your child no longer needs SESTA, you must tell us using the email address below.

Email: [email protected]

Other support available#

If your child doesn't qualify for SESTA, there may be other support available.

Talk to your school to see if there is a local school bus service they can use. You can also ask if they are eligible for the non-SESTA Conveyance Allowance. This is financial support for children who live far from their closest school and transport options.