TEENAGERS with special educational needs or disabilities marked a first step to more independent travel after taking part in a pilot scheme during the school holidays.

Staff at Bradford Council’s travel training team ran a three-day course this week, in which a number of pupils at Southfield School’s sixth form centre took part.

It was the first time the service had run the specialist workshops to help young people gain the skills they need to travel independently.

Organiser Carol Wilcock said they now hope to run a number of similar courses over the summer holidays to help even more children towards independence.

Mrs Wilcock, travel training co-ordinator, said that the team usually worked with children with varying degrees of special needs in schools over a number of weeks, but that the extra work beforehand on a course such as this would benefit the children immensely.

She said: “As a service, we have many young people who travel to their allocated provision by means of Passenger Transport Service Buses or private hire vehicles.

“After research and discussion we felt they would benefit from attending an event where it would be possible to access their core skills and competencies prior to referral and the commencement of full time travel training.

“This was our first pilot event and the intention will be to roll out several over the six week summer break.”

She added that they also intend to hold workshop sessions for parents and carers of the students attending in the future.

All three days of the special workshop involved a combination of indoor theory sessions and outdoor activity sessions

The sessions were based on proven training methods which the service use with students on their travel training programme.

Eight students took part over the three days and worked closely with student mentors. The training event was also boosted by the appearance of players from Bradford Bulls Rugby Club.

The participants were presented with certificates by the deputy Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Doreen Lee, as the course ended yesterday

Parents and carers were also invited to attend the special ceremony to mark the students’ achievements.

Glenys McElroy, travel training officer at the Council, said: “It’s great that young people can attend this training. Safe, responsible, independent travel is taken for granted by many of us, but training young people with SEND can mean that they feel included and more able to take an important step towards independence in their future.”

The travel training service works with children with disabilities, learning difficulties and mobility or sensory impairments, enabling them to travel safely and independently.