Transport
Dear Parents and Carers of Students with Southend EHCPs
New Transport Application details for Southend students only
Please see below the guidance on the new application process for home school transport
If you need and support, please call school and leave a message for Leanne (our Parent Liaison Worker) or email her on
LHawker@lancaster.southend.sch.uk
Thank you
A New Way to Apply for Travel Assistance from 1st May
Dear Parents and Carers,
At Southend-on-Sea City Council, we are working to make our services easier for families to access. We are pleased to announce that from 1st May 2026, we will be launching a new, streamlined online application process for home-to-school and college travel assistance.
What is changing?
Currently, applying for travel assistance can feel fragmented, with different processes for mainstream and SEND applications.
From 1st May, all applications will move to the Citizen Portal. This single digital system replaces the old "My Southend" forms and the previous email/paper-based forms. Many of you will already be familiar with the Citizen Portal, as it is the same system used for school admissions and two-year-old funding.
Does this change eligibility?
No. It is important to know that while the way you apply is changing, nothing else is.
- The eligibility criteria remain exactly the same.
- The Home to School Transport Policy has not changed.
- The way we make decisions on applications remains consistent.
How to apply (from 1st May)
From the launch date onwards, you will be able to access the new application process directly via our website:
Apply on the Citizen Portal.
Get ready with our Video Guide
To help you get used to the new system before you apply, we have created a step-by-step video guide. This walks you through the portal and shows you exactly what to expect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x3xwD31qc8
By moving to a single system, we aim to make the process clearer and more efficient for every family in Southend. If you have any questions before the new system goes live, please contact the team at EducationTransport@southend.gov.uk