Check if your child is eligible for free school transport

When your child is eligible

Your child is eligible if they are of compulsory school age, go to their nearest suitable school and one of the following applies:

• they are under 8 and the school is more than two miles away
• they are 8 or over and the school is more than three miles away
• they wouldn’t be able to walk there safely, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian
• they wouldn’t be able walk there because of their special educational needs, disability or a mobility problem, even if accompanied by a parent or guardian

Entitlement to free transport is linked to your catchment or nearest qualifying school. Children from your area may be attending a school which is not the catchment school.

If you're on a low income

If your child is entitled to free school meals, or you receive the maximum level of Working Tax Credit, then they are entitled to assistance with transport  if your child is aged: 

• 8, 9, 10 and 11 and where the distance is more than two miles 
• 11 to 16 at secondary school have a choice of one from the three nearest schools all of which must be more than two miles but not more than six miles from home
• 11 to 16 and attending their nearest faith secondary school preferred by parents on the basis of religion and which is greater than two miles but not more than 15 miles from their home

When choosing a school you will need to consider the possibility of your income increasing above the threshold. Should your family income increase above the threshold limit for low income families, the additional transport benefit will continue up to the end of the current academic year in July. In the following year, assistance will revert to that based on the statutory entitlement.

If your child has Special Educational Needs

A Statement of Special Educational Needs or an Education, Health and Care Plan may contain details of transport which we consider appropriate to meet a child’s individual needs. If this is not the case, the normal school transport policy will apply.

If your child attends a faith based school

If your child is aged between 5 and 16 and you apply for a place in a school on the basis of religion, and in the view of the Director of Children and Family Wellbeing the appropriate religious education is not provided in the catchment or nearest school, then transport from the nearest boarding point can be made available at an annual cost of £538.10 per child payable termly (£212.00 Autumn term, £187.00 Spring term and £127.10 Summer term), provided:

• adherence to the relevant denomination can be demonstrated and;
• your child is attending the nearest such school and it is no more than eight miles away in the case of a primary school and 15 miles for a secondary school and;
• your child is aged under eight and you live more than two miles from school or aged eight or over and you live more than three miles away, measured by the shortest available walking route

No refund will be made in respect of any unexpired part of a travel pass no longer required.

Low income groups

Children aged 11 to 16 from low income families attending their nearest faith secondary school preferred by their parents/carers on the basis of religion and, which is greater than two miles but not more than 15 miles from their home are entitled to assistance with transport.

If the family income increases above the threshold limit for low income families, the additional benefit will continue up to the end of the current academic year in July. In the following year, assistance will revert to that based on the policy detailed above.

It is important to remember that you, and not the local authority, are responsible for your child’s transport to school and you must take this into consideration even if you are currently in a ‘low income group’.

Exceptional circumstances

There may be rare occasions where the circumstances are such that we will assist with transport to make sure your child can access education. For instance, a child with a medical condition living below the statutory walking distance from school may be given transport.

If your child is not eligible

You can appeal against the decision.