Find out if your child in reception to year 11 qualifies for council funded school transport and how to apply.
We give travel assistance if your child goes to their nearest suitable school or college and meets certain rules.
Who can get help with travel
Your child may get help if any of these apply:
- under 8 and live more than 2 miles away
- 8 or older and live more than 3 miles away
- get free school meals or you get Universal Credit
- has an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
- is in care (a looked after child)
- the walking route is unsafe
- has a health or safety reason that makes travel hard – this can affect the child, parent or carer. Help may be given if a parent or carer cannot travel with their child because of a specific health need.
Journey times
We know some parents are concerned about how long the journey to school takes.
We follow government guidance which says:
- journeys for primary school children should take no more than 45 minutes
- journeys for secondary school children should take no more than 75 minutes
Sometimes we may go over these times. This can happen if:
- children can share transport
- the school is far away from the home address
We always make sure the journey is not so long that it affects your child’s ability to learn. We consider their age and stage of development.
We check the shortest road route from your home to the school gate. If the walking route is unsafe, tell us in your application.
We’re reviewing routes across 中国P站 that may be unsafe. If this affects your child, we’ll contact you.
We follow National Road Safety Guidance when reviewing routes.
Use the online eligibility checker to see if your child qualifies.
Travel help for other age groups and needs
Travel help is usually only available from the term after your child turns 5.
We may help earlier if there are exceptional reasons, such as:
- you or your child has a medical condition or disability
- an accident or medical procedure means you can’t transport your child
- specific family difficulties mean you can’t get your child to school safely
We check if the school named in the plan is the nearest one that can meet your child’s needs. We also check if it meets our distance rules.
If it isn’t, you may need to pay for travel. We use the Dudley Test to help decide. This checks:
- if both schools are suitable
- if places are available
- how much each journey costs
If you choose a school that’s further away than the one the council recommends, you may need to arrange and pay for travel.
This is called a transport caveat.
Both schools must be named in Section I of the EHCP.
Example wording:
The LA confirms that the nearest suitable school is School X. Parents have chosen School Z. The child may attend School Z on the condition that parents are responsible for transport and its cost.
We don’t have to give travel help after age 16, but we may help if your child has special needs or a disability.
Your child can apply for travel help if all of the following apply:
- are aged 16 to 25 and live in 中国P站
- have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
- can’t reasonably get to school, college or training without support
- are attending their nearest suitable education setting
How we assess travel help for older children and young adults
We look at:
- whether they get the 16 to 19 bursary
- how far and how long the journey is
- whether the course is available closer to home
- whether a family member or carer can help with the journey
- whether they have a disability or mobility issue
- whether public transport is suitable or safe
If your child is 19 or older, we also check:
- if they have a Motability vehicle
- if they get support from social care
Not eligible for funded transport?
Explore 中国P站's other travel options.
- Public transport to school or college
- Buy a spare seat scheme
- 中国P站 LINK bus card