School transport

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for:

• Primary age children in Reception to Year 3 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least two miles from the school
• Primary age children in Year 4 to Year 6 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least three miles from the school

To find the schools nearest to where you live, please check the catchment area map.

Pupils will be not be eligible for transport assistance if:

• They are attending a preference school (regardless of the preference rank), and that school is not the catchment or nearest available school
• Their address has changed and the address and school preferences have not been updated with the Admissions Team to reflect this

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for secondary age children in Year 7 to Year 11 who:

• Attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least three miles from the school

To find the schools nearest to where you live, please check the catchment area map.

Pupils will be not be eligible for transport assistance if:

• They are attending a preference school (regardless of the preference rank), and that school is not the catchment or nearest available school
• Their address has changed and the address and school preferences have not been updated with the Admissions Team to reflect this

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for:

Primary

• Pupils in Years 4 to 6 who attend their catchment or nearest available school, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits and live at least two miles from the school.

Secondary

• Attend any one of the three nearest available schools, where that school is more than two miles and less than six miles from their home, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits, and they live at least two miles from the school
  
  or
  
  
• Attend their nearest available school chosen on grounds of religion or belief, where that school is more than two miles and less than 15 miles from their home, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits

Appropriate benefits

• Maximum level of Working Tax Credit (i.e. no reduction due to income) - ALL pages of the statement must be submitted including the section showing any deductions
• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
• Working Tax Credit Run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get). Please provide print outs or screen shots of the three most recent statements in full, including the section outlining any deductions and how these are calculated.

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

Some children have complex and profound needs that can only be met by attending a Special School or Specialist Hub. Only the following groups of children may be eligible for transport assistance:

• Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
• Children attending a Specialist Hub in a mainstream school
• Children undergoing assessment in a Special School

Not all children with an EHCP require special transport arrangements. Children with an EHCP should be transported to school in a manner that assists their readiness to engage in learning on their arrival at school and ensures both their comfort and safety.

Wherever possible, children with an EHCP should be treated in the same way as those children without, i.e. in general they should walk / cycle to school, travel on public transport, or be taken by parents. They should be encouraged to develop independent travel skills. All children will be encouraged to use public transport as soon as possible as part of their development of independence skills.

If a school / college on the EHCP is parental choice and a nearer provision can meet the needs of the child, rather than a parents more distant choice, we will not provide transport.

Exceptional Circumstances, Fair Access and Emergency Transport

We will consider Transport Assistance for pupils who fall under these categories on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Director. 

In certain cases, children who are not eligible for transport assistance under the terms of this policy as stated above may be able to purchase a spare seat on existing transport services contracted by the City Council only (i.e. not on public transport).

We can only agree these arrangements when advanced payment is received on a termly or half termly basis.

Seats are not available on transport provided by public transport operators. A parental contribution will be required, which is subject to annual review. Passes for discretionary ‘spare seat’ transport are issued - subject to availability - strictly on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, and we cannot guarantee to give advance warning if seats are no longer available at the start of each term.

The issue of a bus pass for a term or half term does not guarantee the issue of subsequent passes. It is the responsibility of the child’s parent or carer to remember to pay in advance each term for discretionary passes.

Applications may take up to 15 working days to process and children may not board the bus until the pass is received.

Discretionary transport is not available on all transport services contracted by the City Council. The route and timetable of an existing transport contract will not be adapted to accommodate any applications for discretionary transport.

The City Council may alter, withdraw or amalgamate a transport service at short notice without reference to the children travelling on that service who have discretionary passes. Under these circumstances the City Council will not provide alternative transport for children who are not eligible for transport assistance.