Transport eligibility due to a child’s special educational needs, disability, or mobility
A child is eligible for free travel to school if:
- they attend their nearest suitable school
- it is within the statutory walking distance of their home
- they could not reasonably be expected to walk there because of their special educational needs, disability, or mobility problem, even if they were accompanied by an appropriate adult
To be eligible on these grounds, a child does not need to:
- have an Education Health and Care plan
- have travel to school specified in their Education Health and Care plan if they have one
- attend a special school
- live beyond the statutory walking distance
Not every child with an Education Health and Care plan or who attends a special school will be eligible for free travel to school.
To qualify for eligibility on the grounds of special educational needs, disability or mobility problems, the council is required to complete an individual assessment of the child, and this will take into account the child’s physical ability to walk to school, and any health and safety issues related to their special educational needs, disability, or mobility problems.
The council may take into account whether the child would be able to walk to school if they were accompanied by an appropriate adult. The council will consider each case on its facts.
Information the council may consider when assessing a child’s eligibility may include (but is not restricted to) the following;
- information provided by the parent
- information provided by any professionals involved in the child’s care
- information provided by the child’s school
- any relevant information in the child’s Education, Health, and Care plan plan if they have one
- any relevant information in their individual healthcare plan if they have one
Where a child is attending their nearest qualifying school and a parent feels that their child qualifies, they will need to provide some or all of the information to allow the council to make a decision. The council would expect that the information, to support parents request for transport due to their child’s needs, is already in parents’ possession and is easily available. A parent will need to contact the authority to request an assessment under SEND, disability or mobility travel eligibility.
Extended rights - low income
A low income family is where children are entitled to free school meals or whose parent is in receipt of the maximum level of working tax credit.
The following categories of children from low income families are eligible for free home to school transport:
- children aged eight, but under the age of 11 who are attending their nearest school and the distance to that school is more than 2 miles
- children in Years 7 to 11 who attend one of their three nearest secondary schools and the school is over 2 miles but less than 12 miles from where they live
- children in Years 7 to 11 who attend the nearest denominational secondary school, where the distance is over 2 miles but less than 15 miles from home
A low income family is where children are entitled to free school meals or whose parent are in receipt of the maximum level of working tax credit.
Eligibility will be assessed each year and may be withdrawn if your benefits change. View more information about financial support for young people aged over 16.
Suitable and qualifying schools for transport purposes and parental preference
A suitable school for the purpose of applying the policy is a ‘qualifying school’ that is suitable for the child’s age, ability, aptitude, and any special educational needs they may have.
It should also be suitable for the child’s sex, for example a girls’ school could not be considered the nearest suitable school for a boy.
‘Suitable school’ does not mean the most suitable school for a child, or one that the parent considers suitable. The nearest secondary school to the home of a child of secondary school age, for example, will almost always be their nearest suitable school (provided it would be able to admit them).
A nearest suitable school may also be in a neighbouring local authority.
Qualifying schools are:
- community schools, foundation schools, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools
- academies - including those which are free schools, university technical colleges, studio schools and special schools
- alternative provision academies
- community or foundation special schools
- non-maintained special schools
- pupil referral units
- maintained nursery schools - where attended by a child of compulsory school age
- children receiving early years provision otherwise than at school
- city technology colleges and city colleges for the technology of the arts
For children with special educational needs, an independent school is also a qualifying school if it is the only school named in their Education, Health, and Care plan, or where more than one school is named in the Education, Health, and Care plan, the school nearest to the home address named in the Education, Health, and Care plan will be the qualifying school.
Where a child’s nearest school is oversubscribed, and an application has been made for the school during the normal admissions round, and the admission authority is unable to offer them a place, then the next nearest school with places available is their nearest suitable school for school travel purposes.
When a child moves into the area, outside the normal admissions round, the suitable school for transport purposes is the nearest provision which can offer a school place. The eligibility criteria will then be applied.
The nearest qualifying school for school travel purposes may not be the catchment school used for admissions purposes.
The council is unable to take into consideration a parent's view of which school is suitable, in terms of the home to school travel policy, and would not consider the following:
- an opinion that a school is inappropriate or unsuitable because of a child’s suitability for selective education or the school’s Ofsted ratings, exam performance and popularity
- an opinion that a school is inappropriate or unsuitable because of a religious or philosophical belief (including lack of belief) that parents hold - the exception to this is when a child is from a low income family and qualifies under extended rights for pupils from low income families
The council does not accept that obtaining a place at a grammar school means that the grammar school in question can be regarded as the nearest suitable school.
Attending a school on parental preference
Parents have the right to preference any school of their choice when applying for a school place, they do not however have a right to free-of-charge travel arrangements to that school. Travel eligibility will be assessed in line with the eligibility criteria outlined in the travel policy.
If the nearest school is undersubscribed with places available, then this will be the nearest suitable school for travel purposes, and free travel would not be provided to an alternative school that is further away.
If the nearest school is fully subscribed without places available, then the council will need to assess if the child could have secured a place had one been applied for. This will be done by comparing the child with the last child to be offered a place at the school and determining which of them would have higher priority. This will often be a straightforward matter of determining which child lives closest to the school.
Changes in circumstances
If your child is currently at school and you have moved home, or your circumstances have changed, it is your responsibility to notify us of this change. This may affect your child's eligibility to free home to school transport. Unfortunately, we are not able to back date any change so it is important you tell us straight away, please contact us.
Bus routes
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