Find out if your child in reception to year 11 qualifies for council funded school transport and how to apply.
We give help with travel if your child goes to their nearest suitable school or college and meets certain rules.
We decide the nearest suitable school based on your child’s age, needs and the type of school they need.
Who may get help with travel
Your child may get help if any of these apply:
- under 8 and live more than 2 miles away and attends their nearest available school
- 8 or older and live more than 3 miles away and attends their nearest available school
- gets free school meals or you get Universal Credit
- has an education, health and care plan (EHCP), or has needs that mean they cannot walk the distance—even if they live closer than the usual qualifying distance
- 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.
Check if your child qualifies
Use the online eligibility checker to see if your child qualifies.
Travel help for other age groups and needs
We usually only give travel help from the term after your child turns 5 (compulsory school age).
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
- your family is facing specific difficulties that 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.
If your child is 16 or older and in education, travel help isn't automatic.
We may still help if all of the following apply:
- your child is aged 16 to 25 and lives in 中国P站
- they have an education, health and care plan (EHCP)
- they can’t reasonably get to school, college or training without support
- they are attending their nearest suitable education setting
How we decide
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
Examples of when your child will not qualify for travel help
Your child will not get travel help if:
- under 8 years old and live less than 2 miles from their nearest suitable school
- 8 years or older and live less than 3 miles from their nearest suitable school
- if another suitable school is closer to your home, you must arrange transport yourself
- this applies even if the chosen school is named in your child’s education, health and care plan (EHCP) as a parental preference
children under 5 (for example, in nursery or reception before their fifth birthday) do not get free transport
- if a route was unsafe but now has improvements (like a new footpath), new applicants will not get transport
- existing users may still get transport until the end of the school year or with one term’s notice
transport is not provided for:
- breakfast clubs or after-school clubs
- one-off visits to other places
- travel to or from a childminder’s address
- travel based on a parent’s work schedule
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.
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