Primary Aged Pupils
The LA will provide free transport between home and school if the school attended is the nearest appropriate one, as designated by the LA, and if the distance between home and that school, when measured by the nearest available walking route, is two miles or more for children aged five to seven years and three miles or more for children aged eight years and above. These distances are referred to in the following paragraphs as "statutory walking distances". The LA will also provide transport if the school attended is closer to your home address than the designated school and the statutory walking distances given above are met. (Assistance Application Form)
Additional Transport for Low Income Families
Children from low income families in receipt of free school meals or maximum working tax credit will receive free transport if they live between 2 and 3 miles from the nearest appropriate school between the ages of eight and eleven.
Secondary Aged Pupils
The LA will provide free transport between home and school if the school attended is the nearest appropriate one, as named by the LA, and if the distance between home and that school, when measured by the nearest available walking route, is three miles or more. These distances are referred to in the following paragraphs as "statutory walking distances". The LA will also provide transport if the school attended is closer to your home address than the designated school and the statutory distance given above is met (Free transport will not be given if the distance exceeds 10 miles or the journey time exceeds 1 hour 15 minutes for secondary pupils). (Assistance Application Form)
Additional Transport for Low Income Families
For children from low income families in receipt of free school meals or maximum working tax credit, free transport will be provided if they live between 2 and 6 miles from the nearest three schools to their home address.
Post 16 Transport (16-19)
The LA will provide transport for pupils/students in this age group, who have special educational needs and who attend their nearest appropriate school or college (as designated by the LA).
Norton Hill and Somervale Schools
Pupils who live in the areas normally served by Norton Hill School and Somervale School will be entitled to assistance with transport to either of these schools where the distance between home and school is three miles or more.
Transport on Medical Grounds
In exceptional circumstances home to school transport may be provided on medical grounds, to enable pupils to attend their designated area school even though they may live within the statutory walking distance from the school. The Health Authority will be asked to supply details of the child’s medical needs.
Provision of Transport on exceptionally hazardous routes
The LA will, exceptionally, provide transport to the nearest appropriate school for a particular pupil who lives within the statutory walking distances after taking into consideration the age of the pupil and the nature of the route, or alternative routes, he or she could reasonably be expected to take. This policy tends to apply in the areas where school children, accompanied as necessary, would be faced with negotiating narrow, winding country lanes with no pedestrian provision.
The home address which determines entitlement to transport is the place where the child is normally resident with his or her parent(s). A copy of the transport application form can be downloaded from this page which you can print off and return to Admissions and Transport.