The LA will assist with transport where a child attends a specific school for denominational reasons. Parents will be required to provide written evidence that the child has been baptised in the relevant faith. The child must also be attending the nearest appropriate school of the denominational type, satisfy the relevant statutory walking distance and the cost to the LA of making suitable transport arrangements must not be unreasonable.
****The statutory walking 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.****
With effect from September 2007 the Council Executive introduced a charge for denominational transport. From September 2011 the charge is £50 per term (based on a 6 term year). For families paying for more than one child under the denominational transport scheme, the second and third child will pay 50% of the cost up to a maximum of three children. To be reviewed annually in line with other Local Authority charging policies. The charges will not be applied retrospectively and an exemption is made for low income families in receipt of free school meals or maximum Working Tax Credit. Pupils who are in attendance at a denominational school and receive free transport before September 2007 will not be charged while they remain at the school.
A copy of the forms to apply for transport to a Denominational School can be downloaded from this page, which you can print off and return to Admissions and Transport.
****When making an application to travel under Denominational Transport please also provide a copy of the child's baptismal certificate.****