Definition of Home to School Travel Arrangements

Home to school travel arrangements refer to the transport provided for eligible children and young people travelling in both directions between their home and their qualifying school or educational setting.

Eligible Children – Key Categories

A child or young person may be eligible for free home to school transport if they fall into one or more of the following categories:

1. Special Educational Needs (SEN), Disability or Mobility Difficulty

A child or young person may qualify when they:

  • Cannot reasonably walk to school because of a disability, SEN, or mobility difficulty
  • Have an EHCP indicating that transport is necessary
  • Require specialist transport linked to physical, sensory, communication or medical needs

Examples:

  • A child who uses a wheelchair and cannot safely access the walking route
  • A young person with autism who is unable to travel safely without supervision
  • A child with unpredictable epilepsy that makes independent travel unsafe
  • A young person whose mental health needs prevent them managing the journey

2. Unsafe Walking Route

Eligibility may apply when the walking route is assessed as unsafe, even with adult supervision.

Examples:

  • Roads without pavements or safe walking paths
  • Busy roads with no safe crossing points
  • Rural or unlit routes
  • Paths affected by flooding or seasonal hazards

3. Living Beyond Statutory Walking Distance

Eligibility may apply if the distance to the nearest suitable school exceeds:

  • 2 miles for children under age 8
  • 3 miles for children aged 8 and over

Examples:

  • A 7‑year‑old living 2.5 miles from the nearest suitable school
  • A 12‑year‑old living more than 3 miles from their nearest suitable school

4. Low‑Income Families

Children from low‑income households may be eligible for extended support.

Examples:

  • An 11‑year‑old attending one of the three nearest suitable schools between 2–6 miles away
  • A 14‑year‑old attending the nearest suitable school preferred on grounds of religion or belief, up to 15 miles away
  • A child within walking distance but whose only safe walking route has been assessed as unsafe

What Counts as a Qualifying School?

A qualifying school may include:

  • Maintained (publicly funded) schools and nurseries
  • Maintained special schools
  • Non‑maintained special schools
  • Pupil Referral Units
  • Academies
  • University Technical Colleges

An independent school may also be a qualifying school if:

  • It is named in Section I of the EHCP, and
  • There is no statement requiring parents/carers to provide transport

Travel Times

General expectations for maximum journey times are:

  • 45 minutes each way for primary‑aged children
  • 75 minutes each way for secondary‑aged children, including time walking to a pick‑up point

Adjustments may be required depending on the child or young person’s needs.

Children of Compulsory School Age (5–16)

Under Section 508B of the Education Act 1996, local authorities must provide:

  • Free, suitable home to school transport
  • For eligible children
  • To their nearest suitable qualifying school

Statutory guidance explains that arrangements should enable travel “in reasonable safety and comfort, and without undue stress, strain or difficulty, so that wherever possible children arrive ready to learn.”

It also states that door-to-door transport is not always required, depending on needs.

If a school is named in Section I of an EHCP and it is agreed that the school can meet needs, the local authority is responsible for providing transport unless otherwise noted.

Where parents/carers choose a school further away from the nearest suitable one, the local authority may name it as parental preference, with transport to be funded by parents/carers.

Children Under Compulsory School Age (Below 5)

Children below compulsory school age are not automatically entitled to free transport.

However:

  • Under Section 509A, local authorities may provide transport for early years settings.
  • Under Section 508C, they may provide transport considered necessary for children under compulsory school age attending school.

Local authorities must consider requests individually and cannot apply a blanket refusal to all under‑5s.

Statutory Guidance

The Department for Education’s full statutory guidance can be accessed here:

Travel to school for children of compulsory school age – Statutory Guidance (DfE)
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/659d7ebb0dd0a200138b612a/Travel_to_school_for_children_of_compulsory_school_age.pdf