Is my child automatically eligible?

Some pupils are automatically eligible to apply for free transport on council-operated bus services based on the distance from their home to the school.

• beyond 2 miles (if below the age of 8); or
• beyond 3 miles (if aged between 8 and 16).

For those pupils who are moving from Year 6 into Year 7 the following September, the Local Authority is able to work this out as soon as pupils have been allocated their schools in March of each year.

When a local authority assesses whether the distance between a child’s home and their school is further than the statutory walking distance, the route they measure must be the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk in reasonable safety. This is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. The route may also include footpaths, bridleways, other pathways and alternative entrances to the school.

Special educational needs, disability or mobility problems

A child is eligible for free travel to school if:

• they attend their nearest suitable school, and
• it is within the statutory walking distance of their home, and
• 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 their parent.

To be eligible on these grounds, a child does not need to:

• have an Education Health and Care plan (EHC plan); or
• have travel to school specified in their EHC plan if they have one; or
• attend a special school; or
• live beyond the statutory walking distance.

Can my child get a bus from more than one address?

'Home' in the guidance issued is defined as the below.

The place where a child is habitually and normally resident. Local authorities should make clear in their school travel policies how they will determine a child’s home address for the purposes of assessing their eligibility for travel, including in circumstances where their parents do not live together and the child spends part of the week with each parent.

In these circumstances, there is no expectation that local authorities should provide travel to and from two separate addresses.

Based on this guidance issued in January 2024 there is no requirement for local authorities to provide transport to more than one address.

My child has an Education, Health and Care Plan - will they qualify for free transport?

Children with Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans may qualify for free home to school transport. If the school named in the plan is the nearest suitable school and beyond the statutory walking distance or they cannot reasonably be expected to walk.

The guidance is clear that school named in the plan will be nearest suitable school, unless there has been a parental request for a different suitable school which is further.

In these circumstances the LA has the following options:

• name a different school that would be appropriate for the child’s needs (this may be the nearer school), or
• name the parent’s preferred school on the condition that the parent arranges the travel or provides some or all of the cost of the travel, or
• name the parent’s preferred school on the condition that they arrange the travel (or provide some or all of the cost) and name a different school that would be appropriate for the child’s needs and to which the authority would provide transport.

If you wished to challenge one of these decision there is guidance about this process available here.

Personal Travel Budgets

Personal Travel Budgets for parent carers who wish to make their own arrangements for home to school transport are coordinated separately to an EHC.

You can find out more by visiting the East Riding Local Offer personal budget page website:

Personal Budgets (eastridinglocaloffer.org.uk)

Please find information on the IPSEA (Independent Provider or Special Education Advice) website about transport for school or college.

IPSEA - Transport to School or College (external website)

Reviewed August 2024.