Home to school transport 2011-2012

This web page contains information on current home to school transport arrangements which are valid until July 2012.  The County Council is currently consulting on a new policy for home to school transport to take effect from September 2012.  For further information please view our consultation page.

We help almost 16,000 pupils with transport from home to school. They travel in a variety of vehicles under contract to us or on local bus and train services

If you will be moving to 6th form or college in September and would like to apply for transport under low income please see our transport for 16 to 19's page where you will find further information and an application form.

Qualifying for free home to school transport

If you live in Buckinghamshire we will provide free transport if your child is aged between ‘rising 5’ and 16 years and meets one of these conditions:

1. Attends the school normally regarded as serving your area (usually your catchment area school) or the nearest appropriate school and the distance from your home to the school is more than the statutory walking distance.
2. You are a low income family. To qualify the child will need to be entitled to free school meals because their parents/carers receive one of these benefits:

• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance
• Employment Support Allowance (income related)
• Child Tax Credit with income less than £16, 190.00 (unless you claim Working Tax Credit) - form TC602(A)
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit

Children aged under 11 from low income families are eligible if they attend their nearest qualifying school and live more than 2 miles, but not more than 6 miles away.

Children aged 11 – 16 from low income families are eligible if they attend one of their 3 nearest qualifying schools and live more than 2 miles, but not more than 6 miles away, or the nearest school selected for religious reasons more than 2 miles but not more than 15 miles away.

Statutory walking distance

This is 2 miles for pupils up to 8 years of age and 3 miles for older children. The distance is measured by the shortest walking route along a road or made-up footpath from the nearest pedestrian access to the school site to the nearest entrance on the boundary of the pupil’s home. Please note, this is not necessarily the same distance as used for admissions purposes.

Children who fulfil one of the criteria but live under the statutory walking distance may be entitled to free transport if we agree there is no route of less than 2 or 3 miles walking distance that would be safe for a child to use with an adult. Street lighting is not taken into consideration.

Children under statutory school age

Children are not entitled to home to school transport until they become Rising 5s. Children born between:

• 1st Sept - 31st Dec are entitled from the start of the Autumn term
• 1st Jan – 30th April from the start of the Spring term
• 1st May – 31st Aug from the start of the Summer term
• 1st Sept - 31st Dec are entitled from the start of the Autumn term
• 1st Jan – 30th April from the start of the Spring term
• 1st May – 31st Aug from the start of the Summer term

If your child is not entitled to free transport we will contact you as soon as possible, otherwise you will not be advised of your child’s travel arrangements until two weeks before it is due to start.

Exceptions

'Exceptional circumstances' are about the child not the parent.

• Pupil has temporary or long term ill-health or disability that prevents them from using their normal means of transport
• Pupil is living in temporary accommodation for safety reasons
• Your family has moved home and is in emergency temporary accommodation or a refuge
• Pupil is in care
• You have moved house, your child is mid GCSEs and it's possible to continue to transport them to their current school on public transport or existing county provision

Other exceptional circumstances are assessed individually.

Applying and passes

• Application forms for transport to primary schools are available from the school or The Admissions & Transport Team on 01296 383250.
• Application forms for transport to secondary schools are automatically sent to new pupils who are entitled to free travel when they have been allocated their schools.
• Travel passes and details of timings and pick up points will be sent to the home address. In subsequent years, travel passes are sent to the school and should be available on the first day of the new academic year. Pupils can use their 'old' pass until their new one arrives.
• If your child loses their pass please contact Client Transport. There is an £10 charge.
• If your child leaves the school or moves address you should inform Client Transport and return the travel pass.

Discretionary travel

Where a child is not entitled to free home to school transport, they may be able to pay a fare and travel on an existing school service if there are spare places.

Contacts

For general enquiries on bus boarding and alighting points, discretionary travel, 16+ renewals, bus passes etc:

Client Transport
Buckinghamshire County Council
County Hall, Aylesbury HP20 1YZ
Tel: 01296 387439 open from 8am term time and 9am non-term time
Fax: 01296 383749
email: Ameytrans@buckscc.gov.uk

For enquiries on eligibility and entitlement for free home to school transport, exceptional transport and 16+ travel:

Admissions and Transport Team
Buckinghamshire County Council
County Hall, Aylesbury HP20 1UZ
Tel: 01296 383250
Fax: 01296 383016
email: admissions@buckscc.gov.uk