Under 16 transport

Who can get help

Pupils in Year 7 to Year 11 may be able to get help with travel costs if:

• they get free school meals and are registered for them
• or a parent they live with gets the maximum level of working tax credit. Your award notice will say: “deduction due to income £0.00”

When travel help is available

We may help with travel costs to:

• one of the three nearest suitable schools, if it’s more than 2 miles but less than 6 miles from home
• the nearest suitable school based on religious or philosophical beliefs, if it’s more than 2 miles but less than 15 miles from home

You must give evidence of your beliefs if you choose a school for religious or philosophical reasons.

We use the shortest walking route to find the nearest schools. This may not be a route you can actually use. We then check the shortest available walking route to decide if you can get help. These distances may change if the road network changes.

What proof you need

If you get working tax credit

Send a copy of all pages of your latest tax credit award notice (form TC602). It must show “deduction due to income £0.00”.

You can ask HM Revenue and Customs for a copy.

Documents must be digital so you can upload them with your application. You can scan them or take a photo with your phone.

If you get free school meals

We will check our records to confirm this.

If your child goes to a school outside Staffordshire, send a letter from the school confirming they get free school meals.

Find out more and apply on our free school meals page

Travel assistance request under medical grounds

The allocation of a school place on medical grounds does not mean that a pupil will be automatically entitled to home to school travel assistance on medical grounds.

If a child who is attending their correct catchment or nearest suitable school is under walking distance but unable to walk to school due to a medical condition and/or disability (even when accompanied as necessary), we may offer assistance.

We will also review the type of transport support offered for entitled pupils if it is unsuitable due to a medical condition.

How to apply

If you wish to apply for assistance due to a learning difficulty or disability for which your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan, please visit our Special Education Needs transport page.

For all other pupils, you should apply online and provide:

• Supporting written evidence from a medical professional detailing why the medical condition and/or disability prevents the pupil from completing their journey (even if accompanied)
• Confirmation of the likely period of incapacity
• Details of what alternative travel arrangements you have tried or considered, and why they are not suitable

We generally do not consider work or other childcare commitments as sufficient exceptional circumstances on their own to make travel arrangements.

Primary school pupils

For children of primary school age, travel assistance may also be considered if both parents’ medical conditions and/or disabilities prevent them from accompanying their child on their journey to school.

The pupil must be attending the catchment or nearest suitable school, and an application should be made in writing with the additional information outlined above.

Ongoing review

Where travel assistance is provided under medical grounds, the case will be reviewed on a regular basis and continued supporting medical evidence will be required.