Secondary School Home to School Transport

County Durham covers a wide geographical area and consequently many pupils live quite a distance from their nearest school. Legally, free home to school transport is provided to those pupils who attend the nearest appropriate school where that school is more than 3 miles from their home address using the shortest available walking route. However we provide free travel where the distance from the home address to the nearest appropriate school is more than 2 miles measured by the shortest available walking route.

From September 2008

For children who receive free school meals or whose parents receive their maximum level of Working Tax Credit, free transport will be provided to:

One of their three nearest qualifying schools, if that school is more than two but less than six miles from your child's home.
The nearest suitable school preferred because of your religion or belief, where that school is more than two but less than 15 miles from your child's home.

Notes

1. The nearest suitable school is the nearest available school which offers an efficient full-time programme of education appropriate to the individual child's needs in the view of the Authority.

2. Certain areas of the county, which are over two miles from the nearest suitable school, are linked to particular schools to ensure admission for the pupils in those areas and to limit travel costs. In these instances, the appropriate school will be identified by us. These arrangements are referred to as 'Associated Transport Provision'.

3. We will indicate the nearest appropriate school on the parental preference form, issued to you approximately 9 months before your child is due to transfer to Secondary education, and whether school transport is available.

4. Free transport to Voluntary Aided (church) schools will be granted only to those pupils whose parents adhere to that particular faith. Parental adherence is defined: to the Roman Catholic faith, where at least one parent and the pupil are baptised Roman Catholics; and, to the Anglican faith, where at least one parent is a confirmed Anglican and the pupil is a baptised Anglican. In all other circumstances a 'suitable' school will be the nearest Community or Voluntary Controlled School.

We reserve the right to consult with parents and the diocesan authorities in arriving at decisions on individual cases.

Travel Assistance

Pupils who are not entitled to free transport may, however, be offered a 'concessionary' seat on a bus on contract hire to us if a spare seat is available. Where such facilities are made available they will be at our discretion and will be subject to strict conditions and may be withdrawn at any time during the academic year.
Where parents move house, we may be prepared to assist with travelling expenses to enable pupils in their fourth and fifth years of secondary school (Years 10 and 11 National Curriculum) to continue to attend the same school. These arrangements will not be extended if pupils continue into post-compulsory education after 16 years of age.

Home to School Transport for Pupils of Post-Compulsory School Age

From September 2007, Durham County Council are to introduce a new policy which will only apply to new students (aged 16-19 years) entering post 16 education or those starting new courses of study. (Current students who receive free post 16 transport, who are continuing on the same course of study will still be entitled to free transport in line with what they have already been provided).

For those students already in receipt of free transport to Post-16 learning establishments who are continuing with their existing course of study the County Council will continue to provide full support until completion of their study.

For further information, please contact the Transport Team at County Hall on tel. 0191 3834165 or email us at School Transport.