Home to secondary school transport
This page gives you information about home to school transport for children attending secondary school.
Apply
Alternatively, complete and return the
.Who qualifies
Children of compulsory school age are entitled to free home to school transport to the nearest suitable school where the home to school distance is over three miles. In the case of a school/academy that operates on two sites, this will be the nearest site of the school/academy.
How the distance is calculated
In assessing home to school distance we use a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify and measure the shortest route using only the Ordnance Survey Integrated Transport Network (ITN) and Urban Paths Network (UPN) which are national recognised datasets. We will not include any other routes or any other method of measurement. Routes are measured from the centre point* of the child's house, or in the case of a flat from the centre point* of the building, to the nearest school site entrance. In all cases the GIS identifies the route to be measured by connecting in a straight line the centre point* of the child's house to the closest point on the nearest route on the ITN/UPN.
* In accordance with the coordinates of the Basic Land and Property Unit on the National Land and Property Gazetteer.
Where a school/academy operates on two sites, the site the child will attend for the majority of the academic year for which transport is applied will be the site used for the purpose of measurement of home to school/academy distance. If you apply for a school place for your child at Greenfield Community College - Newton Aycliffe and Shildon sites, please contact us to discuss transport arrangements.
See the
for full details.If you receive benefits
For secondary school children who are eligible for free school meals, or whose parents receive their maximum level of Working Tax Credit, free transport will be provided to:
- one of the three nearest suitable qualifying schools, if that school is more than two but less than six miles from the child's home, or
- the nearest suitable secondary school preferred because of religion or belief* for children whose parent(s) adhere to that particular faith, where that school is more than two but less than fifteen miles from the child's home.
* For this purpose, parental adherence to the Roman Catholic faith has been defined as where at least one parent and the child are baptised Roman Catholic; and to the Anglican faith where at least one parent is a confirmed Anglican and the child is a baptised Anglican.
The six mile upper limit to a choice of schools and the fifteen mile upper limit to a school preferred on the grounds of religion or belief are not walking routes therefore these routes will be measured along road routes.
You will need to provide your most recent full Working Tax Credit Award Notice (pages 1-8, the Working Tax Credit Element of the Working Tax Credit Summary must indicate "reduction due to your income is £0.00").
How to appeal
If we do not award free home to school transport to your child, you can request a review of our decision in writing within 20 days of the receipt of the decision letter. You will need to send any additional supporting evidence with the request. Each case will be considered individually.
See our Ask for a Transport Case Review page.
Concessionary seats
Where spare seats are available on a school bus, these can be sold to children who are not entitled to free transport. This is called concessionary travel. Full details of the concessionary travel scheme, including bus routes available, how to apply, how seats are allocated and how to pay are available on the apply for a spare seat on school transport page.
Behaviour on home to school transport
We expect good behaviour from children when using the school transport we provide. When you apply for home to school transport for your child, you are required to sign a declaration stating that you agree to uphold good behaviour. Parents have a key role to play and you are responsible for the conduct of your children. See the information leaflets on our Behaviour on home to school/college transport page.
We comply with all relevant statutory obligations with regard to personal information processed by us and this will be handled in accordance with our privacy statement which can be accessed on our Privacy notices and data protection page.
We may use the information you have provided on your application form (S20) for the prevention and detection of fraud. When completing the application we request that you sign the declaration to say that you agree and understand that we may check the details you have provided on your child's application against other council records to confirm that you and your child are resident at the property, and agree to us sharing your data with other agencies, where it is necessary to do so (where the law allows) and that you:
- have read and agree to abide by the conditions as set out in the home to school transport policy
- are the parent/carer who has parental responsibility for the child and all those with parental responsibility agree to the application
- will inform us immediately of any change of address by email to schooltransportteam@durham.gov.uk
- understand that if you have provided information that is incorrect or incomplete, we will withdraw your child's travel assistance immediately, all costs will need to be repaid, that you may be investigated and we may take action against you (this may include court action) as the council is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers.
Further information
Full details of home to school transport are available on our School transport policies and strategies page.
- School and College Transport
- schooltransportteam@durham.gov.uk
- 03000 264 444
-
Our address is:
- School Places and Admissions Team
- Children and Young People's Services
- Green Lane
- Spennymoor
- County Durham
- United Kingdom
- DL16 6JQ