School Transport and Special Educational Needs
When a child receives their education by attendance at a school, parents have the responsibility for getting their child to school. Most parents take their child to school themselves or make suitable alternative arrangements.
For the majority of parents, thoughts about school transport may only become important when it comes to moving from primary school to a secondary school or when a child has special (additional) educational needs or medical needs.
The provision of free school transport for children who do not have special educational needs or medical grounds*, depends on a number of factors but it is only available to children up to 16 years old. It is also based on the distance their child would have to travel to school.
Other factors, such as families with low income may be considered. If you feel you may qualify on the basis of low income please contact the Statutory Assessment & Transport Service for further information. Their details are listed below or click this link to Oldham Council’s Home To School Transport and College Transport Policy.
Free school transport is not available if you refuse a place at your nearest appropriate school due to parental choice. If this is the case, even if your child travels over the reasonable distances, as parents you remain responsible for travelling costs and ensuring your child attends school.
Parents who decide to send their child to an independent school will not normally receive assistance with the cost of transport.
Free school transport is only available if the local education authority is unable to provide a school place within a reasonable distance. The reasonable distance is:
For children aged between 4 and 7 - two or more miles.
For children aged between 8 and 16 - three miles or more, and
and there is no alternative appropriate school within that limit.
When determining a reasonable distance, the Local Authority considers a short walking route to be one measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk with reasonable safety. Where the safety of a walking route is reliant upon the child being accompanied by a parent/carer but the parent/carer cannot do so because of disability, then the child will be eligible.
For those between the ages of 16 and 19 years attending school and college, there are different arrangements. Further information about any of these matters can be obtained from the Statutory Assessment and Transport Service.
Parents may request a review of the measured walking route if they feel that the journey between home and school is unsafe. The Authority may, after assessing the safety of the route, provide support.
Pupils with Special Educational Needs (Additional Educational Needs).
When a Statement of Special Educational Needs is finalised, the Local Authority will name a school (mainstream or special) in part 4 of the Statement, which is determined as the nearest school where the child’s needs can be met.
Support with transport will be provided if the distance to school is -
·Children under 8 years – above 2 miles.
·Children 8 years or over – above 3 miles.
Where a parent/carer chooses to send their child to a school which is not the nearest appropriate school , the Local Authority will not provide assistance with transport.
Where a child, by reason of their Special Educational Needs, disability or mobility problem due to a medical condition, is unable to walk even relatively short distances to school, consideration will be given by the Local Authority to the provision of transport assistance to those pupils whether they attend special or mainstream schools, where the distances are below the guidelines shown above.
Some pupils with Special or Additional Educational Needs (SEN), with or without a statement of SEN, who are placed in a school or Unit for assessment may be provided with transport.
The information on this page is provided as a guide only and should be read in conjunction and reference to Oldham Council’s Home To School Transport and College Transport Policy. where there is more detailed information on -
·Eligibility
·Low Income Groups
·Pupils with Additional Educational Needs (AEN)
·Dual Registration
·Short-term Care
·Before and After School Clubs
·In Year Fair Access Protocol and
·General Information
·Free School Travel Passes
·Car Allowances
·Bicycle Allowances
·Walking Escort Provision
·Public Transport Escort Provision
·Hired Transport (Taxis or Minibuses etc)
·Provision of Pupil Travel Assistants (Pupil Escorts)
·Applications outside the Policy
Alternatively you can obtain more information by calling 0161 770 4233 or write to –
Statutory Assessment & Transport Service,
Access Section,
Children, Young People and Families,
Level 6, Civic Centre,
P.O. Box 40
West Street,
Oldham, OL1 1XJ