Oldham Council provides free travel passes for students who qualify, allowing them to travel to and from school on public transport at no cost.
To get a free pass, students must meet certain requirements.
- Children under 8 qualify for free travel if their journey from home to school is more than 2 miles.
- Children 8 years old and older qualify for free travel if their journey from home to school is more than 3 miles.
You must live in Oldham to apply. If you live outside Oldham, even temporarily, you’ll need to apply through your local council instead.
Processing applications can take up to 20 working days.
Please note: Applications for the next academic year (starting in September) will only be accepted from June onwards.
How distance is measured
"Home" means the student's main registered address, usually the address given for school admissions. The Council may check this address if necessary.
"Distance" is the shortest available walking route from home to school.
Make sure your child’s school is more than 2 miles away (for children 7 and under) or more than 3 miles away (for children 8 and older), based on their age. If the school is not beyond the required distance, a pass will not be issued.
Low-income families
Children qualify as being from low-income families if they receive Targeted Free School Meals.
The application form includes an option to upload digital copies of this proof, so please have these documents ready when applying. Without this evidence, we cannot consider low-income status in your application.
If your evidence does not clearly show qualification, we will not consider this element to your application.
If you don’t have proof, please email: benefitsfsm@oldham.gov.uk to request confirmation, as we cannot obtain it on your behalf. Make sure to have this proof before applying.
Children ages 8 to 10 from low-income families qualify for support if they live more than 2 miles from their nearest eligible school.
Children aged 11 and older from low-income families qualify if they attend a school more than 2 miles walking distance from home - AND it is one of the 3 nearest schools to home, or if the nearest school aligned with the family's religion or belief is between 2 and 15 miles away from home.
If parents choose a school that does not meet the above guidance, either because of personal choice, inspection ratings, performance or because a sibling goes there etc, and there is another school/s within walking distance available, parents will need to cover any travel costs.
Faith-based applications
Religion or belief is only considered for transport eligibility where the family meets the low-income criteria (Targeted Free School Meals).
Apply
Application form for a free school travel pass
Change of address
If a student moves, they can get free school travel only if they are in Years 10 or 11 and their new address is at least 3 miles from their school (unless Low Income and it would be 2 miles).
Students in Years 7, 8, or 9 can stay at their current school after moving, but they won’t qualify for free travel if there is a suitable school within walking distance of the new address.
If you decide not to apply and keep your child in their current school, you will not normally qualify for travel support. We may still be able to offer a place at a local school, even if it’s full.
Support for students with SEND, an education health and care plan or mobility issues
Please contact Oldham Council's SEND Transport assistance:
If your application is denied
You can request a review of the decision by a senior officer within 20 working days.
If you’re still unhappy with the senior officer's decision, you can appeal to an independent panel. The team will give you instructions on how to appeal, and you must submit the appeal within 20 working days of receiving the senior officer's decision.