Home to School Travel Assistance (School transport)

Children and young people, including those with SEND* may be eligible for transport assistance if they normally have to:
- Travel more than 2 miles (for children in Reception up to and including Year 3)
- or 3 miles (for children and young people in Year 4 up to and including Year 11).
- Attend the nearest available school to the child's permanent home address.
- Where the Authority is not able to admit a child to the nearest available school, assistance will be provided to the next nearest available school, subject to the same distance rules as described above.
The measurement of the walking distance is not necessarily the shortest distance by road. It is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied if needed, may walk safely

* (if the child or young person has an EHCP please see the information further down this page)

You can apply for Bus Pass by going to the Digital Kirklees application page (opens in a new window)

Children from low income families such as those entitled to free school meals, or whose parents are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit, may be eligible for free home to school transport.

School transport is not just about buses or taxis to take children or young people to school, they are also able to offer travel training to help a child or young person become an independent traveller. More information about independent travel training is shown below.

Free.buspasses4schools@kirklees.gov.uk

01484 416982

Parents Guide to School Transport (opens document in new window)

For information about Post 16 transport please go to the page below:

Post 16 Transport for young people with SEND (opens link in same window)

Pupils who have an EHCP can also apply for free school transport through the School Transport team using the online form, emailing or calling the number below.

School Travel Assistance Application Form.

School Transport team:

Email: school.transport@kirklees.gov.uk

Telephone: 01484 221000 extension 71309

Pupils who have an Education Health Care Plan (EHCP) will receive transport free of charge regardless of distance if all of the following apply:

The child is attending the nearest appropriate school named in the EHCP and they have a physical or medical condition that prevents them from walking.

Where an SEND Child attends a mainstream school free transport assistance will be provided subject to the 2 or 3 mile limit (see information at the top of this page)

Where a parent chooses to send his/her child to a school which is not the nearest appropriate school (and is not named as such in the child's EHCP) the Authority will not provide assistance with transport.

Children from low income families, i.e. those entitled to free school meals, or whose parents are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit, will be eligible for home to school transport assistance if they meet the following criteria:

Primary aged children (up to age 11) are entitled to free travel arrangements to
their nearest qualifying school where the distance to that school is over 2 miles from
their home.
Children aged 11-16 are entitled to free travel arrangements made to one of their three
nearest qualifying schools (or places other than a school at which they might receive
education under section 19(1) of the 1996 Act), where they live more than 2 miles, but
less than 6 miles from that school.
Children aged 11 to 16 where parents express a preference for a school based on
religion or belief, where they live more than 2 miles but not more than 15 miles from that
school to the nearest suitable school.
Once eligibility has been confirmed on income grounds, the pupil would be eligible for
the entirety of the school year for which the assessment has been made.

To apply for a a bus pass please go to this page - Digital Kirklees application page