Home to School Travel Assistance & Post 16 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.

School transport for those up to 16 is handled by the Travel Assistance Team.

School Travel Assistance Application Form.

Free.buspasses4schools@kirklees.gov.uk

01484 416982

Parents Guide to School Transport

If your child has special educational needs and disabilities but they do not have and Education, Health or Care Plan (EHCP) then you can also apply for school transport by going to the Digital Kirklees application page (opens in a new 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.

It is important to note that the duty to provide free assistance with transport to educational establishments ends at the age of 16. Responsibility for making appropriate transport arrangements rests with the young person and parent or carer.

The 2022/2023 Post16 Travel assistance policy.

However, if the young person has an EHCP and is in receipt of travel assistance already, then the transport arrangement will be reviewed before they start at the post 16 setting.

If the young person has an EHCP but has not had travel assistance before, an application form can be made for post 16 transport assistance.

Email - post16transport@kirklees.gov.uk for an application form. Completed forms should also be returned to this email address

The school transport team will consider each case individually and young people will be assessed to see if travel training is the best option for them. Independent travel training will allow young people to travel independently on public transport. Travel training may not be appropriate for all young people with special educational needs and disabilities.

Where students with learning difficulties and/or disabilities qualify for transport, assistance and support will be provided in a way that promotes independence for the student.

More details about Post 16 transport can be found in the policy document at the bottom of this page or the team can be contacted directly:

Telephone; 01484 221685
Email: Post16transport@kirklees.gov.uk

Travel Application form for post 16 Travel.

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

School Transport team:

Email: school.transport@kirklees.gov.uk

Telephone: 01484 221000 extension 71309

Travel Assessment Unit

Email: travel.assessment@kirklees.gov.uk

Telephone 01484 221000 extension 70449

Post 16 transport:

Email: Post16transport@kirklees.gov.uk

Telephone: 01484 221000 extension 71309

Useful links

School transport

Kirklees Home to school transport policy 2020-21

Kirklees Post 16 transport policy