Travel grants

Social Care

Help on the way to school

We’re happy to help you get your son or daughter to school safely and on time. Where pupils walk to school, our education and roads staff keep in contact with local police to ensure that walking routes are safe. Our free school transport policy also plays a major part in helping pupils get to school. This leaflet tells you how the policy works and how to apply for free school transport if your son or daughter is attending secondary school.

What our free school transport policy says

The policy says that we will provide your son or daughter with free school transport for one morning journey to school and one return journey at the end of the school day if your son or daughter:

Lives more than three miles away from his or her local secondary school by the shortest, safe walking route
Lives more than two miles away from his or her local secondary school by the shortest, safe walking route and is eligible for free school meals
Has been recommended on health grounds for free school transport by a designated medical officer
Has been assessed by psychological services to attend a particular school
Has to walk a route to school which after taking advice the education department considers unsafe

What free school transport means

We identify the need for school transport. It will be provided, depending on your son or daughter’s circumstances, by one of the following:

School contract bus which carries pupils only
Bus pass for use on a local service bus which also carries other fare paying customers
Train passes for use on regular service trains
Taxi, private hire cars or minibuses
The council’s own vehicles.

Contracts covering transport for secondary school pupils are arranged for the council by Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT). We make all the arrangements for pupils with Additional Support Needs ourselves.

What Free School Travel doesn’t cover

Free school travel doesn’t cover:

Pupils going home for lunch. If you wish your son or daughter to come home, you will have to make your own travel arrangements.
Pupils travelling to or from child carers. Entitlement to free school travel is based upon a pupil’s home address.
Free travel to a school which is not your local one and which your son or daughter attends because of a placing request.

Special arrangements

Where possible, we will make arrangements to cover pupils taking part in school activities after the end of the normal school day.

When to apply for Free School Transport

You should apply for free school transport for secondary school when you are completing other forms in respect of your son or daughter’s transfer from primary to secondary school. You can, of course, apply at any time although at certain times of the year there may be a delay while we make arrangements. You should make a fresh application if you move house during the year.

After you apply

We’ll write to you to tell you if your application has been successful or if we’ve refused it. If you’re applying on behalf of your son or daughter who’s already at school, we’ll aim to let you know as soon as we can. Sometimes, if you’ve applied for the new school term, we won’t be able to let you know of the new term’s arrangements until the summer holiday period, but we’ll do everything we can to let you know in good time. Our staff will always be happy to discuss your application with you and to give you any help or advice you might need.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How does my child quality for free school transport?
A: If your child is attending the local school designated by the council, and s/he would have to walk more than two miles to reach primary school, or three miles to reach secondary school, s/he will be entitled to free school transport.