Children attending a mainstream school and those on a low income
This page covers children attending a mainstream school and those on a low income.
- Meanings
- City of York Council distance criteria and eligibility for transport
- Low income families
- Transport to a school chosen because of religion or belief
- Medical Needs of the parent or child
- Change of address
- Nursery aged children
- Fair Access Protocols and Exclusions
- Children and Young People in Care
- Movement between educational establishments during the day
- Transport other than home to school
- Travel Options
- Waiting Points
- Seat Belts
- Behaviour on Mainstream Transport
Meanings
Compulsory School Age
A child must start full-time education once they reach compulsory school age. This is on 31 December, 31 March or 31 August following their fifth birthday - whichever comes first. If the child's fifth birthday is on one of those dates, then they reach compulsory school age on that date. For example, if the child reaches compulsory school age on 31 March, they must start full-time education at the beginning of the next term (summer term that year).
Qualifying schools are
- Community, foundation, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools
- Academies, including free schools and special schools
- Alternative provision academies and pupil referral units
- Community or foundation special schools and non-maintained special schools
- Maintained nursery schools where attended by a child of compulsory school age
- Other qualifying provision as defined by Schedule 35B to the Education Act 1996
Suitable schools are
A qualifying school that is suitable for the child's age, ability, aptitude and any special educational needs they may have. Suitable school does not mean the most suitable school for a child.
Distance measurements
- Measured using the GIS mapping tool which shows known safe walking routes in the City of York area. This is the same system used by the admissions team to determine home to school distances when allocating school places.
- Where a distance is measured by road because it is beyond the Council's qualifying distance, online mapping software may be used, such as Google Maps or AA Route Planner.
Safe Walking Routes
In assessing the safety of a route, the Council will assess the risks a child might encounter and will consider factors including:
- The age of the child.
- The width of roads and the existence of pavements.
- The volume and speed of traffic.
- The existence or otherwise of street lighting.
- Rivers, ditches, traffic speeds and fields of vision for pedestrians and motorists.
- The condition of the route at different times of year and at the times of day the child would travel.
- Whether potential risks might be mitigated if an adult accompanied the child.
Home Address and Joint Residency
The child's home address will be the address where they live with their parent/carer and which is registered with their school. In the case of joint residency, transport will only be provided from one address. The Council will take into account:
- The address taken into account at the time of application for a school place, if circumstances remain the same.
- The address at which the child spends most school days or, if split equally, the address where the parent receives child benefit.
- The address registered with the child's doctor.
School Opening and Closing Times
The duty to provide free home to school transport is for the journey at the start and end of the school day, at the times approved by the governing body or academy trust. If a school or academy proposes to change its school hours it should follow best practice, consult at least three months before the planned change and include the Local Authority in the consultation. Where a school changes its hours without consultation, any additional transport costs may be the responsibility of the school.
Journey Times
As a general guide, the maximum journey time should be no longer than 45 minutes each way for primary-aged children and 75 minutes each way for secondary-aged children. There may be circumstances in which this is not possible, for example where children live in remote locations or where a child with special educational needs, disability or mobility problems needs to travel some distance to the school that is able to meet their needs. Where longer journeys are unavoidable, the Council will seek to minimise any negative impact on the child.
Collection and Drop-off Points
Children are collected as near to their home as reasonably possible. Some children may have to walk a reasonable distance to and from home to meet the transport. However, the designated picking up/setting down point will not exceed one mile from the child's home. Responsibility for ensuring a child's safety in getting to and from the designated point rests with the parent/carer.
City of York Council distance criteria and eligibility for transport
City of York Council applies more generous local distance criteria than the statutory minimum requirements. For the purposes of the Council's general distance policy, the qualifying walking distances are:
- Primary-aged children: 2 miles or more from their home to their nearest suitable school.
- Secondary-aged children: 3 miles or more from their home to their nearest suitable school.
A child may also qualify where they cannot reasonably be expected to walk because of the unsafe nature of the route, or because of their special educational needs, disability or mobility problems, taking account of accompaniment where appropriate.
Low income families
For the purposes of extended rights to free home to school travel, a child is treated as being from a low-income family where they are eligible for targeted free school meals (targeted FSM). From the 2026 to 2027 academic year, extended rights continue to be based on targeted FSM rather than the wider expanded free school meals entitlement. Targeted FSM applies where the child, or their parent or carer, meets one of the following qualifying criteria:
- Income Support
- income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
- income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, provided they are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
- Universal Credit, where annual household earned income is no more than £7,400 after tax and not including benefits
Working Tax Credit has been phased out and is no longer an eligibility category for extended rights to free school travel. Children from low-income families may qualify for extended rights where:
- they are aged 8 to 11, attend their nearest suitable school and it is more than 2 miles from their home;
- they are aged 11 to 16 and attend one of their three nearest suitable schools, where the school is more than 2 miles but not more than 6 miles from their home; or
- they are aged 11 to 16 and attend the nearest suitable school preferred on grounds of religion or belief, where the school is more than 2 miles but not more than 15 miles from their home.
Transport to a school chosen because of religion or belief
Transport under the extended rights provisions will only be provided where the child meets the relevant lowincome criteria. The extended-rights distance range of more than 2 miles and not more than 15 miles applies to the nearest suitable school preferred on grounds of religion or belief. Outside those provisions, parents are normally responsible for transport where they choose a school other than the child's nearest suitable school. The Council will consider individual circumstances where it is asked to exercise its discretionary powers.
Medical Needs of the parent or child
Long-term
If a parent/carer is unable to take their primary-aged child to their nearest suitable school for medical reasons, assistance may be considered where the medical need of the parent or child means they cannot enable the child to access education by any other means. Appropriate evidence from a GP, consultant or other relevant professional should explain why the parent is unable to take the child to school or why the child is unable to walk.
Short-term
For medical reasons that are not long-term, discretionary assistance may be offered on a short-term basis up to a maximum equivalent to one half term. Parents should provide appropriate supporting evidence and demonstrate why no reasonable alternatives are available.
Change of address
Emergency or Temporary
If a child moves because of an emergency or is placed in temporary accommodation and their school is more than the Council's qualifying walking distance from their temporary home, they may be entitled to assistance with transport. This will normally be for a maximum of 3 months. At the end of this period the parent/carer must decide whether to:
- Keep the child at the original school and meet the travel costs; or
- Move the child to another, nearer suitable school.
Permanent
If a child moves to a permanent new address, the family must normally change the child's school or make their own transport arrangements. If a child is in Year 10 or 11 and a change of school may disrupt their GCSEs, transport assistance may be considered on a discretionary basis.
Nursery aged children
There is no general duty for the local authority to offer transport assistance to a child who is below compulsory school age.
Fair Access Protocols and Exclusions
If a child is permanently excluded or allocated a new school or a place at Danesgate Community through the Fair Access process, the new school or Danesgate will be considered for school travel purposes and the Council's normal eligibility rules will be applied. Parents will be expected to apply through the normal application process.
Children and Young People in Care
If a child has been placed in emergency or short-term foster care, City of York Council may need to support continued attendance at the original school where this is judged to be in the child's best interests for stability and continuity. Travel assistance will be considered in consultation with the child's social worker and the Virtual School, with a view to promoting independent travel where possible.
Movement between educational establishments during the day
The local authority's home to school travel duty does not normally extend to travel between educational establishments during the school day. Where a child needs to travel between establishments to receive education, responsibility for that travel will normally rest with the school or commissioning service.
Transport other than home to school
The local authority's duty to provide home to school transport does not normally extend to:
- Work experience placements.
- Ad hoc or regular visits to other schools or educational establishments.
- Attendance outside normal school hours.
- Breakfast and after-school clubs.
- Educational provision planned for weekends or bank holidays.
- Pick up or drop off at an address other than the child's home address or an agreed designated point.
Travel Options
The local authority will offer a suitable and cost-effective method of travel assistance. This will usually be a bus pass for a public service bus or a place on dedicated home to school transport. Other options may include:
- Cycle allowance and/or assistance with the purchase of a bicycle.
- A personalised transport budget or mileage payment where appropriate.
- Independent travel training for eligible children and young people.
- A seat in a minibus.
- A seat in a taxi.
- Other creative solutions agreed with families to support safe and sustainable travel.
Waiting Points
Where children board transport from a fixed waiting point, they are expected to wait safely and in an orderly way until the vehicle is stationary. Waiting points will be a public bus stop or another named point considered suitable for children to wait and vehicles to stop. Risk assessments will be carried out where concerns are identified.
Seat Belts
City of York contracted transport vehicles are fitted with seatbelts where required and children are expected to use them unless there is a valid reason why they cannot. Parents are advised to encourage their children to wear their seatbelt.
Behaviour on Mainstream Transport
The Council expects safe and appropriate behaviour on school transport. Unacceptable behaviour which places the driver, other passengers or the child at risk will be addressed with the child, parent/carer, school and operator. For an eligible child, withdrawal of travel arrangements will only be used as a last resort. Where travel is withdrawn because of behaviour, the Council will consider how it will continue to meet any statutory duty to make suitable travel arrangements for that child in an alternative way.