Apply
Please use this form if you think you are entitled to free school transport.
Before you apply, we recommend that you read the information below about qualifying for school transport.
If you are a parent or carer of a child attending school, you can fill in this form to apply for school transport.
If your child is due to start school or transfer to the next phase of education in September then please do not use this form. If you received the outcome of your school place application by email, you will be sent another email within six weeks if your child is entitled to free school transport. If your child is entitled to free school transport you will be informed of the travel arrangements in August before the start of the new academic year.
This form has 7 to 9 pages – depending on your selections – and will take about 10 minutes to complete.
Please do not make an application for a child due to start or transfer school in September. You will be notified by email within 6 weeks of your school place outcome (1 March for secondary/upper school or 19 April for starting school, junior and middle school places) if your child is entitled to travel assistance. If your child is not entitled to travel assistance you will not receive an email. You do not need to make an application.
If you wish to apply for a pay seat please fill in the online form below – the form has 7 pages and will take about 8 minutes to complete.
Please see our other web pages for more information about School Transport.
Qualifying for school transport
We provide free school transport to pupils between 4 and 16 who attend the nearest, or transport area school for their home address, and who live over the statutory walking distance from that school. That is, two miles for children under eight and three miles for children aged eight and over.
If you live within the statutory walking distance of the school it is your parental responsibility to make sure your child attends school.
The ‘transport area’ is the school catchment area as at September 2012.
School transport entitlement to a particular school can change, depending on the year group the pupil is in and where the nearest school for that year group is in relation to their home address.
If a pupil is assessed as not being entitled to free school transport, it is the parents’ responsibility to re-apply for transport in a subsequent year group if they think entitlement may have changed. Parents will not be told about a change in entitlement.
The raising of the participation age
The Government requires young people to participate in education and training once they have finished their compulsory secondary education. This is a ‘quick guide’.
The law does not increase the statutory school leaving age. Our policy says that only pupils of statutory school age are eligible for free school transport.
For more information about transport to school or college for a year 12 or 13 pupil, visit our county ticket page.
Low income families
For pupils from low income families, free school transport is available under certain circumstances.
- Pupils aged between 8 and 11 will receive transport to their nearest school if it is between 2 and 3 miles.
- Pupils aged between 11 and 16 who live between 2 and 6 miles from their school and attend one of their three nearest schools will receive free school transport.
Low income is defined as any child who qualifies for free school meals or families receiving the maximum level of Working Tax Credit.
Entitlement to free school meals is defined as
- 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 Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit, provided you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by HM Revenue and Customs) that does not exceed £16,190.
- Working Tax Credit ‘run-on’ paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
- Universal Credit
We regularly review benefit information to make sure your child still qualifies for reduced rate or free transport.
Transport in exceptional circumstances
Please apply using the application form stating your exceptional circumstances. If you are applying under exceptional grounds, evidence will be required to support your application. Please read the School Travel Policy in Downloads before applying and for details of the evidence required. Please email schooladmissions@somerset.gov.uk for more information.
Pupil referral units
Transport is also provided to pupils attending a pupil referral unit, providing they live over the statutory walking distance from the unit, and in some exceptional cases where there is evidence that they cannot walk to school, even if they are appropriately supervised.
Transport on religious grounds
As of September 2018, there is no longer statutory assistance to support children attending a denominational church or faith aided school for reasons of religion or faith alone.
If you are applying for low income travel assistance on religious grounds, you will be requested to provide proof that the child regularly attends church in the same religion or faith as the school you have chosen. This must be evidenced by a declaration signed by the parish priest or minister, or other local official of the named religion. The minimum attendance at services is at least once a month for a period of no less than six months.
We regularly review benefit information to make sure your child still qualifies for low income travel assistance on grounds of religion or belief. Please see the information above on low income families.
What happens next
We will assess your application once we have received confirmation from the school that your child has been granted a place. This can take up to 10 working days.
When your application has been assessed, we will let you know if your child is eligible. We will tell you about the transport arrangements and send you a bus pass for your child (if applicable).
If your child is starting school for the first time or starting at a new school in September, we will automatically assess your child’s eligibility when you apply for their school place.
If you applied for your child’s school place using a paper application form the eligibility for school transport will be included in your outcome letter.
The school place outcome letters and emails are sent out on 1 March (or next working day) for secondary and upper school places and 16 April (or next working day) for starting school, junior and middle school places.
If you applied for your child’s school place online you will receive a second email within 20 working days of your school place outcome email if your child is entitled to transport and you will be told about your child’s travel arrangements before the start of the next academic year. If you do not receive a second email this means your child has been assessed as not entitled to free school transport.