The Transport team is responsible for providing transport to schools for pupils who would otherwise be unable, or would have considerable difficulty, gaining access to education.
Leicester City Council has a duty to ensure that every child in the city has access to a school place; for some children the council has a legal duty to provide free home to school transport.
Most parents/carers send their children to the school in their catchment area school, or to the nearest available school. The council provides free transport to the nearest available eligible school for any full-time pupil when there is no school place available within the ‘statutory walking distance’ as stated in the Education Act 1996.
The following table shows the council’s statutory duty to provide school transport; this provision is protected in law and will be unaffected by any of the proposed changes.
| Age / Type of Pupil |
Statutory Entitlement |
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Pupils up to the age of 8 (year 3)
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Free transport to the nearest available eligible school if it is more than two miles walking distance from home. (see note 1)
|
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Pupils between the ages of 8 and 16 (years 4 – 11)
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Free transport to the nearest available eligible school if it is more than three miles walking distance from home.
|
|
Pupils aged between 8 and 10 (years 4 – 6) who are eligible for Free School Meals or whose parents are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit
|
Free transport to the nearest eligible school if it is more than two miles walking distance from home.
|
|
Pupils aged between 11 and 16 (years 7 – 11) who are eligible for Free School Meals or whose parents are in receipt of the maximum level of Working Tax Credit
|
Free transport is provided to one of the three nearest eligible schools if it is between two miles (walking route) and six miles away (road route). If a school is preferred by reason of a parent's religion or belief, then free transport is provided if the school is more than two miles (walking route) and not more than 15 miles away (road route) and it is the nearest school of that faith.
|
|
Pupils with Special Educational Needs, disability or mobility issues (aged 4 – 16).
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Free transport to the nearest eligible school, where the pupil lives within the statutory walking distance from school and where, due to relevant documented special needs or disability or mobility issues, they are unable to walk in reasonable safety, even when accompanied.
Transport will be provided to pupils who have a statement of special educational need which sets out a clear requirement for free transport to the school specified in the statement.
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Pupils who live within the statutory walking distance who are unable to walk in safety to school because of the nature of the route (aged 4 – 16).
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Free transport to the nearest eligible school where the pupil lives within the statutory walking distance from school and where, due to the nature of the route, they are unable to walk in reasonable safety even when accompanied.
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Note 1: Eligible schools are defined as the closest school(s) to the address at which the child resides with their parent(s) or legal guardian(s); schools can be located in either the City or County. A faith school is only classed as an eligible school for children of the faith represented by the school; a single sex school is only classed as an eligible school for children of the same sex admitted to the school (i.e. only boys or only girls).
The council recently consulted on changes to the discretionary transport it currently provides.
The consultation covered proposed changes to:
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Transport assistance for pupils who attend voluntary aided schools
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Post 16 transport arrangements
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Post 16 special educational needs transport arrangements
Details of this consultation and the agreed changes can be found by clicking through to the Executive Decision page.
For details of current arrangements and policies please click on one of the links below:
You can see a copy of our home to school transport policy by contacting us or by clicking here .
Contact us
Education Transport
Leicester City Council,
York House,
91 Granby Street,
Leicester
LE1 6FB
telephone: 0116 252 7009, option 2
email: education.transport@leicester.gov.uk
