Help with Transport to School
Every year, Hampshire County Council spends over £30 million transporting children to school under its statutory obligations. This is one of the largest items of expenditure for Hampshire Council tax payers.
To find out if your child will qualify for local authority funded transport assistance from near your home. Please see the information below.
Eligible children will be offered the most economical and substainable service approrpiate to meet their needs. The type of assistance provided for the home to school journey can be in the form of a public transport season ticket, a parental mileage allowance or a contracted transport which could be anything from a taxi to a large bus.
School age children from September 2019
All children attending a mainstream school
Transport assistance will be provided for children who are of compulsory school age (the start of the term after their 5th birthday) who attend the nearest catchment school (or one that is nearer to your home) and where the distance (measured by the shortest available walking route) is more than two miles for children of compulsory school age up to their 8th birthday or more than three miles* from age 8.
Where parents named the designated catchment school as one of their 3 preferences and a place was not available, assistance may be offered to the next closest school, using the distances in the previous paragraph.
* Different walking distances may apply in respect of children who are entitled to free school meals or whose parents receive the maximum level of working tax credit.
SEN children with an EHCP (attending a mainstream school or special provision):
Transport assistance will be provided from when your child reaches compulsory school age (the start of the term after their 5th birthday) if:
- your child attends the nearest suitable school and for reasons of their SEN is unable to walk the distance to school.
- the distance (measured by the shortest available walking route) is more than two miles for children up to their 8th birthday or more than three miles* from age 8.
Children who live closer to the school than the distances stated above and, by reason of their SEN, a disability or mobility problem (including temporary medical conditions) cannot be reasonably expected to walk to school will be provided with transport if:
o they attend their designated catchment school, a nearer school or the next nearest school with a place; or
o they attend the nearest appropriate school as determined by SEN Services of the CSD.
Children attending the nearest suitable school and with a primary age sibling at the catchment school may be supported too.
* Different walking distances may apply in respect of children who are entitled to free school meals or whose parents receive the maximum level of working tax credit.
Post 16 students
For information relating to children over 16 years of age, please find the information here: Post 16 Transport
If your child does not qualify for Home to School transport
You may be able to apply for him / her to be a privilege passenger on school transport.
How parents can apply for assistance with transport
For pupils with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP), parents need to either contact their school or Hampshire County Council's SEN Service.
The SEN Service assess the eligibility for pupils with an EHCP and the Passenger Transport Service makes the transport arrangements for eligible children.