Questions and answers: home to school transport
Nearest school
How do I know which school is my nearest school to apply for?
We have a postcode lookup to find your nearest school. Please note, the postcode search results are indicative of the nearest school(s) which is determined by the centre of a postcode.
The distance to a school may vary, either shorter or longer from your specific address, or 2 schools could serve one postcode.
For accurate results, contact us.
Important note: if your child is attending a 3-tier school, see 3:2-tier school transport section below.
My nearest school is oversubscribed, where should I apply instead?
You should apply for your nearest school to be eligible for transport. If the school is oversubscribed, we will offer you the next ‘available and suitable’ nearest school – this place if accepted, would become your nearest school for transport eligibility purposes.
Important note: If you choose to apply/attend a school that is further way or to not accept the first place offered – the school you choose will not be considered for transport eligibility purposes, and it will be your responsibility for transport from home to school. If your child is attending a 3-tier school, see 3:2-tier school transport FAQ below.
3:2-tier school transport
My child attends a 3-tier middle school, but the nearest school is a secondary (2-Tier). Do I have to apply for the nearest school to be eligible for transport?
Our admissions service would not where possible, offer a pupil a 2-tier school place when they attend a 3-tier school and live within a 3-tier cluster, so this place (if accepted) would become the pupils nearest suitable school for transport eligibility.
On your school transport application, you should apply for your nearest 3-Tier upper school.
If your first-choice school is the nearest 3-tier provision and a place is offered – this will be considered the nearest school for transport eligibility purposes.
If your first-choice school is the nearest 3-tier provision but not available – the place we offer is considered your nearest school. You would need to accept the offered place for transport eligibility purposes.
Important note: If you choose to attend a school that is further way or to not accept the first place offered – the school you choose will not be considered for transport eligibility purposes, and it will be your responsibility for transport from home to school.
Honoured transport arrangements
My child attends a catchment school and was in receipt of school transport, when the Home to School Transport Policy was updated to remove catchment. Are they still eligible for transport?
We have a commitment to all pupils that were in receipt of transport when our policy was approved, to honour transport arrangements until they leave their current school (or up to year 11).
Important note: You must re-apply for transport each academic year, otherwise the existing arrangement will be cancelled.
My child is part of the honoured transport arrangement, and my younger child will be starting at the same school – how do they apply for transport?
The council has a commitment to families where younger siblings will attend the same school, at the same time (an overlap) of an existing transport user with an honoured transport arrangement.
This arrangement is only where the siblings have an overlap (older sibling still attending the school when the younger sibling starts). Where there will be no overlap (e.g. the older sibling leaves before the younger sibling starts) transport will not be provided to the younger sibling under this arrangement. Transport will be honoured for the younger sibling until they leave the school (or up to year 11).
Important note: You must re-apply for transport each academic year, otherwise the existing arrangement will be cancelled.