Most Hampshire families organise their own school journeys. However, in certain circumstances there are exceptional reasons why families may need support with this. In these cases, the County Council may be able to provide funded transport assistance.
School Transport is available to eligible children from the school term after their fifth birthday up to and including Year 11. With the end of the current academic year now fast approaching, Hampshire County Council is reminding local families of the upcoming application deadlines:
- For children attending mainstream primary and secondary schools - 31 May
- For children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) - 30 June
Before applying for School Transport, families are strongly encouraged to firstly check the eligibility criteria.
Families with children who already receive School Transport do not need to do anything unless their circumstances have changed. For example, if they have moved home or school, they will need to reapply for transport by the relevant deadline.
Visit the County Council’s website for full details, including how to apply for School Transport.
Post-16 Transport
For most families, transport assistance stops at the end of Year 11. Families are asked to explore alternative transport arrangements for their child’s post-16 education or training, even if their child will continue to attend the same setting.
A discretionary Post-16 Transport service is available in certain circumstances, for young people with SEND who are unable to access their further education or training without transport assistance from the County Council. Applications are only approved where there is clear evidence that nobody else in the young person’s household is able to transport them.
As a discretionary service, parents are required to pay a partial financial contribution towards the costs of transport. To be considered for this service for the 2025/26 academic year, families must apply by 30 June 2025.
For eligible families who apply after this deadline, transport will not be in place for September 2025 and may not be available before January 2026.
Unlike School Transport, the Post-16 Transport service requires families to submit a new application each year. Parents with a young person who currently receives Post-16 Transport therefore need to apply by the above deadline if they wish to be considered for this service again for the coming academic year. There is no automatic entitlement to the service, even to those who have previously received it.
Further information about the Post-16 Transport service, including how to apply, are available on the County Council’s website.
Next steps
Providing their School Transport applications are received on time, families can expect to hear back from the County Council with the outcome of their application within 10 working days. For on-time Post-16 Transport applications, this can take up to six weeks. Timings may vary during busier periods.
For approved on-time applications, families will then receive a second communication from the County Council confirming their child’s transport arrangements. Details of transport arrangements will be sent to both new applicants and existing School or Post-16 Transport users no later than the end of August.
For more information about travel to school, visit the County Council’s website.