School Transport appeals

Request a review of your child’s eligibility decision

If you believe there are grounds to appeal against a decision we have made about your child’s transport eligibility or the suitability of arrangements put in place, you can request a review by a senior officer.

Before proceeding with an appeal

You may not need to appeal. There may be personal circumstances that we were not aware of when we decided to refuse, or relevant information that was not included in the application. If you think that may be the case, you can contact us using our online enquiry form.

Any issues relating to journey times or a change in current transport arrangements may first be resolved by contacting the team before making a formal appeal.

The County Council will consider, and may agree, requests for school transport where there are exceptional circumstances that prevent a child accessing their school without travel assistance. We encourage you to include any evidence when submitting your stage one appeal.

Exceptional circumstances are situations that do not apply to most families. For example, many people have to balance parenting responsibilities with employment, and so this alone would not be considered to be an exceptional circumstance.

How to Appeal

Reasons for appeal

You can only appeal for one of the following four reasons:

  • your child’s eligibility
  • the distance measurement in relation to statutory walking distances
  • the safety of the route in accordance with the Road Safety GB guidelines
  • the suitability of the transport arrangements offered to your child

We follow a two-stage appeals process that is set out in Department for Education guidance.

Stage 1 Appeal

If you wish for your case to be considered under stage one of the appeal process, you must request an appeal form using the online enquiry form. You will need to include a brief explanation of why you’re appealing. You must do this within 20 working days of receiving our decision.

Once you receive the form, provide us with detailed reasons for your appeal and any additional evidence you want us to consider and send the form to us. Supporting written evidence (in the form of an email or letter) should clearly explain why a particular circumstance makes it difficult for you or your child to travel to school. Examples of professionals who could provide supporting written evidence include:

  • GP, doctor or hospital consultant
  • Social Worker
  • Schools
  • Police
  • Health Visitor
  • Housing Officer
  • Probation Officer

What happens next?

Review Process: We will review your appeal and contact you within 20 working days via email, although this may be longer for more complex cases. Our response will include:

  • whether we have upheld the original decision
  • the reasons for our decision
  • how the review was conducted
  • the factors we considered
  • any other agencies or departments we consulted as part of the review

If we uphold the original decision, you can escalate your appeal to Stage 2.

Stage 2 Appeal

If you want to escalate your appeal to Stage 2, email [email protected]. This information will also be included in your Stage 1 outcome letter.

How to escalate to Stage 2

  1. Notify us: Email us within 20 working days of receiving your Stage 1 decision to request an escalation to Stage 2.

  2. Independent Review: Within 40 working days of receiving your request, you will be invited to attend an independent appeal panel where your case will be reviewed. The panel will take place online using Microsoft Teams. This panel will consider both written and verbal representations from you and the School Transport service.

  3. Outcome Notification: You will receive a detailed notification of the outcome by email, which will normally be within 5 working days of the panel's decision. This notification will include:
    • the nature of the decision reached
    • how the review was conducted (including standards followed, for example Road Safety GB)
    • information about other departments and/or agencies that were consulted as part of the process
    • the factors considered in the decision
    • the rationale for the decision reached; and
    • information about a parent’s right to escalate the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman

Additional information

Parental Contribution: Exceptions to Policy (Stage 1 and Stage 2 appeals)

Academic year starting: September 2024 September 2025
Distance to Travel Annual Charge Annual Charge
Up to 5 miles £619.20 £635.30
5.01 miles to 7.5 miles £857.59 £879.89
7.51 miles to 10 miles £1,201.25 £1,232.48
Over 10 miles £1,372.56 £1,408.25

Independent Panel: The panel members will be independent of the original decision-making process but are not required to be independent of the local authority. They will be suitably experienced (at the discretion of the local authority) to ensure a balance is achieved between meeting the needs parents and the local authority, that road safety requirements are complied with, and no child is placed at unnecessary risk.

Further Complaints: If you believe the local authority has made a mistake in the way it has handled your case, you can make a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. If you think the independent appeal panel's decision is flawed on public law grounds, you may apply for a judicial review.

Existing appeals

If you need to provide more information about your appeal you can use our online enquiry form. You can also use this form to request an update on an appeal but consider the appeal timescales described above before doing so.