Apply for school transport

Information about the types of school transport assistance available in Hampshire for 5 to 16 year olds

Most Hampshire children are not eligible for free school transport, and over 90% of families arrange their own school journeys. There are strict eligibility criteria set out in national law and in our School Transport policy.

School Transport applications are open on the following dates:

Transport for eligible children, whose applications were received on time in line with the dates above, will be allocated to transport by the end of August. Parents/carers will be notified about those arrangements through the Education Portal and via email.

In a small number of cases, transport arrangements may not be able to start in September and parents/carers will be notified if this is the case.

How it works

Under the law, if a child is between 5 and 16 years old, they may be able to get free transport to the nearest suitable school depending on:

• how far the journey is to the nearest suitable school
• whether they have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or a mobility problem
• if the walk is unsafe based on GB Road Safety guidelines
• if they’re from a family on a low income

For children who are eligible, the transport provided may be a:

• personal transport budget
• contracted school bus
• pass for use on public transport
• taxi service

Transport is arranged for the normal start and end time of the school day. Individual drop off and collection times and locations are not supported. 

Most Hampshire children are not eligible for free school transport, and over 90% of families arrange their own school journeys.

Free transport assistance applies for children from the term after their fifth birthday up to and including school year 11. Children younger or older than this are not eligible for free transport.

Child’s 5th birthday is between:	School transport starts:
1 September and 31 December 2025	Spring term in January 2026
1 January and 31 March 2025	Summer term in April 2026
1 April and 31 August 2025	Next school year – September 2026

Applications for transport should only be made when a child’s school or college has been confirmed, and you can only apply once in an academic year unless there is a change of circumstances.

A new application will be needed when one of the following takes place:

• a child moves to a new home address
• a child moves to a new school, including moving from primary to secondary school
• the school site location changes
• when transport has been agreed for a set period of time

Exceptional circumstances

There are some exceptional circumstances in which we may provide free school transport. You can find more information in paragraph 4.9 of our School Transport Policy.

If your child is not eligible

Most Hampshire children are not eligible for free school transport, and over 90% of families arrange their own school journeys. There are a number of school transport options available.

 

Distance from school

Most children are not eligible for free school transport. Children between 5 and 16 years old may qualify for free school transport if they go to their nearest suitable school and live at least:

• 2 miles from the school if they are under 8
• 3 miles from the school if they are 8 or older

Nearest suitable or catchment school

Nearest suitable school means the nearest school with places available that provides education appropriate to the age, ability and aptitude of the child, and any special educational needs and disabilities they may have. This does not include private schools.

We measure the nearest suitable school from your home address, using the most direct walking route.

Where children live within more than one catchment area, eligibility for free school transport will be based on the shortest walking route to any of the catchment schools.

If an application is made to the catchment or nearer school but there is no space, if you accept an offer from the next nearest school then free transport can be applied for. The distance criteria will still apply.

Transport options for eligible children

If you think your child is eligible for free school transport, you can express a preference for one of these two options:

• a personal transport budget
• transport arranged by the County Council

Personal Transport Budget

A Personal Transport Budget is money paid monthly, so the money is available throughout the school year as you need it. Personal Transport Budgets give you freedom, choice and flexibility to arrange school transport for your child in a way that suits your family best.

Personal Transport Budgets are a popular choice with families as they have many benefits over traditional transport provided by us. Find out more about Personal Transport Budgets.

There might be circumstances where a Personal Transport Budget is not appropriate, for example where we can arrange transport for you at a lower cost. This will be assessed as part of the application process. The County Council will make the final decision based on all the available information.

County Council arranged transport options

If we arrange your child’s transport, we will decide on the best transport option based on:

• age
• needs
• length and type of journey
• whether other transport options are available, suitable and cost-effective
• how far your child has progressed with any independent travel training

Find out more about transport arrangements.

Families on low incomes

Low-income transport eligibility is set out in law.

If you receive maximum Working Tax Credit or your child is entitled to free school meals, they'll be entitled to free school transport if they are:

• 8 to 11 years old, attending their nearest suitable school and it is more than 2 miles away by the nearest walking route
• 11 to 16 years old, attending one of their three nearest suitable schools and it is more than 2 miles away by the nearest walking route, but no more than 6 miles away from their home by road
• 11 to 16 years old, attending a school on the basis of faith and it is 2 to 15 miles away – but only if it's the nearest school due to your religion or belief and there is no suitable school nearer to their home

You will need to provide evidence of one of the following:

• you receive maximum Working Tax Credit
• your child is entitled to free school meals

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

Children who cannot walk to their nearest suitable school because of SEND or their mobility needs may qualify for free school transport.

We will assess your application for free school transport based on:

• distance from school
• if the walk is unsafe even if accompanied
• the child’s needs, including mobility, medical needs, behaviour and vulnerability

We will review the child’s EHCP and medical evidence and consult with the SEND service where appropriate as part of the assessment process.

• School transport for children with SEND
• Post-16 transport for young people with SEND

Unsafe walking routes

If your child’s walking route to their nearest suitable school is unsafe based on GB Road Safety Guidelines, they may be eligible for free school transport.

When making our decision, we will not consider:

• Personal safety issues for children travelling alone
• Weather conditions
• Temporary events like road closures
• Difficult or tough terrain

The route must be under 2 miles for children under 8, or under 3 miles for children over 8.

Timeline and important dates

Application type	Applications open	Deadline 11.59pm on
Mainstream: Secondary Mainstream	Open now	31 May
Mainstream: Primary/Junior	Open now	31 May
Children with SEND: All schools	Open now	30 June

31 May

All applications for transport starting in September 2025 (except for those for children with SEND) need to be submitted by 31 May.

Do not apply until you have a confirmed school place.

30 June

All applications for transport starting in September 2025 for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) need to be submitted by 30 June.

Do not apply until you have a confirmed school place.

Within 10 working days of applying

The School Transport Team aims to assess all applications within 10 working days, at which point you will receive a decision on whether your application has been approved.

August

Transport for eligible children, whose applications were received on time in line with the dates above, will be allocated to transport by the end of August, and parent/carers will be notified about those arrangements through the Education Portal and via email. In a small number of cases, transport arrangements may not be able to start in September and parent/carers will be notified if this is the case.  

Late applications

Applications received after the deadlines will be treated as ‘late applications’ and can only be reviewed after all on-time applications have been processed. For the families of eligible children who apply late, this means that transport may not be in place for the start of the school term in September, and may not be available for the first school term.

The 30 June deadline for children with SEND is subject to an EHCP being in place, or in the process of having one agreed. If an EHCP is finalised after 30 June, the application will be treated as an on-time application.

In-year applications

If you are applying for transport starting within the 2024/25 academic year, you can find out how to do this in the How to apply section on this page. The service aims to provide a decision on applications within 10 working days, and it may take a further 15 working days for transport to be arranged.

Children who already receive school transport

Families with children aged 5 to 16 who already receive school transport do not need to do anything unless their circumstances have changed, or if transport has been specifically agreed for a set period of time. For example, if you have moved home or school, you will need to reapply for transport by the relevant deadline.

If your child is in year 11, their eligibility for free transport will cease at the end of the current academic year and you will need to explore alternative transport arrangements for your child’s post-16 education or training, even if your child will continue to attend the same setting.

How to apply

Most Hampshire children are not eligible for free school transport, and over 90% of families arrange their own school journeys.

If your child meets the criteria in our school transport policy and you need help getting them to school, you can apply for school transport using the Education Portal (registration is required).

Find help with registering on the Education Portal or resolving a common error messages.

Before applying, you will need to confirm that you have read and understood the school transport policy and our code of conduct for the mainstream or SEND transport service and wish to submit an application form.

Apply for school transport on the Education Portal