Your child may be able to get free transport to school if they live further from their school than the walking distance allowed by law or if you’re on a low income. It will depend on where you live and which school your child goes to. Your child won’t qualify for free transport if you choose a school that isn’t their nearest/nearest Leicestershire or frozen area school. You can find more information about this on the Leicestershire County Council website.
The law also states that even if a child lives within statutory walking distance, they may still be entitled to free transport if they:
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are from a low income family
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have an unsafe route to school
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have SEND
A young person does not need an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to be eligible for transport on the grounds of SEND. Also, an EHCP does not automatically mean that free transport will be provided.
Transport and EHCPs
If a young person has an Educational Health Care Plan (EHCP), they can get free home to school transport if Leicestershire County Council hasn’t planned for them to attend a setting closer to home.
If Leicestershire County Council thinks that they are not attending their nearest suitable school, they will not provide free transport.
In this case, Section I of the EHCP will name two schools, and will contain a condition you must abide by.
Example of a Section I condition:
If a nearer school is unable to meet need, or does not have a place available, it does not count as a nearer suitable school.
You can ask Leicestershire County Council to name your choice of school unconditionally in Section I, if either:
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the EHCP states you need to pay for school transport
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your young person is attending their nearest suitable school with a place available
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the difference in cost between Leicestershire County Council and your choice of school (including the cost of transport) is not unreasonable
If they will not do this, you could appeal to the SEND tribunal if it is within two months of the plan being finalised.
If you are not within the time limit to make an appeal, you can make the request for the placement to be named unconditionally at the next ECHP review.
Apply for transport help
Some Further Education (FE) Colleges have a bursary scheme that some students (Post16) may qualify for. You can apply for the Bursary and the college will notify you of the outcome. If you qualify, they may be able to help towards the costs of transport to college. Speak to your college where you are attending to ask for more details.
The Leicestershire County Council has a main school transport page on their website for further information.
There is also further information available for school transport for 5 to 16 year olds, school transport for 16 to 19 year olds and the local authority has a separate department for Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school transport
You can also contact the SEND Transport- Transport Assessments
Leicestershire County Council Transport Assessments team
Call: 0116 305 0002 Monday - Friday: 8:30-16:30
Email: transportassessments@leics.gov.uk
What is a Personal Transport Budget (PTB)
A Personal Transport Budget (PTB) is a payment from the local authority to help you to get your child to school if you child is eligible.
It gives you the freedom to make your own arrangements to suit your family and you can control how the money is spent. Choosing this option may help your child feel more secure and relaxed on their journey to school.
You could use your personal budget in many ways:
- Drive your child to school yourself
- Share the cost and save money by joining up with other parents
- Arrange for a friend or relative to cycle or walk with your child
- Get a bus pass for a friend to go with your child
- Pay for a bus pass for your child helping your child become more independent.
- Pay for childcare for another child – so you can take your eligible child to school
- Use towards the cost of a taxi or share the cost of the taxi with other parents
How much is a Personal Transport Budget
The personal payment will depend on the number of days travelling and the distance from home to school using the council's measuring software and it also depends on the local authorities offer for the academic year when you apply. You can look on the Leicestershire County Council website to see the current offer PTB offer.
How it works
The money that Leicestershire County Council agreed will be paid each month directly into a bank account that you nominate, and this will be in place up to the end of the academic year. You will need to re-apply before the beginning of each academic year.
You must spend the money allocated in a way that ensures your child can get to school. You can’t use the money to buy space on transport services from the council.
You’ll need to tell the local authority if your circumstances change or if your child is off school for more than a few days. The budget will be reviewed if your child’s attendance drops or if there are any concerns raised by the school regarding regular lateness or the travel arrangements.
Leicestershire County Council will also be in contact with you if there are any changes to the law or the council’s policies.
If you disagree that your child doesn’t qualify for school transport
Contact the Leicestershire County Council Transport Assessments team if you’d like an explanation of how they worked out that your child doesn’t qualify for home to school transport.
Transport Assessments
Email: transportassessments@leics.gov.uk
Reasons for appeal
You can make a formal appeal if you disagree with:
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The Leicestershire County Council decision on your child’s eligibility for school transport
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The transport arrangements they have offered your child
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The distance they have measured to work out which is your nearest school
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The distance they have measured to work out the shortest available walking route to the school
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The availability of the walking route
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The standard offer of a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) if your child is Post 16
Appeal an offer of a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) form
You can't appeal:
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If you disagree with the Leicestershire County Council school transport policy
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You've been refused a fare-paying place on a school bus
Transport review- Stage one
If you are unhappy with the decision Leicestershire County Council has made about your child’s transport support, you can request a review by a senior officer.
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you have 20 working days from receipt of the decision to make a written request for a review
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the request should say why you think the decision should be reviewed, including details of personal or family circumstances that should be considered
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the local authority then has 20 working days from receiving the written request to have a senior officer conduct the review and send you a written notification of their decision along with the details of how the review was conducted
If the local authority agree with you, then your appeal will stop and the local authority will arrange transport for your child.
If the local authority doesn’t agree with you and they don’t change their decision and you are unhappy with the review decision you can escalate your appeal to an independent appeal panel, known as stage two.
Transport appeal -Stage two
If you are unhappy with the reviewed decision about your transport support, you can now request an appeal with an independent appeal panel.
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you have 20 working days from receiving the stage one decision to make a written request to escalate it to stage two
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within 40 working days of this request, an independent appeal panel will consider written and verbal representations from both the parents and officers involved in the case
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within 5 days they will provide you with a written notification of the decision along with details about how the review was conducted, information about other departments or agencies that were consulted with, why they have reached the decision and information about your right to put the matter to the Local Government Ombudsman
If you feel that you have been affected by an unlawful policy and your child should be entitled to home to school transport then you can make a complaint to the local authority. We also have further information about how to complain on our make a complaint page.
If you are unhappy with the response from the local council, you can complain to the Local government and social care ombudsman.
Who is on the independent stage 2 panel
Stage 2 appeals are heard by a panel with people from various council teams, for example:
- Student Admissions and Pupil Services
- Special Need Assessment Services
- Transport Operations
- Road Safety Education Team – if you’re disputing the safety of the route to the school
Which teams attend and the panel will depend on what you’re disputing.
Further information about the appeals process is available on the Leicestershire County Council website.
Transport issues
If your complaint or issue is about an existing agreed transport arrangement, you will need to contact the passenger transport team directly.
If you are making a complaint, then clearly mark this on any correspondence and in the subject box for any emails.
The Leicestershire County Council has a main school transport page on their website for further information
Also the local authority has a separate department for Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) school transport
Leicestershire County Council Transport Assessments team
Call: 0116 305 0002 Monday - Friday: 8:30-16:30
Email: transportassessments@leics.gov.uk
SEND Transport- Transport Assessments
Personal Transport Budgets (PTB) (Leicestershire County Council)
Leicestershire County Council Transport Assessments -Passenger Transport team
Call: 0116 305 0002
Email:passengertransport@leics.gov.uk
Leicestershire County Council SENA team
Call: 0116 305 6600 during office hours
Email: SenaService@leics.gov.uk
Contact the SENA service
Disclaimer
Whilst we hope that you find these resources helpful, the information in this section is not endorsed by Leicestershire SENDIASS and we're not responsible for the content of sites or services offered by third parties.