Free school transport

Find out if your year R to year 11 child is entitled to free school transport and how to apply. Find information about transport for your child aged 16+.

Your child can get free travel if they attend their nearest appropriate school.

Appropriate in this instance means:

  • age appropriate - attendance at a primary and secondary school
  • ability appropriate - attendance at a mainstream or special school.

They also need to be:

  • over 8 years old and live more than 3 miles from the school using the shortest available walking route.
  • under 8 years old and live more than 2 miles from the school using the shortest available walking route.

A walking route can include public footpaths, bridleways, other footpaths as well as recognised roads where they are available.

Your nearest suitable school may not always be the school of your choice, and won't take into account your preferences for types of school, for example a single-sex school, sports college or grammar school. In some parts of the county it may be a school in another educational authority, outside of Kent.

If the local council decides a route is hazardous, free transport assistance will be granted, even if it is under the statutory distance, provided the child is attending their nearest appropriate school. Once your nearest school has been established, we will not consider the route your child may take to any other school, as they will not be eligible to receive free school transport to that school.

The same rules will apply to all families, including those who have recently moved to Kent from Ukraine.

If your child has special educational needs (SEN)

If your child meets the criteria above you may also be able to apply for a personal transport budget.

If your child doesn't meet the criteria above you may still be able to get help if their needs make their journey to school difficult. We will take into account whether your child can safely travel to school with a parent or carer, either on foot or in a vehicle.

As a starting point, normally you won’t be entitled to free school transport if the school your child goes to is not the closest one that meets their needs. There are, however, some exceptions to this principle and you should read the SEN transport guidance (PDF, 500.2 KB) to see if these are applicable to you.

For advice about your child's journey to school speak to your SEN officer.

If you have low income

Find out about the criteria for applying for free school transport if you have low income.

Read the guidance

If you're applying for transport to start before September 2024read our home to school transport guidance (PDF, 500.2 KB)

If you are applying for transport to start from September 2024, read the 2024 to 2025 transport policy for children and young people aged 4 to 16 (PDF, 468.8 KB).

See 'Who can get it' to find out if you are eligible.

Apply

You can submit an application at any time during the school year.

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)

If your child is attending a special school in September, we need to receive your application for transport no later than 1 April. This is due to the specialist nature of commissioning SEND transport.

We are aware that this is not always possible due to the time it may take to allocate a suitable place for a child with SEND. If this is the case you should apply as soon as you are notified of your child’s placement.

Mainstream applications

To ensure a pass is available for your child on the first day of term, we need to receive your application no later than 15 July. Submit your application as early as you can to avoid any unnecessary delay.

Apply online for home to school transport

To request a paper application form please email homeschooltransport@kent.gov.uk.

Renew

Primary school transport

If your child is at primary school and already receives free school transport, you do not need to reapply until your child moves to secondary school. When this happens, complete the forms above.

Secondary school transport

If your child is at secondary school and already receives free school transport, you do not need to apply to renew it. A new pass will automatically be sent to the school for the first day of each academic year until the end of year 11.

Special Educational Needs (SEN) Schools

If your child has SEN and attends a mainstream or special school, and already receives free school transport, you do not usually need to reapply unless your child moves to a new school or when they move from Year 6 to Year 7.

Transport for low income families

If your child has been granted free school transport under the low income criteria, you will need to be reapply each year and. We will send you a form to complete and return with the most up to date Inland Revenue TC 602 letter.

We are currently dealing with an exceptionally high number of applications for home to school transport which means we are taking the full 6 weeks to assess eligibility. If you have made an application, we will contact you as soon as we can.

It's your responsibility to take your child to and from school during this time.

If your application is successful we'll write to you with more information about your child's free travel.

If your application is unsuccessful we'll write to you to explain why.

If your application is successful we'll write to tell you what type of transport your child has been given. They may be given a pass for public transport or be offered a seat on a vehicle we hire. We will allocate the type of transport and a route that is the best value for money.

Your child can collect their pass from the school on the first day of term. The letter will tell you what type of transport your child can use to get to school on that day and your child can use this letter to travel for free.

The pass can only be used:

  • by the child named on the pass
  • to travel to and from the address and school named on the pass
  • on school days
  • at the beginning and end of normal school hours.

If a child misbehaves during the journey their pass can be withdrawn.

Read our code of conduct for home to school transport (PDF, 339.5 KB).

Lost, damaged or stolen passes

You can order a replacement online if your free bus pass has been lost, stolen or damaged.  All you will need is your child’s details and a credit or debit card to pay the £10 replacement fee.

You cannot order replacement KCC Travel Saver passes using the link below. To order a replacement KCC Travel Saver, manage your KCC Travel Saver.

Order a replacement

Changes to your details

If your circumstances change, for example if your child changes school or address, please complete our change of details form.

There is no guarantee that your child will continue to be eligible for transport assistance from their new address or school. You will be responsible for the provision of home to school transport for your child until you have been notified of the outcome of the assessment.

If your child is not eligible for free home to school transport, there are other school transport options available.

If you are unhappy with the decision to turn down your application you should follow the instructions in your refusal letter. Due to the high volume of applications we receive, it will not be possible to discuss your refusal over the phone. If you are still unhappy then you have the right to make an appeal.