Getting to school with SEN

Kent County Council offers free home to school transport to:

• all children who are under 8 years of age if they live more than 2 miles from their nearest appropriate school
• all children who are 8 years and over if they live more than 3 miles from their nearest appropriate school
• live less than these statutory distances from school but where we class the walking route to school as hazardous (we have hazardous route guidelines to judge this)

Read more about applying for free home to school transport

This is the same for all children in Kent, whether they have special educational needs (SEN) or not.

If your child has a statement

Children who have a statement of SEN and who live less than these statutory distances from school may be entitled to free transport if their special needs make it difficult for them to get to school. For example, your child may be severely autistic and the journey to school may be very difficult even when you accompany them.

It is up to you to decide whether your child needs to be accompanied on their journey to school. This could be on foot or by car.

We will decide whether or not we should give your child free transport to school because of their special needs. To do this, we will look at how much your child's journey is hampered by their needs even if they are accompanied by a responsible adult. We will take into consideration your child's physical mobility and social interaction skills.

We don't have to give your child free transport to school if the school they go to is not the closest one that can meet their needs.

For more advice about your child's particular journey to school, you should speak to your named officer or the Additional Educational Needs team at your local Kent County Council office.