School Transport for Pupils Aged 4-16

Cheshire East Transport provides transport to and from school for children who qualify under the current School Transport Policy.  Below is a summary of the Policy, which is intended to act as a guide to parents/carers and is not a definitive statement.   All pupils aged 4-16 who are in full time education are entitled to be considered within the policy – for full details, please see our School Transport Policy – ages 4-16 (PDF, 57KB).

The type of transport offered under this Policy is at Cheshire East Transport’s discretion and may take the form of public transport, private contract services or rail services.  Cycle grants are available upon request as an alternative to a travel pass (currently £75 per year).  Cash grants and mileage allowances are not normally available and can only be considered where there is no suitable transport provision.

Parental Choice

The Policy is generally based on the distance to the local (catchment) school. Parents should be aware that whilst they have the right to express a preference for their child to attend another school, any travelling arrangements or expenses will be their responsibility. If you are not certain which is the catchment school for your area then please view our Catchment Maps or contact the Admissions Team.

Summary of Policy

Cheshire East Transport will provide assisted home to school transport under the following circumstances:

(a) Where a pupil attends the local or closest available school and the distance by the shortest available walking route exceeds two miles (primary school) or three miles (secondary school). The local school is defined as the school in which catchment area the pupil lives.

(b) Pupils may qualify where the route to the local school is less than the statutory distance but has been assessed by Cheshire East Transport as hazardous.  Please note that it is the responsibility of a parent/carer to arrange for their child to be accompanied to/from school by a responsible person and hazardous routes are assessed on this basis.

(c) Pupils will be eligible for assisted (but not free) transport to the catchment faith school, provided that this is over the statutory distance from the home address.  The school will be asked to confirm that the pupil has met their criteria for admittance on faith grounds.

(d) High School pupils only:  For families in receipt of certain qualifying benefits, there may be help with transport for those pupils who attend one of the three closest schools within a 2-6 mile distance of their home address.

To enquire if your child is eligible for school transport or to make an application please contact us.