The general policy of the county council is that free transport is provided only for children of compulsory school age (5 years up to 16 years) who:

• are under 8 years of age and live two miles or more from the catchment or nearest school; or
• are 8 years of age and over and live three miles or more from the catchment or nearest school.

Check your entitlement to free transport to the catchment school (external).

If your child is starting school in September 2011, and has an entitlement to free transport to the catchment school,  a photo application form will be posted to you automatically during the summer.

Please note - Transport will normally be made available only to the catchment area school or, if applicable, to a suitable school which is nearest to the pupils home.

Free travel may also be offered if the catchment area school is full and a place has been offered by the County Council at another school which is over the distances mentioned above. Your area Admissions team will notify you of this.

Transport assistance is only available to students who live in Suffolk and whose parents or guardians pay their council tax to a district or borough council in Suffolk.

Transport to Academies

Where existing schools “convert” to Academy status, transport arrangements will be made in accordance with the above criteria. The catchment area of the school will be as defined by the local authority at the date of conversion.

Transport to “Free Schools”

Free Schools, where they are established, are additional to the existing pattern of schools in an area. In the case of such schools no catchment areas are in place and therefore the local authority will provide transport to the school in accordance with the above criteria where it is the nearest school to the student’s home.

For further information call 0845 606 6173 or register an interest online (external).

Education and Inspections Act 2006

Under the Education and Inspections Act 2006, free home-to school transport will be provided to children aged between 8 and 11 years from low income families, who live more than 2 but under 3 miles from their catchment or nearest school.

Free home-to-school transport will also be provided to children aged 11 to 16, from low income families, who live more than 2 miles but less than 6 miles from their three nearest schools.

Where parents have expressed a preference for a school based on religion or belief, free home-to-school transport may also be provided to children aged 11-16, from low income families, who live more than 2 miles but no more than 15 miles from their school.

For an application form or for further information please call 0845 606 6173.

Year 10 and Year 11 Students

From time to time students move home during Year 10 or Year 11 but continue to attend the same school in order to continue their studies. Transport will be provided to those students in accordance with the policy and arrangements set out above. However, exceptionally, where the change of address is involuntary the County Council will consider the provision of free transport on either a temporary basis until circumstances change, or until their course ends at the end of Year 11, using mainline or existing services.

Contact

For more information on Suffolk County Council home-to-school transport policies and the services provided call 0845 606 6173.