A round up our home to school transport Q&A
3 mins read
Wednesday 22 July 2026
This Q&A for was families in England, but you can find advice on this topic wherever you live in the UK on our school transport webpages.
Thank you to everyone who submitted a question to our recent home-to-school transport Q&A. We received a wide range of enquiries from families across England, covering transport to school, college and post-16 education for children and young people with SEND.
Although every family’s circumstances are different, several common themes emerged.
Transport changes after age 16
The most common questions related to what happens when a young person turns 16.
Many families were surprised to learn that the law changes at the end of compulsory school age. While local authorities have a legal duty to provide free home-to-school transport for eligible children aged five–16, there is no equivalent duty to provide free transport after age 16. Instead, councils must publish a Post-16 Transport Policy Statement explaining what support is available locally and how eligibility is assessed.
Having an education, health and care (EHC) plan does not automatically entitle a young person to free transport after age 16. Local authorities should consider individual needs, disabilities, ability to travel independently and other relevant circumstances when making decisions.
Understanding your local authority’s transport policy
Many questions highlighted how important it is to read your local authority’s transport policy carefully.
Each council sets out its own eligibility criteria, application process, appeal arrangements and, where applicable, any parental contributions towards transport costs.
Families should always check application deadlines, as late applications may delay decisions before the new academic year.
Appeals and challenging decisions
Several families asked what they could do if transport had been refused or changed.
Where a local authority refuses transport or asks families to contribute towards costs, there is usually an appeals process. When challenging a decision, it can help to refer directly to the council’s own transport policy, relevant statutory guidance and any supporting evidence about the young person’s needs and circumstances.
Parent preference and school transport
A number of questions focused on situations where a school had been named because of parental preference.
In some circumstances, where a local authority believes another nearer suitable school could meet a child’s needs, this may affect entitlement to transport. Whether this applies depends on the individual circumstances and how the placement decision was made.
Personal Transport Budgets
Some families asked whether they could arrange transport themselves.
Where transport support is agreed, some local authorities may offer a Personal Transport Budget or similar arrangement instead of organised transport. This allows eligible families to make their own travel arrangements where appropriate.
Individual circumstances matter
We also received questions about reduced timetables, shared care arrangements, changes in family circumstances, very young children starting school, transport during periods of extreme heat, and young people aged 19–25.
These situations often depend on individual circumstances, the relevant legislation and the local authority’s published policies. In many cases there is no single answer that applies to every family.
Need advice about your own situation?
Our responses in this Q&A were tailored to each family’s individual circumstances. If you need advice about your own child or young person’s transport arrangements, our free helpline can provide guidance based on your specific situation.
Alternatively, you can take a look at our dedicated school transport webpage.
You can also follow our home-to-school transport campaign.
Thank you again to everyone who took the time to send us a question.