Know your school transport rights

2 mins read

Tuesday 10 September 2024

Most children and young people will now be back at school or college. For some disabled children, that means back to school transport.

School transport, provided by the local authority (or the education authority in Northern Ireland), can be the glue that helps hold things together for many families. But when it goes wrong, things can easily fall apart. And we know many families are starting this new term without the right transport support.

Our advice on school transport

Local authorities/the education authority have different travel arrangements they provide for eligible children and young people.

There are different eligibility rules across the UK, which can include looking at the nature of distance of route and individual needs.

There is different guidance in England for school age children (aged 5-16) and for those over 16 years. We also have school transport advice for families in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

Challenging decisions (England only)

If you are unhappy with a local authority decision on school transport, either because they have decided your son or daughter is not eligible, or you think that the transport offered is not suitable, you might want to follow your local authority’s appeals procedure for transport decisions. The local authority publishes this alongside the transport policy.

More information and advice

Things are hard – with many cash-strapped authorities having to review what transport options they have on offer for families, especially post 16, often leaving them with nothing.

If you are facing difficulties with school/college transport and need some advice, contact our helpline.