School travel support

What home to school travel support is, find out if your child can get support and how to apply.

What home to school travel support is

Travel support may be a free bus pass, a free rail pass, payment for mileage driven by parents or carers , an escort for walking or on public transport, or a personal travel budget (PTB).

When you can get support

Your child goes to their nearest Bristol school

Children who go to their nearest Bristol school can get travel support if:

they're under 8 years old and the school is more than 2 miles walking distance away
they're between 8 and 16 years old and the school is more than 3 miles walking distance away

You're on a low income

You're on a low income if your child qualifies for free school meals or you're on the maximum level of Working Tax Credit. Children in low income families can get travel support if they're:

under 11 years old and their nearest Bristol school is more than 2 miles walking distance away
aged between 11 and 16, go to any one of the three nearest suitable Bristol schools, and the school is between 2 and 6 miles walking distance away
aged between 11 and 16, you've chosen a school because of religion, and the Bristol school is between 2 and 15 miles walking distance away

You're in temporary accommodation

Children who have been moved to temporary local authority accommodation can get travel support to go to their new school for up to two terms if:

your child goes to their nearest Bristol school
your child lives over two miles from the school a

Children in Key Stage 4 (year 10 or 11) will be supported in their current school until the end of Key Stage 4, as long as the school is over 2 miles from the temporary local authority accommodation.

Your child has special educational needs, an Education Health and Care Plan (EHC) or a disability

If your child goes to the nearest suitable school and is unable to walk, accompanied as necessary, then we may be able to help with travel. This could include:

getting paid for mileage driven by parents or carers
a walking buddy
travel in a vehicle for example an adapted taxi

Statutory walking distance from home to school

This is the distance between home and school by the shortest route which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk safely. The route may include footpaths, bridleways, and other pathways, as well as recognised roads.

Use your home and school postcode on Google maps, and select the walking option, to work out this distance.

Apply for travel support

Apply online for home school travel support

What you'll need

You'll need a digital copy of:

your TC602 If you're on low income and on working tax credit
evidence of your church membership such as a signed compliment slip or letter from your church if you're applying as you're on low income and you're child goes to a church school.
evidence of your child's special education needs or disability such as a letter from a medical professional if you're applying because your child has SEN or a disability.

Other ways to apply

If your child is under 16, fill in document the application form (146 KB) and email or post it back to the Home to School Travel team.

What happens next

It can take up to 10 working days to process your application. We'll contact you to let you know the outcome of your application or if we need more information.

During periods of high demand, such as the start of a new academic year, timescales for processing applications may be extended. Parent and carers are advised to apply for support with travel at the earliest opportunity to ensure arrangements are in place when they are required.