Home to school travel and transport guidance

This is statutory guidance from the Department for Education, which means that local authorities are under a duty to have regard to it when carrying out their duties in relation to home to school travel and transport, and sustainable travel.

This guidance is issued under duties placed on the Secretary of State by sections 508A and 508D of the Education Act 1996 (the Act). It deals with sections 508A, 508B, 508C, 509AD, and Schedule 35B of the Act which were inserted by Part 6 of the Education and Inspections Act 2006 (the EIA 2006).

This guidance replaces Home to School Travel and Transport Guidance Ref: 00373-2007BKT-EN.

This guidance is for:
• Local authorities
• Leaders of maintained schools, academies and free schools
• Parents
• Other interested parties, e.g. Transport Providers

Summary of main points
• There has been no change to school transport legislation and the associated duties continue to rest with local authorities.
• With the widening of the academies programme, the introduction of the free schools programme, and all schools now having the power to decide their session times, there will be an increasing need for local stakeholders to work together in partnership to agree and deliver transport policies that meet the particular needs of their area1.
• The guidance on appeals has changed and is intended to ensure greater consistency in approach and to be clearer and more transparent for both parents and local authorities.
• The policy for post 16 transport is different from that for compulsory school aged children (5-16).
• Local authorities should review travel policies, arrangements and contracts regularly to ensure best value for money is achieved.

This guidance will be reviewed in 2015.