We provide home to school travel assistance for children of compulsory school age (aged 5-16) who live in the Stoke-on-Trent Local Authority area and who meet one of the criteria listed below. For more information, please read the Local Authority’s Education Travel Policy, which can be downloaded below:
Home to school travel assistance - eligibility criteria
Travel assistance will be provided free of charge for children who live in the area administered by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and who meet one of the criteria listed below:
- A child aged 8-16 years on 31 August 2023 and living 3 miles or more from the nearest suitable school.
- A child who is 5 years of age and below 8 years of age on 31 August 2023 and living 2 miles or more from the nearest suitable school.
- Children who live within walking distance of their nearest suitable school, but, due to the nature of the route, cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school.
Please note:
- Distance will be calculated by the Local Authority using the shortest available walking route.
- Any concerns about the nature of the route i.e. its suitability for walking to school (criterion 3 above), will need to be confirmed in writing and submitted along with an application form for consideration by the Local Authority.
Extended rights
As well as the three criteria listed above, children whose parents are receiving the maximum Working Tax Credit or are eligible for, or claiming free school meals (based upon income), will be eligible to receive travel assistance if they meet the criteria shown below. For these extended rights to free travel to be agreed, proof of entitlement is required at the time of application and annually thereafter for travel assistance to continue:
- For children aged 8-11, distance to the nearest suitable school will be reduced to 2 miles and over.
- For children aged 11-16, the nearest suitable school is between 2-6 miles and there are not three or more nearer suitable schools.
- For children aged 11-16 attending the nearest school on the grounds of religion or belief, the distance is extended to between 2-15 miles.
To avoid disappointment, you are strongly advised to check if your child is eligible to receive travel assistance by reading the council's Home to School Travel Assistance Policy before completing an application form.
To request an application form, or if you have any queries regarding the information above, please email schooltransport@stoke.gov.uk.
Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND)
For children and young people with SEND (including post-16), please read the additional information about travel assistance published on our SEND Local Offer web pages by following the link below. Here you will find information about the eligibility criteria, a link to our policy and an online form to apply for travel assistance.