Travel assistance
Schools and colleges
All children between the ages of 5 and 16 may qualify for free school travel assistance if they go to their nearest suitable school and live at least:
- 2 miles from the school, if they are under the age of 8 years old
- 3 miles from the school, if they are 8 years old or older
Should a non-compulsory school aged child be approved for travel assistance using our discretionary powers they would always be offered a Personal Transport Budget (PTB) or mileage reimbursement. The only exception to this would be following a discussion with the assessment officer and that evidence based on your exceptional circumstance is provided.
Parents and carers have a legal duty to ensure that their statutory school-aged children (age 5 to 16) attend school regularly.
A child becomes of compulsory school age at the start of term after their fifth birthday and ceases to be compulsory school age on the last day of the academic year in which they are in year 11. This applies to both children with and without an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
There are four core categories of eligible children set out in law:
- children living beyond the statutory walking distance from school
- children who cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school due to unsafe walking routes
- children who cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school due to special educational needs, disability, and mobility problems
- children from low-income families who have extended rights to travel assistance (for more information on eligibility, please visit our free school meals page)
In accordance with the Council’s statutory duty, children under the age of 5 will not be entitled to travel assistance between their home and school. Where circumstances exist where the Council determines that travel assistance is necessary it may exceptionally apply its discretionary powers on a case-by-case basis.
Please complete all relevant sections of this application. Any missing or incorrect information may delay the processing and/or qualification for travel assistance.
Travel assistance comes in many forms such as:
- personal transport budget (ptb)
- bus pass/ticket or funding for travel on public transport
- training to travel independently (walking and using public transport)
- mileage reimbursement
- provision of a walking escort
- provision of a vehicle (minibus, car, taxi)
The travel assessment officers will determine the most suitable form of travel assistance based upon the information provided along with a fully completed application form.
By completing this application form you’re giving us permission to discuss the child it applies to with:
- the school
- Special Educational Needs Assessment Team (for those with an EHCP)
- any other relevant department that may hold information required in the assessment of this application
Please review the below sections, taking note of the requirements for each application form before starting the online applications
How do I apply?
This application is for those children without an EHCP
Please complete the online application form below, review the Home to school transport policy and upload with all necessary supporting evidence. Your application can not be submitted until evidence has been provided.
If you experience any difficulty completing the form online, you can download the Mainstream and post 16 application for travel assistance document below. Save the completed form and email to [email protected]
Alternatively, you can post it (with supporting documentation) to:
Mainstream Travel Assistance team
Planning and Admissions
Luton Council, Town Hall
Luton
LU1 2BQ
01582 548227
This application is for those children and young people with an EHCP
Please complete the online application form below, review the Home to school transport policy and upload with all necessary supporting evidence. Your application can not be submitted until evidence has been provided.
If you experience any difficulty completing the form online, you can download the SEND application for travel assistance document below. Save the completed form and email to [email protected]
Alternatively, you can post it (with supporting documentation) to:
SEND Travel Assistance team
Luton Council, Town Hall
Luton
LU1 2BQ
01582 548098
This application is for young people who do not have an EHCP
Luton Council do not have a statutory duty to provide travel assistance to pupils over 16 years old.
There are exceptional circumstances where travel assistance may be provided, please see our post-16 transport policy September 2024.
Examples where travel assistance may be provided are:
Young people living in Luton throughout the duration of their course from low income families and learners in local authority care or those that have recently left local authority care.
Low income is defined as young people whose family meet the criteria used for assessing eligibility for free school meals. Please visit our free school meals page. Criteria includes:
- enrolled on and attending a full time course engaged with learning or training at a further education institution, a school or academy, an authority maintained or assisted institution providing higher or further education
- an establishment funded directly by the Education Funding Agency or a learning provider that is funded by the local authority to deliver an establishment funded directly by the Education Funding Agency or a learning provider that is funded by the local authority to deliver foundation learning or other accredited programmes of learning
- young person must be over the statutory school age but not aged 19 or over, on 31 August in the year in which their course of study began young person must be over the statutory school age but not aged 19 or over, on 31 August in the year in which their course of study began
- young person must live further than three miles (walking route) from the nearest institution to offer their chosen course students must live further than three miles (walking route) from the nearest institution to offer their chosen course
- where a young person opts to attend an institution other than their nearest college the chosen course must differ by at least 50% to that offered by nearer institutions
- payments will be made directly into the student’s bank account on a half termly basis
- each subsequent half term payment will be dependent upon 95% attendance in the previous half term
- qualifying students will be paid half the weekly ticket price of the bus travel up to a maximum of £7.50 per week
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