Does ‘choice’ mean my child can go to any Secondary School?
You can name any three secondary schools as preferences on your application form but you will need to consider transport - together with it’s cost.
If your child chooses not to attend their designated school then you may have to bear the cost and responsibility of getting them to school safely and on time.
It is important to check whether or not your child will be entitled to free or subsidised transport before deciding which school your child may attend.
Every home has a designated school.However, just because you are in the ‘catchment area’ for school admission, this does not mean that it is the designated school for transport assistance.
How will my child get to school?
All schools must have a School Travel Plan available by 2010, ask to see a copy. This should contain information on the many options available to you and will show you how to reach the school by various means such as public transport, walking, cycling and car sharing. There may also be ‘walking buses’ available and school crossing patrols in place to assist pupils to negotiate busy roads.
Will my child get free school transport?
The ‘statutory walking distance’ for over 8’s is 3 miles and this is measured by the shortest route which a child can walk with reasonable safety. If your child attends the school designated for transport purposes or nearest secondary school and this is 3 miles or more from your home address, or there is no safe walking route, then your child will qualify for free school transport.
If your child has free school meals or you get the maximum level of Working Tax Credit then your child will be entitled to free school transport if they go to any one of their three nearest qualifying secondary schools, and the schools are between 2 and 6 miles away from your home address.
It is your responsibility to apply for home to school transport.
Your child must be enrolled at a school before transport can be arranged but you can check ,before applying for a school place, before putting in your application, whether you would qualify for transport help from your address to particular schools.
Contact the Passenger Transport Unit at Wiltshire Council by phoning 01225 713398 or email educationtransport@wiltshire.gov.uk with your details.
Denominational Transport
If you decide to send your child to a certain faith school because of specific religious reasons, and it is not your nearest or designated school, subsidised transport may be offered subject to various criteria. Please contact the Passenger Transport Unit at Wiltshire Council on 01225 713398 for further details.
What if I am not offered the place I applied for at my local school?
If you have not been successful in gaining a place at your local school, transport to your next nearest school with places can only be considered if you have appealed against that decision. When applying for transport assistance you will need to include a copy of the appeal refusal letter with your application.
What about after school activities?
Your child may wish to take part in the social or sporting side of school life such as trips, clubs and sporting fixtures. So it is often best to think about distance from home when deciding on your preferred schools.
If you qualify for free transport it is only usually provided at the start or end of the normal school day.
Could you make alternative transport arrangements to allow your child access to after school activities?
SEN Transport
If your child has a statement of special educational needs and attends the nearest appropriate school to your home address (as named on the statement) and this is more than 3 miles safe walking distance (for over 8’s) from your home address then Wiltshire Council will provide travel assistance. This will be specified when your child’s school place is finalised and there is no need for you to apply.
If your child has a statement of special educational needs and has free school meals or you get the maximum level of Working Tax Credit then your child will be entitled to free school transport if they go to any one of their three nearest qualifying secondary schools, and the schools are between 2 and 6 miles away from your home address.
Assistance may also be provided for those pupils living nearer to their school when a child’s needs make this essential. Each case is considered individually on merit, if you feel your child may qualify speak to the SEN Transport Officer at Wiltshire Council on 01225 713000.
Children with special needs but without a statement will qualify for free school transport if they meet the standard entitlement criteria, see ‘Will my child get free school transport?’ above.
You will need to apply for school transport, it will not be provided automatically.
What if we do not qualify but have special circumstances?
If your child is not entitled to free school transport but you feel that there are exceptional educational, medical or social reasons why they should qualify then you should apply for School Transport and attach a letter to your application explaining your reasons, which will be considered confidentially.
How do I apply for School Transport?
You must apply for School Transport as soon as your child has been offered a school place. It will not be provided automatically.
Application forms are available each spring from schools in Wiltshire, online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/under-16-school-transport-form_.pdf or by phoning Wiltshire Council on 01225 713000.
For transport required in September you must return your form to the Passenger Transport Unit at Wiltshire Council by the previous 1st June. At any other time of year, please allow 3 weeks for your application to be assessed.
If you are applying for Denominational Transport on faith grounds you will need a different form which is available from the school, online at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/denom-transport-application-form.pdf
or by phoning the Passenger Transport Unit at Wiltshire Council on 01225 713398. For Denominational Transport required in September you will need to return your application by the previous 20th April.
The Passenger Transport Unit will inform you of the outcome in writing once your application has been assessed.
Spare Seat Scheme
Where spare seats are available on school buses they may be available, at a cost, to children who do not qualify for free school transport. However, if the seat is needed later for a child who is entitled to free transport, the offer of the seat for your child can be withdrawn at short notice. Please contact the Passenger Transport Unit on 01225 713455 if you wish to register a request for this service.
Post 16 Transport
The Wiltshire Post 16 Transport scheme is open to any student between 16 and 19, attending their designated school/college if this is 3 miles or more from their home address.
There is a charge to join the scheme of £378 a year (2010/2011 price) – which may be reduced to £190 a year if the student is receiving the maximum level of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
A travel pass will be issued entitling the student one journey to and from school/college per teaching day.
For further details on the scheme, your designated school/college, or to find out what other public transport options may be available please visit the Student Transport Advice Network (STAN) at www.wstan.info or telephone 01225 757575.
Further Information
You can find out which schools are within 10km of your home by inputting your postcode at the schoolsfinder website and link from here to further useful information about these schools.
For further information about Wiltshire Council’s School Transport Service or to get hold of an application form, access www.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/schoolsandcolleges/schoolstransport.htm or speak to the Passenger Transport Unit on 01225 713398.
More information on SEN School Transport is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/schoolseducationandlearning/specialeducationalneeds/seninfoforparents/sentransport or speak to the Passenger Transport Unit on 01225 713399/713206.
You can find more information on School Travel Plans and sustainable means of travel at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/parkingtransportandstreets/roadandtransportplans/smarterchoices.htm or call Smarter Choices (was Travelwise) on 01225 701970.
For further information on Post 16 transport that may be available through the Wiltshire Council Scheme, from colleges, funding agencies or to pay for yourself visit the Wiltshire Student Transport Advice Network (STAN) on www.wstan.info
or telephone STAN on 01225 757575.
If you need to know whether you qualify for the Education Maintenance Allowance, what it is and how to apply visit http://ema.direct.gov.uk for more details or telephone the EMA helpline on 0800 121 8989.
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