Kingston Council has published its Home to School Travel Assistance Policy, outlining the criteria for eligibility for travel assistance for pupils aged 5 to 16. The policy details how parents and carers can apply for travel assistance and how decisions are made, as well as the appeals process. The council undertakes regular reviews of support and individual eligibility to ensure any provision continues to be appropriate.
The policy, which was scheduled for discussion at a Home to School Travel Appeals Panel meeting on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, covers various aspects of travel assistance, including eligibility criteria, application procedures, and appeals processes. The panel, including Councillor Diane White, Portfolio Holder for Children's Services (including Education) and Co-Chair - People Committee, were also scheduled to agree on a meeting procedure.
Eligibility Criteria
The policy outlines four core categories of eligible children:
- Statutory Walking Distances: Free travel assistance is provided for children who live two miles or more from their school if they are under 8, or three miles or more if they are 8 or older, measured by the shortest walking distance.
- Unsafe Walking Routes: Travel assistance is provided if a walking route to the nearest suitable school is deemed unsafe, even if accompanied. The council assesses walking routes using the Road Safety GB 'Guidelines on assessment of walked routes to school' in conjunction with local context and knowledge to assess the suitability of the route. Routes that have been determined to be unsafe will be kept under review and support will be withdrawn when the walking route is no longer deemed to be unsafe. The council will expect a parent or carer to accompany the child along a route which would otherwise be classified as being unsafe and will not provide travel assistance if this accompaniment will make the route safe.
- Extended Rights Eligibility: Children from low-income families, defined as those eligible for free school meals or receiving the maximum level of Working Tax Credit, are entitled to additional support. For children aged 8-11, travel assistance is provided if the school is more than two miles away. Children 11 and over are entitled to assistance if they attend one of their three nearest suitable schools between two and six miles from their home. Those attending their nearest designated faith school are also entitled to assistance if the school is more than two but not more than 15 miles from their home.
- Special Educational Needs, Disability and Mobility Problems: Children with special needs who do not meet the other criteria may be assessed to determine if travel support is necessary.
Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria of this policy, the following support will be considered (in the following order):
- use of free travel provided by TfL using an Oyster photo-card
- TfL travel-card for the pupil (including the parent or carer where necessary)
- provision of a home to school travel grant
- payment of car mileage or travel reimbursement for the pupil's parents or carer
- provision of a travel buddy
- independent travel training
- training to cycle independently (reimbursement of bicycle and safety equipment)
- provision of a cycling allowance
- provision of a personal travel budget (PTB)
- provision of shared transport (using collection point if appropriate)
- Individual transport
Application and Assessment
Applications for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) must be made online via the Main SEND Transport page on the Local Offer website. All other requests must be made via the Pupil and Student Finance, and School Travel Grant webpages on the council website.
The policy states that a child must be attending the nearest suitable school to be eligible for travel support. The nearest suitable school is defined as one that has spaces available that provides education appropriate to the age, gender, ability and aptitude of the child or young person, and appropriate to the child's or young person's EHCP where one exists. It should be noted that a child's nearest school for school travel purposes may not be their nearest suitable school for admissions purposes.
Types of suitable schools considered under this policy are:
- community schools, foundation schools, voluntary aided and voluntary controlled schools
- academies or alternative provision academies
- alternative provision academies
- community or foundation special schools
- non-maintained special schools
- pupil referral units
- maintained nursery schools
- city technology colleges and city colleges for the technology of the arts
- independent schools where this is named on a child's or young person's EHCP or is the nearest of two schools named
The Public reports pack provides further details on how 'nearest suitable school' is defined.
Appeals Process
Parents have the right to appeal decisions regarding their child's eligibility, travel arrangements, distance measurements, or route safety. The council operates a two-stage appeal process:
- A review by a senior officer.
- A review by an independent appeal panel.
Parents or carers of children or young people who live in Kingston may wish to appeal a decision about one of the following:
- their child's or young person's eligibility
- the travel arrangements offered
- the distance measurement in relation to statutory walking distances
- the safety of the route
The Meeting Procedure outlines how appeals are presented to the panel. The Local Authority's case is presented by the Head of Service (SEND Transport) of Achieving for Children, followed by the parent's case. The panel then makes a decision, and the parent is informed in writing within five working days.
The Agenda frontsheet for the meeting provides further details on the agenda items and panel members.
