Skip to main content

It is the responsibility of parents or carers to make the necessary transport arrangements so that their children can attend school.

In certain circumstances, we will provide free home to school transport. We arrange transport assistance for children and young people in Peterborough who are eligible.

4-16 school transport (including SEND)

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for:

  • Primary age children in Reception to Year 3 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least two miles from the school
  • Primary age children in Year 4 to Year 6 who attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least three miles from the school

To find the schools nearest to where you live, please check the catchment area map.

Pupils will be not be eligible for transport assistance if:

  • They are attending a preference school (regardless of the preference rank), and that school is not the catchment or nearest available school
  • Their address has changed and the address and school preferences have not been updated with the Admissions Team to reflect this

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for secondary age children in Year 7 to Year 11 who:

  • Attend their catchment or nearest available school and live at least three miles from the school

To find the schools nearest to where you live, please check the catchment area map.

Pupils will be not be eligible for transport assistance if:

  • They are attending a preference school (regardless of the preference rank), and that school is not the catchment or nearest available school
  • Their address has changed and the address and school preferences have not been updated with the Admissions Team to reflect this

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

We will provide free transport for:

Primary

  • Pupils in Years 4 to 6 who attend their catchment or nearest available school, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits and live at least two miles from the school.

Secondary

  • Attend any one of the three nearest available schools, where that school is more than two miles and less than six miles from their home, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits, and they live at least two miles from the school

    or

  • Attend their nearest available school chosen on grounds of religion or belief, where that school is more than two miles and less than 15 miles from their home, where pupils are entitled to free school meals or their parents are in receipt of the appropriate benefits

Appropriate benefits

  • Maximum level of Working Tax Credit (i.e. no reduction due to income) - ALL pages of the statement must be submitted including the section showing any deductions
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
  • Working Tax Credit Run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit - your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get). Please provide print outs or screen shots of the three most recent statements in full, including the section outlining any deductions and how these are calculated.

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

Some children have complex and profound needs that can only be met by attending a Special School or Specialist Hub. Only the following groups of children may be eligible for transport assistance:

  • Children with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
  • Children attending a Specialist Hub in a mainstream school
  • Children undergoing assessment in a Special School

Not all children with an EHCP require special transport arrangements. Children with an EHCP should be transported to school in a manner that assists their readiness to engage in learning on their arrival at school and ensures both their comfort and safety.

Wherever possible, children with an EHCP should be treated in the same way as those children without, i.e. in general they should walk / cycle to school, travel on public transport, or be taken by parents. They should be encouraged to develop independent travel skills. All children will be encouraged to use public transport as soon as possible as part of their development of independence skills.

If a school / college on the EHCP is parental choice and a nearer provision can meet the needs of the child, rather than a parents more distant choice, we will not provide transport.

Exceptional Circumstances, Fair Access and Emergency Transport

We will consider Transport Assistance for pupils who fall under these categories on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Director. 

In certain cases, children who are not eligible for transport assistance under the terms of this policy as stated above may be able to purchase a spare seat on existing transport services contracted by the City Council only (i.e. not on public transport).

We can only agree these arrangements when advanced payment is received on a termly or half termly basis.

Seats are not available on transport provided by public transport operators. A parental contribution will be required, which is subject to annual review. Passes for discretionary ‘spare seat’ transport are issued - subject to availability - strictly on a ‘first come, first served’ basis, and we cannot guarantee to give advance warning if seats are no longer available at the start of each term.

The issue of a bus pass for a term or half term does not guarantee the issue of subsequent passes. It is the responsibility of the child’s parent or carer to remember to pay in advance each term for discretionary passes.

Applications may take up to 15 working days to process and children may not board the bus until the pass is received.

Discretionary transport is not available on all transport services contracted by the City Council. The route and timetable of an existing transport contract will not be adapted to accommodate any applications for discretionary transport.

The City Council may alter, withdraw or amalgamate a transport service at short notice without reference to the children travelling on that service who have discretionary passes. Under these circumstances the City Council will not provide alternative transport for children who are not eligible for transport assistance.

For further information on school transport for 4-16, please refer to the School Transport Policy.

Apply for school transport assistance

If you believe your child is eligible, you can apply for school transport assistance by clicking on the green button below.

Please note: The last date to apply for transport for the current academic year 2023/24 is Friday 7 June 2024. We will not process any applications received after this date.

If you wish to apply for transport for the next academic year 2024/25, please complete the online form below with a start date from September 2024.

Please note: Please ensure that you have read and understood the relevant eligibility criteria above for transport before making an application for your child(ren).

Post-16 transport (including SEND)

If you're seeking assistance with school transport, please read the below criteria before applying.

Students who qualify for post-16 travel assistance who do not meet the low income criteria or do not have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) are required to make a financial contribution towards the full cost of travel that we provide. We review and publish these charges annually.

We provide assistance with the cost of transport to approved courses for post-16 students who meet all the requirements set out below:

  • The student must live in Peterborough (their parent / carer pays Council Tax to Peterborough City Council)

  • The student must be attending their Nearest Appropriate Centre (NAC)*

  • The student must be enrolled on a full time course i.e. a minimum of 15 taught hours per week at sixth form centres either in school or college; or 12 hours if the course is in school or college full time prospectus.

  • The student must be under the age of 19 at the beginning of the educational year, i.e. 31 August of the relevant year, or continuing a course (progression levels are regarded as a new course) started whilst aged under 19;

  • A student who has already attained or will reach the age of 19 on or before 31 August in the calendar year of their first application for assistance with Post-16 transport, will not be eligible for support from the scheme. Any student aged 19 or over on 31 August in the calendar year of their application, will only be eligible to apply for support if they can demonstrate explicitly that their course is a continuation of one on which they have already successfully completed the first year of study, having started the course prior to attaining the age of 19. The onus will be on the student to prove continuous study.

*Nearest Appropriate Centre (NAC) - the nearest appropriate centre is the nearest school or college (regardless of city boundaries) to the student’s family home; and / or, where appropriate, is the designated post-16 centre for that family home, able to offer the main essentials of the course required for higher education and / or career outcomes. Non-availability of particular subject / module combinations at the student’s nearest / designated school / college will NOT normally be sufficient reason to provide assisted transport to a more distant centre. Therefore, if the nearest or designated school or college offers the course leading to the required qualification and / or the main essentials of the course with regard to higher education / career outcomes can be offered, and is able to provide a place, assistance with transport will not be provided to a more distant centre. If a school / college named on the EHCP is parental choice and a nearer provision can meet the needs of the student, rather than a parent’s more distant choice, transport will not be provided.

Apply for Post-16 transport assistance

Please note: Please ensure that you have read and understood the relevant eligibility criteria above for transport before making an application for your child(ren).

Replacement school transport bus passes

If you have lost your bus pass, or it has been damaged, there is a charge to replace it.

We will replace stolen bus passes free of charge when you supply a valid Police Incident Number.

Pay for replacement bus passes

Behaviour guidelines

School Transport frequently asked questions

School Transport FAQs706KB–pdf
Size: 706KBFile format: pdf

Education and Social Care Transport Service opportunities for providers

Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council have combined the Education and Social Care Transport Service. This means any potential businesses wishing to provide education and social care transport services can now provide these services for both councils.

Further information is available on the Cambridgeshire County Council website.