School transport guidance 2025

Section 4 – Further Factors to Consider in Assessing Eligibility to Free School Transport

4.1 Additional Support Needs, Disabilities or Healthcare Needs

45. Local authorities are also expected to consider whether any children or young people have medical conditions disabilities or additional support needs which may affect a child’s ability to walk or travel by bus or, exceptionally, affecting a parent’s ability to accompany a younger child on the walk to school.

46. If a child or young person cannot attend their local school because of a short- term or long-term medical condition, the local authority may decide to provide free transport to where education is being provided. It will normally consult the relevant health board when making its decision.

47. Local authorities and other agencies have duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. An additional support need can arise for any reason and be of short or long term duration. Additional support may be required to overcome needs arising from the learning environment; health or disability; family circumstances or social and emotional factors. Local authorities should consider whether a pupil with additional support needs also has a need for free school transport.

48. Under the Equality Act 2010, authorities have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and young people, which may include the provision of transport.

49. School transport also needs to be accessible to all and thought should be given to how public transport, including school transport, fits within wider national aims. Some children and young people will require supported transport arrangements because of their additional support needs. Many children and young people with additional support needs will be able to make use of mainstream transport where it is necessary, which ensures their inclusion and encourages independence.

50. In determining individual transport needs, recommendations from school staff, Psychological Services, community and allied health professionals should be considered as well as information from parents or carers.

51. Guidance on supporting children and young people with healthcare needs in schools^[21] confirms, within paragraphs 140 and 141, that consideration needs to be given to ensuring that the specific healthcare needs of the children and young people are supported when they are travelling, including the particular considerations which may be made as part of an individualised healthcare plan. Transport escorts, and others, should only be provided with the information necessary for them to meet the health and wellbeing needs of the child or young person. It may be necessary to ensure that the driver or any accompanying adults have access to a phone to ensure they are able to make a call in the event of an emergency.

52. Getting school transport right and making it accessible to all can be an enabler for many young people to reach their full potential and live fulfilling and independent lives. We should not underestimate the role that the school journey can play in building confidence in young people to travel independently, which may help them access higher and further education and, ultimately, employment.

4.2 Pick-up/drop-off points

53. School transport is not required to be a door-to-door service. Local authorities may therefore require pupils to walk to and/or from a central pick-up/drop-off point, provided that the pick-up/drop-off point is no further from the pupil’s home than the authority’s normal distance criterion for a child of that age. Parents are responsible for making their own arrangements for their children’s travel to and from pick- up/drop-off points, but appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that pick- up/drop-off points are safe and accessible.

4.3 School Transport and Placing Requests

54. Pupils are not eligible for free school transport if their place at school was allocated as a result of a placing request. Authorities have, however, discretion to offer such pupils any vacant seats there may be on school transport, and to charge them for any such seats.

4.4 Vacant seats

55. Where there are vacant seats on dedicated school transport services, local authorities must make them available to other pupils, including pupils who do not meet their criteria for free school transport. Local authorities may charge for use of vacant seats. However, in determining charges, local authorities should have regard to the financial circumstances of the parents and whether the charges would cause undue hardship.

4.5 Denominational Schools and Gaelic Education

56. In the case of denominational schools and Gaelic Medium Education (GME), local authorities’ assessment of eligibility for free home to school transport (based on reasonable walking distances) should take into account the relevant catchment areas which such schools’ use. In the case of GME schools, this reflects the relevant statutory guidance.^[22]