National Government guidance is changing as the situation evolves and we can all expect it to continue to do so.

This page was last updated on the 29 November 2021

Government guidance is published here. Given the news of a new variant - the so-called omicron variant - the Government have made a point of emphasising that "pupils or students (in year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt".

Welcome to the School/College Transport section.

This page contains advice about how to find out whether your child is eligible for free school/college transport and how to access school/college transport services. If your inquiry concerns paying for a place on a school bus or taxi please see our FAQ section.

You will also find our Home to School Travel and Transport Policy which outlines the eligibility criteria that must be met to qualify for transport assistance. This policy applies to children of compulsory school age who attend mainstream and special schools.

Our Post 16 Transport Policy outlines the eligibility criteria that must be met by young people in Post 16 education to qualify for transport assistance. This policy applies to students, irrespective of whether they are in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan.  

Please do familiarise yourself with the content of the relevant transport policy before considering applying for transport support as the eligibility criteria is strictly applied. 

If you have any questions about school transport, our FAQ section may be helpful

Below are online application forms for you to complete if you think your child is eligible for free school transport.

Please choose the correct form and also ensure you have read and understood the relevant school transport policy and, in particular, the eligibility criteria before considering submitting an application.

Apply for pre-16 SEND transport: please fill in this form if your child has an EHCP, is of compulsory school age and is attending either a special school or a mainstream school.

Apply for pre-16 school transport: please fill out this form if your child is of compulsory school age and is attending a mainstream school.

Apply for post-16 SEND transport: please fill in this form if your child has an EHCP and is attending a further education college.

Apply for post-16 transport: please fill out this form if your child is starting at a high school sixth form (Year 12) or a further education college.

When we receive an application for transport assistance for a child or young person with special educational needs or disabilities it will be assessed by our colleagues in the Council's SEND team. This is because they are best placed to undertake such an assessment as they have access to your child's Educational, Health & Care Plan.  

If your application for transport assistance for your child is declined, you will be sent an email explaining why. You have the right to ask for a review of this decision and further details about the Council’s school/college transport appeals process can be found here. 

Further information about school and college transport is provided via the Council’s school transport webpage.

Please see below for advice on what to do if your school transport assistance application is declined:

If your application for transport assistance for your child is declined, you will be sent an email explaining why. You have the right to ask for a review of this decision. The review is a two-stage process.

At stage one you can challenge a decision about:

• Your child’s eligibility
• The measurement of statutory walking distances
• The safety of the walking route

You can also appeal when the provision of transport has been agreed by the county council, but you want the travel arrangements offered reviewed.

A request for a review must be made clearly, in writing, about why you believe that Northumberland County Council should reconsider their decision, including any information that might support your case. 

More information about the appeals process can be found in section 20 of the Home to School Travel and Transport Policy, and section 14 of the Post-16 Transport Policy 2021-22.

Download the school/college transport appeals process here.

Below you will find guidance on acceptable behaviour on school transport:

   
Whilst schools will promote appropriate standards of behaviour by children on their way to and from school, it is a parental responsibility to make sure that a child behaves appropriately on a school bus or taxi.

Children who misbehave on school transport may have their entitlement or pass removed. Depending on the nature of the offence, this could be for a temporary period of time, or even permanently.

You can read more in detail about the appropriate behaviour expected on school transport by reading section 19 of the Home to School Travel and Transport policy.

Download the school transport behaviour expectations leaflet here.

Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and mobility problems all have the same entitlement to home to school travel support as any other pupil within the education system.

In addition, Northumberland County Council may also provide home to school travel support as a reasonable adjustment to a child's disability in cases where the child lives within the statutory walking distance of the school. 

Further information can be found in section 4.8 of the Home to School Travel and Transport policy.

When we receive an application for transport assistance for a child or young person with special educational needs or disabilities it will be assessed by our colleagues in the Council's SEND team. This is because they are best placed to undertake such an assessment as they have access to your child's Educational, Health & Care Plan. 

A copy of our SEND transport information handbook for parents and carers can be found here.

The booklet provides information in relation to transport arrangements we put in place to support children attending special schools

Transport assistance may be provided for students entering high school sixth forms or further education colleges.

An assessment of eligibility will be undertaken following receipt of the appropriate Post 16 transport application form. 

Applications for travel support for learners who are not in receipt of an Education, Health and Care Plan must be accompanied by payment of a £50 administration fee (unless applying on low-income grounds) which is non-refundable even in cases where the application is declined, so we strongly advise you to familiarise yourself with the eligibility criteria in the Post 16 transport policy before considering applying for travel support.

By the 31st May each year we will write to parents of prospective Post 16 students to advise them of the application process. If you have not received this letter by the end of May please contact the school/college transport team.

The council will make sure that drivers and (where provided) passenger assistants receive appropriate briefings and training on a child’s needs to ensure that the school transport service is delivered safely and appropriately.

When transport is arranged for children by Northumberland County Council, the appointed taxi or bus operator must only employ drivers and passenger assistants who are in receipt of an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

In addition they must also attend:

• a briefing on driver/passenger assistant code of conduct, including child safeguarding
• emergency CPR and anaphylaxis awareness training
• training on how to correctly load and secure a wheelchair and apply a passenger restraint (when transporting children in wheelchairs)
• disability awareness training (when transporting children with special educational needs and/or disabilities)
• autism awareness training
• child-specific training as and when required, e.g. managing challenging behaviour or training in the administration of rescue medication in the case of a child with a diagnosis of epilepsy or diabetes

For more information about drivers and passenger transport assistants and how they are briefed and trained, please read section 17 of the Home to School Travel and Transport Policy.

A copy of the drivers’ code of conduct can be downloaded here.

A copy of the passenger transport assistants' code of conduct can be downloaded here.

During periods of severe weather, there may be school closures or disruption to the home-to-school transport.

Updates will be provided via the following:

Northumberland County Council website school closures page.
Northumberland County Council homepage for weather updates

In extreme cases, a school may close during the day due to severe weather and your child will be sent home early.

 

Do you have a procedure in place for the care of your child in the event of school disruption?

It's important to be prepared in the event of disruption to the school transport service:

• Make arrangements with a relative or close friend to care for your child until you are able to get home.
• Inform the school and transport provider of these arrangements, as it may be necessary for your child to seek alternative transportation from school.
• Make sure that the school and transport provider has an emergency contact number.
• Ensure your child is aware of these arrangements.

 

If a school is disrupted, have you considered:

Suitable clothing
Ensure your child is warmly dressed, just in case the school transport is running late, or the journey is slow.

Waiting time
During periods of severe weather, a child should wait 20 minutes after their normal pick-up time for school transport. After 20 minutes, it is advisable for the child to return home.

Communication
Let the school know that your child has returned home after waiting 20 minutes for transport to arrive. Make sure that you have the contact details of your transport providers and that they have emergency contact numbers for you.

Responsibility
If you take your child to school, it is your responsibility to collect them in the afternoon.

Forward planning
It’s important for parents to have a plan in place, if they are not home when a child returns. For example, a buddy scheme, or a family friend or relative who the child can go to until the parent or carer returns home.

PLEASE NOTE: More information about the operation of school transport during bad weather can be found in section 18 of the Home to School Travel and Transport policy.

The following contains information and links to the major suppliers of local bus services in Northumberland:

For information about local bus services operating across Northumberland, including services that cross-border into Tyne and Wear, visit Nexus here.

Help with journey planning can also be found at Traveline North East.

You can also visit our Bus Travel webpage here.

 

Local bus services

The local bus service providers below will be able to provide further information on their ticket offers for students: 

Arriva - post-16 school travel - zones and tickets

Stagecoach - post-16 school travel

Go North East - post-16 school travel

Glen Valley

Border Buses Ltd

Travelsure Coaches Ltd

Please click on the links below for useful documents and links relating to school transport:

• Home to school travel and transport guidance
• Post-16 transport to education and training
• Subsidised transport for 16 to 19 year olds in education

School/College transport queries

If your query is in relation to transport for children of compulsory school age (4 to 16 years old) please email either schooltransport@northumberland.gov.uk  or (if your child is in receipt of an Education, Health & Care Plan) SEN.Transport@northumberland.gov.uk 

If your query relates to the travel arrangements for students in Post 16 education then please email either post16.transport@northumberland.gov.uk  or (if your child is in receipt of an Education, Health & Care Plan) transport.referrals@northumberland.gov.uk  
 

We also have a telephone "hunt group" number, 01670 624839 with different options for you to choose depending on your query.

How we handle your information provides details about what information we collect and what we use it for etc. 

Please click on the boxes below for answers to our FAQs: