School transport policies and strategies
We have home to school/college transport policies and strategies that provide information and guidance for children and young people of different ages.
Home to school/college transport policy
This policy applies to our duty to provide "home to school" travel arrangements at the start of the day, and "school to home" travel arrangements at the end of the day.
The policy will give you a clear indication of whether your child or young person will qualify for free home to school/college travel. However, it is important to note that all applications for free transport will be assessed by us and an assumption about the award of free transport should not be made until notification has been received in writing.
Full details of home to school transport, including how to appeal if you are not satisfied with the assessment outcome or the transport arrangements are unreasonable, are laid out in our Home to primary, secondary and special school and college travel and transport policy (PDF) [302KB] .
If you wish to comment on the policy please Contact School and College Transport.
Post-16 Transport Policy Statement
Local councils have a duty to prepare and publish an annual transport policy statement specifying the arrangements for the provision of transport, or otherwise, that we consider necessary to help everyone of sixth form age receive education or training.
Download the policy statement for learners in further education aged 16-18 and continuing learners aged 19 and over.
Sustainable modes of travel strategy
We must promote the use of sustainable travel and transport and there are four main elements to this:
- assessing travel and transport needs of children and young people
- auditing sustainable travel and transport infrastructure in the council
- having a strategy to develop a sustainable travel and transport infrastructure within the council to better cater for the travel and transport needs of children and young people
- promoting sustainable travel and transport modes on the journey to, from and between schools and other institutions.
We have a large number of existing strategies and policies which set out what all agencies and services have committed to achieve for the children and young people of Durham. These have been based on a thorough analysis of needs and on the things that schools, parents, children and young people themselves have told us matter most to them.
Our sustainable home to school travel strategy - County Durham Sustainable Modes of Travel Strategy (PDF) [144KB] - pulls together all relevant strategies and policies into one document.
It enables us to develop a more integrated approach across agencies and our services to improve outcomes for children and young people, in addition to ensuring they have safe and equitable access to education.
We comply with all relevant statutory obligations with regard to personal information processed by us and this will be handled in accordance with our privacy statement which can be accessed on our Privacy notices and data protection page.
We may use the information you have provided on your application form (S20) for the prevention and detection of fraud. When completing the application we request that you sign the declaration to say that you agree and understand that we may check the details you have provided on your child's application against other council records to confirm that you and your child are resident at the property, and agree to us sharing your data with other agencies, where it is necessary to do so (where the law allows) and that you:
- have read and agree to abide by the conditions as set out in the home to school transport policy
- are the parent/carer who has parental responsibility for the child and all those with parental responsibility agree to the application
- will inform us immediately of any change of address by email to schooltransportteam@durham.gov.uk
- understand that if you have provided information that is incorrect or incomplete, we will withdraw your child's travel assistance immediately, all costs will need to be repaid, that you may be investigated and we may take action against you (this may include court action) as the council is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers.
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