Some children and young people need help to travel independently, due to additional support needs.
We provide help with transport if they are attending their catchment school and meet the following criteria:
- primary school pupils who live more than one mile away
- secondary school pupils who live more than two miles away
Only pupils who are attending their catchment school can qualify for help with travel assistance.
View our catchment checker for more information on your local schools.
If a pupil lives within these distances but has complex needs, they may also be considered.
It's your responsibility to look at all possible means of them getting to and from school. For example, walking to school, travel on public transport, or being taken by parents/carers/friends. We can only look at funded transport once all other options have been considered.
Requesting help with transport
We need a formal application from your school or education centre. We can work with them to look at the specific need for transport assistance and if it's likely to change over time. This will be an ongoing review.
Our Home to School Transport Policy can provide further information.
Help for looked-after and accommodated children and young people
Requests for help with transport will usually come from their social worker. They will submit an application on your child's behalf. You should contact them directly if you need any information.
Appealing our decision
If you are unhappy with a decision that has been made regarding eligibility/entitlement of travel assistance, this should be brought to the attention of your child's school.
The school may be able to resolve this with you directly, or can pass on any queries or complaints relating to the operation of assisted transport.
Our complaints procedure allows you to make an official complaint if you're unhappy with the response you've been given. This will be escalated to the appropriate service for action.
We, as a council, have a duty under Section 51 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980, to make the arrangements we consider necessary for transport to and from school. The Act allows discretion on how this operates and includes provision of transport to pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN), guided by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.
Related publications
- Transport Request form LAC 2025-26
- Transport Request form LAC 2026 -2027
- Guidance on the safe transportation of wheelchairs
- Guidance on the safe use of wheelchairs and vehicle-mounted passenger lifts
- Guidelines for the school transport of looked after and accommodated children and young people
