Will you qualify?
Mainstream children aged 5-16
Eligibility for travel assistance will automatically be considered for pupils moving into year 7 in September after school places are offered.
Pupils in any other age group or moving schools mid-year, need to submit an application.
The following information is important to consider before making an application:
- there is only one nearest qualifying school to the home address with a place available. This may not be your catchment school or your preferred school
- travel assistance is based on a child meeting eligibility criteria outlined below. Parental circumstances, such as work commitments or children at other schools are not reasons to provide travel assistance
- accompaniment is the responsibility of the parent/carer
If you live in Cheshire West but the school your child is attending is outside of the borough, such as Middlewich High School in Cheshire East, you will need to apply to Cheshire West for school travel assistance, if you think your child is eligible.
A child is eligible to receive travel assistance if they are of compulsory school age and meet one of the following categories.
Your child could qualify for free travel assistance to school if they attend their nearest qualifying school, where the distance from home to school is:
- more than two miles for children aged eight and under
- more than three miles for children aged eight and over
The nearest qualifying school is identified by considering whether your child could have been offered a place at the school, regardless of whether you applied for it.
The measurement of the distance to the nearest qualifying school is measured by the shortest available walking route, that is not classed as hazardous for a child to walk, accompanied as necessary by an appropriate adult.
The route measured will include footpaths, bridleways, and other pathways, in addition to recognised roads.
Private driveways/private roads are excluded from the measurement.
Hazardous routes are only considered when a child is attending the nearest qualifying school.
This is where the walking route has been considered unsafe to walk even when accompanied by an adult, and there is no alternative walking route within either the statutory walking distance.
Your child will remain eligible for as long as the route remains unsafe.
Hazardous routes have been assessed by the Road Safety Officer as being unsafe to walk due to the nature of the route. These routes have to fulfil a certain criteria. A summary is included below:
- All walking routes assume a child is accompanied, as necessary, by a responsible adult. Parents are expected to make alternative arrangements if other commitments, such as work or children at other schools, prevent them from accompanying their child.
- Walking routes should either be paved or have step-offs/verges to allow someone to avoid traffic.
- No street lighting does not mean a route is hazardous to walk.
- Where a footway isn’t available, traffic flows will be considered.
Routes that have already been assessed as safe to walk will not be reassessed unless there has been a substantial change.
For more information on the criteria, please see the travel assistance policy and guidance notes. You will also find a list of routes assessed as hazardous.
Your child might qualify for free home to school travel assistance if your family is on a low income. This means that your child receives Free School Meals and where household income is less than £7,400.
Children aged between 8 and 11 need to be living more than two miles from their nearest qualifying school. The two mile limit will be measured along the nearest available walking route. This is measured in the same as the distance criteria.
Children aged 11-16 who are eligible for Free School Meals may get free travel assistance either to:
- one of the three nearest schools is within two-six miles of the child’s home; Or
- the nearest school preference based on the family's religion or belief. The school must be the nearest faith school and be within 2–15 miles of the home address
If you think that your child would meet the criteria for Free School Meals you can apply on our page.
From September 2026, the government has extended the offer of Free School Meals to all children whose family receives Universal Credit. However, eligibility for Extended Rights travel assistance will remain based on receipt of Targeted Free School Meals and the current income threshold of £7,400. Families with household incomes of £7,400 or above will not qualify for Extended Rights travel assistance.
Any protection of travel assistance for one sibling will not mean that a younger sibling will receive the same assistance. Each child will be assessed individually.
Children currently eligible for travel assistance on Extended Rights will have these entitlements protected until the end of their phase of education (primary or secondary, for example.)
If you are applying for a faith school, your clergy may need to submit a letter to confirm your attendance at a religious place of worship if the evidence is not already available to the school admissions team.
A lack of evidence may result in your application being rejected.
