On 25th September 2024, the Council’s Cabinet approved amendments to the Council’s Home to School Transport Policy eligibility criteria for free home to school transport. This means that from the 1st September 2025 Monmouthshire’s distance eligibility criteria will revert to the Welsh Government statutory distances of 2 or more miles from your nearest suitable primary school and 3 miles or more from your nearest suitable secondary school.

The revised Home to School Transport Policy will align transport provision with Welsh Government statutory transport requirements and is necessary for the Council to maintain affordability within future financial constraints. The Council will continue to offer discretionary transport for learners attending their nearest suitable Welsh medium or faith schools subject to meeting the distance eligibility criteria.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Council’s statutory duty for providing Home to School Transport?

In line with Welsh Government policy, the Council must:

• Assess the travel needs of learners in its area.
• Provide free home to school transport for learners of compulsory school age attending primary school who live 2 miles or further from their nearest suitable school.
• Provide free home to school transport for learners of compulsory school age attending secondary school who live 3 miles or further from their nearest suitable school.
• Assess and meet the needs of children “looked after” in its area.
• Promote access to Welsh medium education.
• Promote sustainable modes of travel.

What level of service is the Council providing?

The provision of free home to school transport is a statutory requirement for those learners aged 5 to 16. Transport for 4-year-olds is discretionary and will only be provided if a learner is attending primary school and the parent confirms in writing that a driver and or passenger assistant is authorised to assist their child with the use of seatbelts.

The Council will continue to provide free transport for those learners attending their nearest suitable Welsh Medium educational setting and for those attending their nearest suitable faith educational setting if the learner meets the faith criteria of their chosen school.

Primary Learners (Reception to Year 6)

Primary aged learners will be provided with free home to school transport if the distance between the nearest suitable or catchment-maintained school and the learners home is 2 miles or more.

Secondary Learners (Years 7 to 11)

Secondary learners receiving compulsory education will be provided with free home to school transport if the distance between the nearest suitable or catchment-maintained school and the learners home is 3 miles or more.

My child goes to a faith school; will I still get transport?

Transport to Faith Education establishments is a discretionary service provided by Monmouthshire County Council, where the distance criteria is still applied regarding those within the available walking route distance. This is to ensure a fair application of the policy for all learners living within the distance of the school, regardless the nomination of the facility. Supplying transport to learners who qualify on faith grounds but are within the statutory distance would be discriminatory to those who attend mainstream schools.

How are walking routes to school assessed?

The criteria used to determine the distance eligibility to receive free school transport is based on the walking distance measured by the shortest, available walking route. A walking route will be considered available if it is safe (as far as is reasonably practicable) for a learner without a disability or learning difficulty to walk the route alone or with an accompanying adult if the learners age or understanding requires this.

In determining the comparative safety of a walking route, the Councils Road Safety Officer or other suitably qualified person will conduct an assessment based on the Learner Travel Measure and GB Road Safety Guidance. The assessment of a route will take place at the time of the day and on the days of the week that learners would be expected to use the route

As with all walking routes assessed under the statutory guidance, the topography and weather conditions experienced along a route do not present safety concerns and are not considered.

Route risk assessments have been provided to those affected by the policy change.

How does the Council measure the distance from home to school?

The Council will determine your nearest suitable school via the shortest available walking route. This will be measured using a Digital Information Mapping System from the point your property meets the adopted highway to the nearest available entrance to the school. A walking route will be considered available if it is safe (as far as is reasonably practicable) for a learner without a disability or learning difficulty to walk the route alone or with an accompanying adult if the learners age or understanding requires this.

My Child (or I) have a disability/medical condition and cannot walk the route to school; would I be entitled to Discretionary Transport?

To qualify for assistance on medical grounds, the learner must be attending their nearest suitable or catchment school.

If a learner’s medical needs affect their ability to travel to and from school accompanied as necessary by an adult, parents must provide supporting evidence from their child’s consultant. The evidence should detail the difficulties that the learner will experience walking or travelling by public transport.

If transport is granted on medical grounds, the learner’s case will be reviewed on an annual basis and up to date evidence on their medical condition will be required at each review. If up to date medical evidence is not provided transport will be withdrawn.

If a parent has a medical condition that prevents them from taking their primary aged children to and from school, discretionary transport may be provided. Parents must provide evidence of their medical condition from their consultant and their child must be attending their nearest suitable or catchment school.

Discretionary transport granted because of a parent’s medical condition will be reviewed on an annual basis and up to date evidence of their medical condition will need to be provided for their review. If up to date medical evidence is not provided, then the discretionary transport will be withdrawn.

Discretionary transport will not be provided to secondary aged learners because of a parent’s medical condition as it is expected that the learner will be able to travel to and from school without parental assistance.

What is the Transport Hierarchy and Allocation of Transport:

The Council has adopted the transport hierarchy outlined in Welsh Governments Transport Strategy, Llwybr Newydd. Where a learner has been assessed to be entitled to free home to school transport, the following transport hierarchy will be applied:

i. Public transport – wherever possible learners attending secondary education facilities will be provided with a bus pass to travel on public bus services.

ii. Home to School transport – will be provided for primary aged learners and where no public bus provision is available for secondary learners. Learners will be asked to meet transport at agreed pick up/ drop off points, which will not be more than a mile from their home address. It is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children get to and from the designated pick up/drop off point.

iii. Feeder transport will only be provided if designated pick up and drop off points are more than a mile (private driveways and roads will be disregarded when calculating distances).

Can I Appeal the decision for my child being allocated to a public service bus?

We will only consider changes to the allocation to the public service bus if this is on medical grounds. The necessary documentation for our consideration would need be a letter from a GP or Consultant which specifically says in their medical opinion the pupil would be unable to use a public service bus.

We have been informed that we must meet the home to school transport/public service bus within a mile from our home address?

Learners may be asked to meet transport at agreed pick up/ drop off points, which will not be more than a mile from their home address. The routes to the bus stops do not have to be deemed available as it is the parent’s responsibility to ensure that their children get to and from the designated pick up/drop off point.

I don’t have a QR Code for my child’s digital bus pass or am having difficulties in using this service?

If you are experiencing any issues with our Elitech system which provides QR Codes then please contact us by emailing passengertransportunit@monmouthshire.gov.uk

Who is responsible for my child whilst at the bus stops?

Parents are responsible for their children up until they board school transport where they become the responsibility of the driver and Passenger Transport Unit up until they disembark the vehicle at the relevant school where the children then become the responsibility of the school. It is the parents and pupils responsibility to ensure that the learner boards the correct bus.