Free school transport

Home > Services > Education and Learning > Schools and Pre 5 > Information for Parents

Whilst it is parents’ responsibility to ensure that their children receive an education, Renfrewshire Council is happy to help get your child to school, safely and on time. School crossing patrols are provided and the council operates a school transport policy that is more generous than the law requires. Indeed, Renfrewshire Council's home to school transport provision is one of the most generous of all Scottish local authorities.

Free school transport will be provided if your child:

• Lives more than one mile away from his or her local primary school (by the shortest safe walking route).
• Lives more than two miles away from his or her local secondary school (by the shortest safe walking route).
• Has been recommended on health grounds by a designated medical officer.
• Has been assessed to attend a school to meet the requirements of his or her additional support needs. (These assessments involve psychological services, who also recommend appropriate transport arrangements.)
• Has to walk a route which, after seeking advice, is considered by education and leisure services to be unsafe for children.

What free school transport means

Education and leisure services identify the need for the provision. For primary and secondary school pupils, Renfrewshire Council works with Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT), who engage the operators to provide free school transport. For those pupils with additional support needs, education and leisure services make the necessary arrangements.
The chosen forms of transport depend upon a variety of factors and are decided by education and leisure services, after taking account of all circumstances. These decisions may result in any of the following being used:

• Dedicated school contract bus (service solely for pupils).
• Bus pass on a local service bus (either a commercial or subsidised local service also carrying members of the public).
• Train pass on a public train service.
• Taxi or private hire car or minibus.
• The council’s own school transport vehicles.

Free transport normally covers one return journey: to school in the morning and home at the end of the school day. No additional provision is made, although special arrangements may be applied, where possible, to cover pupils taking part in school activities after the end of the normal school day.

Parents of pupils wishing to return home for lunch have to make their own arrangements. Children finishing early who are not collected by parents are supervised until the end of the normal school day.

Additional information is provided on the application form. This form will open in a new browser window. Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view the document and may be downloaded free from the Adobe website.

If you are unable to link to this document for any reason, forms may be collected from schools. Alternatively, contact us:

email: schools.els@renfrewshire.gov.uk
telephone: 0141 842 5604
fax: 0141 842 5699

back to top