Additional Learning Needs (ALN) school transport

Due to the school summer holidays, any applications submitted during this period will potentially have a delay to the below timeframes. We will respond to your application as soon as possible. Thank you.

In some cases, school transport can be provided for children with Additional Learning Needs (ALN).

Eligibility

ALN school transport can only be provided for a child that has one of the following:

  • Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan)
  • Individual Development Plan (IDP)
  • Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN)

ALN transport will be provided if school transport is included as part of the non-educational provisions made for the child as part of their EHC Plan, IDP or Statement of SEN.

A child may still be eligible if school transport is not included in their EHC Plan, IDP or Statement of SEN, if:

  • the school they are attending is the nearest suitable school
  • they have attended a designated primary feeder school for a particular secondary school; subject to the eligibility criteria being met

Nearest suitable school

The nearest suitable school is the nearest school to the child’s home that:

  • provides education for the relevant age of a pupil 
  • is the nearest school to meet the language preference 
  • is the nearest faith school or non-faith school

Distance

The distance between a child's home and their nearest suitable school may be considered when deciding if ALN transport should be provided. 

ALN transport can be provided where the distance between the child's nearest suitable school is over:

  • 2 miles away, for primary school pupils
  • 3 miles away, for secondary school pupils

How to apply for ALN school transport

You can apply for ALN transport online.

Please make your own arrangements for school transport until we have confirmed that ALN transport will be provided.

Apply online

Apply for ALN transport online

What happens after applying

We'll review your application within 15 working days. This 15 days refers to the checking of eligibility and responding, and not when transport will commence. 

Please make arrangements for your child to travel to and from school until we have confirmed that your application has been successful.

Deciding if transport can be provided

The Inclusion Panel will meet within 10 school days of receiving a complete application to decide if ALN transport can be provided. The Inclusion Panel includes a range of representatives from education and health.

The panel will base its decisions on the following:

Outcome

We will let you know within 5 working days of the panel's decision whether or not ALN transport can be provided. 

If your application is successful, an officer from our Passenger Transport team will contact you to confirm when ALN transport will start.

Appeals

If your application for ALN school transport is refused, you'll have 20 working days to make an appeal.

Find out more about school transport appeals.