Will you qualify?
Mainstream children aged 5-16
Eligibility for travel assistance will automatically be considered for pupils moving into year 7 in September when school places are offered. For any other age group or pupils moving schools mid-year, travel applications will need to be completed.
In some cases, the number of places offered at each school may differ from what is stated as the schools formal Published Admission Number (PAN). Further details regarding temporary intake increases can be found on our updated admission numbers page.
Any applications submitted for a September start need to be received after the school place national offer date but before 30 June. Information on offer dates can be found on our school admissions page. Any applications received after this date will be assessed in date order. Where applications are received after 30 June, travel assistance will not be guaranteed for September.
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 fall within the following categories.
Your child could qualify for free travel assistance to school if they attend their nearest suitable school, inside or outside Cheshire West, 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 suitable school is identified by considering whether your child could have been offered a place at the school, regardless of whether you applied for it. Distance is measured using a network of roads, cycleways and footpaths which can be accessed throughout the year. This does not include private driveways.
Preference for your child to attend a faith school is not considered unless the family are on low income and meet the criteria.
Parents are expected to accompany their children on the walking route to school if necessary, or make arrangements for a suitable person to accompany their child if other commitments prevent them from accompanying their child themselves.
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.
Before applying for travel assistance, please check the document of identified hazardous routes (PDF, 101KB). If the route does not appear in the list, we would not re-assess the route unless there has been a significant change, such as a new road layout or a change in speed limit. To challenge the safety of the walking route, you would need provide evidence to the same standard that our Road Safety Officer has to submit in accordance with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents guidance, more information about this can be found on the Road Safety GB website.
Your child might qualify for free home to school travel assistance if your family is on a low income. This means that either your child is entitled to Free School Meals or you get the maximum level of Universal Credit/Working Tax Credit and meet one of the following criteria:
Children aged between 8 and 11 need to be living more than two miles from their nearest suitable school. The two mile limit will be measured along the nearest available route of pavements and roads.
Children aged 11-16 who are eligible 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
Parents/carers may need to submit evidence of Universal Credit/Working Tax Credit or Free School Meals if this information is not already held by us.
If you think that your child would meet the criteria for Free School Meals you can apply on our Free School Meals page.
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.
