Before you complete an application form, it is strongly recommended that you read our Home to School Transport Policy.

If you are unsure of your eligibility for free transport, the Pupil Transport Team will be able to advise you.

You can contact the team on 01803 207688 or by email: cstransport@torbay.gov.uk.

School Transport is generally limited to those children attending their designated or nearest school and when one of the following applies:

  • The school is more than two miles from the home address for a school child aged between 5 and 7 years old;
  • The school is more than three miles from the home address for a school child aged between 8 and 16 years;
  • The pupil is unable to walk to school by reason of their special educational need, disability or mobility problem;
  • The nature of the walking route to the school is deemed by the Local Authority as being unsuitable for pedestrian use.

Distances are measured along the shortest available safe walking route from the nearest entrance to your home and the nearest gate or entrance to the school using digitised mapping. For pupils attending Paignton Community and Sports Academy (PCSA), the base to measure distance for transport eligibility will be from the main Waterleat Road site.

There are additional entitlements for children from families on a low income - defined as those in receipt of Free School Meals or their maximum level of Working Tax Credits. Children from 'low income' families are eligible for free transport when one of the following applies:

  • The child is attending their designated or nearest primary school which is within 2 to 3 miles of their home address;
  • The child is attending one of their nearest three secondary schools within 2 to 6 miles of their home address;
  • The child is attending St Cuthbert Mayne School on the grounds of religion or belief and the school is between 2 and 15 miles from your child’s home address

In exceptional circumstances, transport may be provided at the Local Authority's discretion but generally, if you choose to send your child to a school that is not the closest suitable school to your home address, it will be your responsibility to make all of the arrangements and to cover the cost. For further information on what may be considered to be exceptional, refer to our Home to School Transport Policy.

Applications

You can apply for transport assistance for your child by completing an application form. You will be required to apply each year for transport assistance.

Before submitting your application for assistance please ensure that you have read our Home to School Transport Policy.