A new Home to School Transport Policy comes into effect on 1 September 2025.
1. Questions and answers - general:
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The changes to the policy affect discretionary Home to School transport only and are as follows:
- Transport for learners who change address during the exam years of their education so that they can remain at the same school has been removed from the policy.
- Transport to denominational schools over the statutory distance - has been amended so that evidence of faith is required.
- Post-16 transport over the statutory distance - has been amended to provide post 16 transport to the nearest educational establishment (the nearest or catchment secondary school / Welsh medium school or to the nearest F.E. college) over the statutory distance.
- Provision of transport to two residences where parents live separately - has been amended with an additional criteria where transport to the second address is restricted to home addresses within Conwy County Borough.
- Transport for pupils with medical conditions or additional learning needs (ALN), or other/specific reasons - annual reviews of transport provision may be carried out in line with the existing policy.
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Applications for transport starting September 2025 will be assessed using the amended home to school transport policy. If your child is already accessing free home to school transport prior to the September 2025, this transport provision will not be affected and you will not need to reapply
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School transport is considered to be one of the fastest growing cost in local authorities’ annual budgets. In 2022-2023 Conwy County Borough Council spent approximately £6.5m on home to school transport. Approximately half of this was for transport provided as a statutory duty. However, the remainder was for transport we provide on a discretionary basis.
At a Conwy County Borough Council Cabinet meeting in October 2023, it was agreed that apublic consultation should be carried out to gather the views of all interested individuals and organisations on the discretionary criteria in our home to school transport policy. Analysis of the consultation feedback formed part of a report that went through the democratic process for approval. The report recommended amendments to the discretionary criteria in the home to school transport policy, which were agreed by the Conwy County Borough Council Cabinet at a meeting in July 2024. Statutory home to school transport provision remains unchanged.
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Any applications for free home to school transport starting September 2025 will be assessed using the amended home to school transport policy.
2. Post-16 transport:
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Post-16 home to school transport is not a statutory requirement and Conwy County Borough Council choose to provide help to post 16 learners so they can continue their education.
Post-16 transport will be provided to the nearest educational establishment (the nearest or catchment secondary school / Welsh medium school or to the nearest F.E. college) over the statutory distance (3 miles or over).
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Post-16 transport will be provided to the nearest educational establishment over the statutory distance (3 miles or over) from the home address. This could be the nearest or catchment sixth form school / Welsh medium school or the nearest F.E. college. If your child wishes to attend an establishment further away, you will need to make your own transport arrangements.
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If your child is attending their nearest educational establishment and it is more than 3 miles away from their home, then they will continue to receive free home to school transport.
For learners going into Year 13 for the academic year 2025/26 only and who do not attend their nearest educational establishment, Conwy County Borough Council will provide the same transport as provided in Year 12.
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Post-16 transport will be provided to the nearest F.E. college over the statutory distance (3 miles or over) from the home address. If the nearest college does not provide the course the learner wishes to the study, then the learner will need to make their own transport arrangements to their preferred college. Some transport may be provided by the college; please contact the college for details.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available to young people from low-income households to help them access further education. Contact Student Finance Wales.
The Welsh Government provides support for those students facing hardship through the Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) which is distributed to further and higher education institutions in Wales. Contact the college for details.
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Post-16 transport will be provided to the nearest F.E. college over the statutory distance (3 miles or over). If the specialist college is not the nearest F.E. college, then free home to school transport will not be provided.
Some transport may be provided by the specialist college, contact the college for details.
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available to young people from low-income households to help them access further education. Contact Student Finance Wales.
The Welsh Government provides support for those students facing hardship through the Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) which is distributed to further and higher education institutions in Wales. Contact the college for details.
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Free home to school transport is not provided for residential courses.
Some transport may be provided by the college; please contact the college for details.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available to young people from low-income households to help them access further education. Contact Student Finance Wales.
The Welsh Government provides support for those students facing hardship through the Financial Contingency Fund (FCF) which is distributed to further and higher education institutions in Wales. Contact the college for details.
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Post-16 home to school transport is not a statutory requirement and Conwy County Borough Council choose to help post 16 learners so they can continue their education.
Post 16 transport will be provided to the nearest educational establishment over the statutory distance (3 miles or over) from the home address. Transport may start and finish at a pick- up point, which will be no further than 3 miles from the home address. It is parental responsibility to ensure that their children travel to and from pick-up points safely.
3. Transport to denominational schools:
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Evidence of faith would be a baptismal certificate, proof of faith certificate, letter from a faith leader or similar.
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It is recognised that parents of different faiths may wish their child to receive a faith based education and therefore evidence of faith does not need to match that of the school.
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When there is no evidence of faith, parents should provide a supporting statement. If the statement is not accepted as sufficient evidence of faith and the application for transport is refused, parents may follow the dispute resolution process (see S14 of the Home to School Transport policy).
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Pupils already in receipt of free home to school transport to a denominational school for the academic year ending July 2025 will continue to receive free home to school transport until the end of year 6 (unless their circumstances change) and will not be required to provide evidence or submit a new application.
Any new applications for home to school transport to a denominational school from September 2025 will need to provide evidence of faith.
4. Transport to two residences:
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An additional criteria has been added where transport to the second address will be restricted to home addresses within Conwy County Borough.
Pupils already in receipt of free home to school transport to two residences for the academic year ending July 2025 will continue to receive free home to school transport until they leave that school (unless their circumstances change).
5. Transport for learners who change address during the exam years of their eduction:
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This discretionary criteria has been removed from the home to school transport policy.
Transport for learners who change address during the exam years of their education so that they can remain at the same school will no longer be available after September 2025.
6. Transport for pupils with medical conditions or additional learning needs, or other/specific reasons:
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This policy criteria has not changed. In accordance with S3.5.4 of the Home to School Transport policy, transport arrangements can be reviewed on an annual basis.
Conwy County Borough Council is committed to developing and supporting learners to travel as independently as possible. A review will consider the type of transport provided to the learner and, if a personal passenger assistant is provided, whether there is a continuing need.
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In accordance with S3.6 of the Home to School Transport policy, transport arrangements can be reviewed on an annual basis.
A review will consider the type of transport provided to the learner and, if a personal passenger assistant is provided, whether there is a continuing need.
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