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Getting to school
Medway Council, as the Local Authority (LA), offers transport to
eligible pupils up to the age of 19 years. Please read the
information about applying before contacting the Student
Services Operations Team for an application form.
Young people aged four to 16
Children who attend their nearest
appropriate school from their home address and live over the
minimum distance will be eligible for free home to school
transport. If the child is under eight years old the minimum
distance is two miles and if the child is over eight years old the
minimum distance is three miles.
The walking distances are measured by
the shortest available walking route and may take into account
public footpaths and public rights of way. The shortest available
route is one along which a child, accompanied as necessary, can
walk with reasonable safety to school.
Eight and 11-year-olds from low-income families will also
qualify if they live more than two miles from their nearest
appropriate school. Eleven-year-olds or older from low income
families will also qualify if they live more than two miles (but
not more than six miles) from one of their three nearest
appropriate schools. Low income families are defined as where
children are eligible for free school meals or where their parents receive
the maximum level of Working Tax Credit; proof of this will need to
be provided.
If you are unsure whether you qualify, please phone the number
below.
If you are interested in your child joining other children on a
safety-assessed walking bus route with adult
supervision or wish to discuss safer routes to school in
general please visit the Safer
Journeys Team webpages or contact the team
directly.
Young people in Years 12 and 13
Once a young person continues their education into Year 12,
the council will no longer subsidise the cost of travel passes or
provide free travel. Eligible students under 19-years-old can
still apply for a pass, which is charged at cost. For further
information and how to apply please visit the Transport for 16+ students webpage.
Vacant Seats Payment Scheme (VSPS)
Children who do not qualify for free
home to school travel can sometimes be offered a seat under the
Vacant Seats Payment Scheme (VSPS). Under
this scheme any unfilled seats on vehicles hired by the council to
take entitled children to school can be offered to young people who
are not eligible for free travel. Seats cost £173 per term. Please
note that travel under VSPS is not available on public bus or train
services. It is possible that a VSPS seat may have to be withdrawn
at a later date if it is needed for a child who is entitled to free
transport, if the council decides to stop running that vehicle or
if it decides to run a smaller vehicle.
Medway Youth Pass
Previously known as the half price bus
fare scheme, a Medway Youth Pass entitles all young people who
live in Medway and hold a valid pass to pay half the adult fare at
all times when travelling on any local bus service, up to the end
of the academic year after their 18th birthday.
The journeys must start in Medway and
can be to any destination in Medway or Kent, as long as any changes
of bus are in Medway. This pass is not valid on the subsidised
yellow buses run by Medway Council or companies who already offer a
child fare.
For further information and how
to apply please visit the Medway Youth Pass webpage.
Sustainable Schools Travel
Strategy
The vision of Medway’s
Sustainable School Travel Strategy [SSTS] is that every child
can meet their travel requirements in order to fulfil their
educational potential in a manner that is independent, safe and
sustainable. This is a draft strategy at the current time
and awaits formal approval.
Taking children to and from school by car is
an increasing national problem that has a marked effect on peak
hour traffic and may adversely influence the travel behaviour of
future generations. School travel initiatives have
contributed heavily towards a reduction in the number of children
travelling to school by car in Medway.
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