School travel passes

We have a duty to provide free home to school transport for children who live within the Coventry boundary, are of statutory school age (5 - 16 years of age) and meet one of the following criteria:

General entitlement

Free transport will be provided for pupils attending the nearest qualifying school at which places are available if the distance from the home address to the school is:

• more than two miles for children aged 5 to 7 years
• more than three miles for children aged 8 to 16

The two-mile limit will also apply to children over the age of 8 from low-income families.

In each case, this is the shortest walking route between the home address and the school measured by which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk safely. 

If however, you successfully apply for a place for your child at a school that is not the nearest school with places available, you will not qualify for a free travel pass unless you meet the low-income rules.

Low-income entitlement

There are extra ways in which low-income families may also qualify for free travel. Low-income families are defined as those who are entitled to free school meals or who are in receipt of their maximum level of working tax credit. Children from low-income families will be entitled to free travel to if:

Aged 8-11 and attending the nearest qualifying school which is more than two miles from their home

Aged 11-16 attending:

• One of the three nearest qualifying schools between two and six miles from their home
• The nearest school preferred by reason of a parent's religion or belief which is between two and 15 miles from their home

Exceptional circumstances

Where pupils do not qualify for free travel on distance grounds, in certain exceptional circumstances a child may be eligible for free transport. Each application will be considered on its individual merits, taking full account of all the circumstances put forward. Please see the appeals section for further details.

Individual school policies

Where a child does not qualify under the Coventry City Council home to school transport policy the following schools operate a discretionary policy in which a child may qualify for free travel under their own individual transport policy.

Cardinal Newman Catholic School

• Pupils must be of statutory school age i.e. in Year 7 to 11 
• Live within the Coventry Local Authority area
• Their home address must be three miles or more from the school measured by the nearest available walking route
• They must have attended the associated Catholic primary school; or
• Cardinal Newman was their first choice as a secondary school

Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School

Pupils must be of statutory school in Years 7 to 11 and meet all of the following criteria:

• Live within the Coventry Local Authority area
• Their home address must be three miles or more from the school measured by the nearest available walking route
• Cardinal Wiseman was their first choice as a secondary school 
• They must have attended a Catholic school

In addition, for pupils who are in Year 7 for the 2024-25 academic year, free bus passes will be available for eligible pupils. Eligible pupils are children who meet all three criteria:

1. On the application form Cardinal Wiseman was their first choice as a secondary school.
2. The pupil has a home address which is 2 miles or more from the school.
3. Pupil has attended one of the partnered Catholic Primary schools within Romero: Corpus Christi, Good Shepherd, Sacred Heart, SS Peter and Paul, St Gregory, St John Fisher, St Patrick’s.

Funding for Year 7 only is covered by Cardinal Wiseman.

Parents who wish to appeal against the decision to refuse their child a free bus pass should make that appeal request in writing to the Chair of the Governing Body at the school address or by email to admin.cw@romeromac.com. The governing body will convene a panel to decide whether or not to support a free bus pass application.

West Coventry Academy 

The school transport policy ceased for all new students joining West Coventry Academy.

For the academic year 2024-25:

Students in Year 11 at the school who were entitled to a free travel pass under the 2019/20 academic year policy will continue to be granted passes until the end of year 11 as long as there has been no change in circumstances.