If your child is eligible for school transport, instead of using transport provided by us you can claim a mileage allowance or personal payment. This enables you to take your child to and from school yourself.
Mileage allowance
You drive your child to school and claim back a mileage allowance.
You can take your child to school, at your convenience. This may be a better fit for your personal and work commitments. For example, if you have other children to take to school.
Other benefits include:
- shorter journey time to school compared to shared school transport
- flexibility with after-school clubs as shared school transport is only provided at the end of the school day
- talking to school staff when dropping your child off at school
We provide the mileage allowance for both legs of the journey when dropping off and picking up your child from school.
When applying for school transport you can ask to receive the mileage allowance instead of using transport provided by us.
How much mileage allowance you get
We pay 45p per mile based on the shortest journey from your home address to school and back to your home address.
We calculate the mileage for the round trip based on you leaving your home address to take your child to school and for you to return home in the morning. We also calculate the same journey again in the afternoon to collect your child from school.
Claiming the mileage allowance
You need to apply for school transport and have opted for the mileage allowance. The school will confirm your child’s attendance at the end of each month and return this information to us. We will send a payment to you within the first 2 weeks of the next month.
Personal payment
You arrange a taxi to take your child to school and claim back the cost.
This may better fit your child’s education timetable. For example, if your child has a later start you can contact a taxi company to take your child in later that morning.
Other benefits include:
- shorter journey time to school compared to shared school transport
- flexibility with after-school clubs as shared school transport is only provided at the end of the school day
When applying for school transport you can ask to receive the personal payment instead of using transport provided by us.
Claiming the personal payment
You need to apply for school transport and have opted for the personal payment. You will need a receipt for each taxi journey to and from school. Submit the receipts to us and we will reimburse the costs each month.
Payment will be made into your bank account within 2 weeks of:
- submitting taxi receipts
- the school confirming your child's attendance