Free travel to school

Bus travel

All children under the age of 18 in full-time education are allowed to travel free on London buses.

Children aged from 11 must apply for a zip oyster card to prove their age.

The application forms are available from any local post office and there is further information available from Transport for London.

Train and tube travel

Most school children living in Barnet will not qualify for help with travel costs on tubes or trains. This is because we can usually offer children a place at a local school, not exceeding a home-to-school walking distance of 2 miles for children below the age of 8, or 3 miles for children aged 8 to 16 years.

If your child attends a school that is further away, it does not mean that you will receive help with home-to-school travel costs. However, travel support may be provided if:

  • your child is entitled to free school meals or your family is in receipt of maximum Working Tax Credit and your child is attending the nearest school preferred on grounds of religion or belief
  • there are exceptional medical, social or educational reasons
  • your child has a statement of special education needs (SEN) or an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP)

Please note that fulfilling one or more of the above criteria does not mean you are automatically entitled to free travel to school; each application is considered on its own merits.

You can submit your request for free travel online and it will take approximately 14 working days to process. If your free travel request is rejected you will receive written notification and can appeal the decision with an independent panel.

Transport for pupils with a statement of special educational needs (SEN)

Some pupils with a statement of special educational needs may qualify for free travel either on the basis of their requirements as set out in their statement or on the grounds of distance.

The eligibility criteria is set out on the local offer web page

The web page also covers the circumstances in which preschool pupils and students attending further education who have special educational needs may qualify for free travel.