Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cyngor Bro Morgannwg

Children-Leaving-SchoolSchool Transport

Local Education Authorities have a statutory duty to provide free school transport for pupils of statutory school age who reside beyond walking distance to the nearest appropriate school.

 

The Council doesn't provide free school transport for nursery-age children other than some with a Statement of Special Educational Needs (SEN).

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council has a discretionary policy that provides financial help towards travelling to and from college.

 

If your child qualifies for free school transport, permission will normally be given to travel on a contract vehicle if there is one serving your area. In other cases a bus pass will be provided to travel on the service network.

 

The Vale of Glamorgan Council provides free school transport for:

  • Primary age pupils residing two miles or over from their nearest designated catchment area school of type
  • Secondary age pupils residing three miles or over from their nearest designated catchment area school of type
  • Distances are measured by the shortest available walking route and pupils will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult if necessary

Mainstream School Transport Arrangements 2022-23 

Parents/carers will receive letters, as normal over the summer, informing them of the service their child(ren) will be allocated to, with a caveat that they should refer to this page for updates. 

 

Important Information

Entitled Pupils

Pupils from Reception to Year 11 are automatically assessed for free mainstream school transport. Pupils of primary school age qualify for free school transport if they live over 2 miles from their catchment area school, next nearest if catchment is full. Pupils of secondary school age qualify for free school transport if they live over 3 miles from their catchment school, next nearest if catchment is full.  

No forms are required to be completed and signed and letters/passes/timetables will be sent directly to home addresses no later than Friday 19 August 2022.  

 

Only pupils who were late enrolments, have recently moved address or will be entering Post 16 in September (Year 12) will need to contact the school transport team:

 

  • New Intake - Reception & Year 7  

    All the Reception and Year 7 pupils have been assessed and the entitled children will be sent a letter/bus pass to their home address by Friday 19 August 2022, so if there any problems we have plenty of time to make adjustments over the summer holidays. If you have not received your bus pass or letter by Friday 19 August 2022 please contact the school transport team:

  • Year 1 to Year 11  

    All existing pupils that have had free school transport this year will automatically receive a letter/bus pass which will be sent to the parent/guardian home address (please contact us if you have moved recently) along with the policy summary, travel behaviour code and route timetable. If you have not received your bus pass/letter by Friday 19 August 2022 please contact the school transport team:

  • Post 16 Pupils (Year 12-Year 13)  

    Pupils who are entering Year 12 wishing to continue their studies from September 2022 (attending their catchment school or St David’s College) will need to inform the school transport team no later than Monday 29 August 2022 in order to receive their pass for the beginning of September.  

     

    Please email 2021schooltransport@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk at your earliest convenience with the following information:-  

    • Name of child

    • Date of birth  

    • Address

    • Contact number

    • School

    • Route number (if known)  

     

    POST 16 SCHOOL TRANSPORT 2022-23

     

     

    Please note: Those pupils who qualify for free school transport agree to adhere to the Vale of Glamorgan Council Schools transport policy and Welsh Government travel behaviour code.

Non-entitled Pupils 

  • Purchase a bus pass on a contracted school service  

    Buying a School Bus Pass for Academic Year 2021/22 (i.e. Current Year)

    If you wish to purchase a spare seat on a contracted school bus then please complete the School Transport Purchase Pass Application Form 2021-22 and return to schooltransport@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk 

     

     

    Buying a School Bus Pass for Academic Year 2022/23 (i.e. Commencing September 2022)

    Details on how you can do this will be released here two weeks before the end of the 2022 Summer term.  Please do not use the 2021/22 application form or any form from previous years to try and apply in advance, as they will ‘not’ be accepted.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Please note (subject to change for 2022-23):

       

     

     

    • The cost of a pass is £300 per academic year (i.e. 2021-22).  However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic situation, you will be invoiced £100 towards the end of each academic term in case further lockdowns or school closures are enforced and payments need to be recalculated pro-rata.  Non-payment for a purchase pass by the end of each term will result in forfeiture of the space allocated for the following term(s).

    • That the Council has to allocate Post 16 pupils who may not decide to re-attend school/college until after results day in late August. Therefore, the Council may not be able to allocate purchase pass applications until the third week of September 2021, at the earliest.

    • Due to Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations (PSVAR), the Council is unable to sell spare capacity on certain services (i.e. those vehicles that are not PSVAR compliant or have received temporary permission until 31 December 2021 from the Department of Transport).  In such circumstances we will advise following your application submission.  At present it is unknown if the Department for Transport (DfT) will grant further exemptions past 31st December 2021, so it may not be possible to sell spare seats on certain services. Information on this will be sent out as soon as the Council has a decision from the DfT.

     

    Completed application forms should be emailed to:


     

  • Fare Paying Services

     

     

     

     

    If you wish to purchase a pass for a fare-paying service, please contact the bus operator directly:

     

     

 

Primary School Bus Timetables
Secondary School Bus Timetables

 

Free School Transport

If you wish to enquire about free school transport (including St David's R/C College and other year 12/13 students), please e-mail with the following information:

  • Name of Child:
  • Date of Birth:
  • Home Address:
  • Contact Number: 
  • School:
  • Route Number (if known):  

 

Please note: Free school transport will not be provided if, as a result of parental preference, your child attends another school other than the nearest school or designated catchment area school.

 

Buy a School Bus Pass

 

Buying a School Bus Pass for Academic Year 2021/22 (i.e. Current Year)

If you wish to purchase a spare seat on a contracted school bus then please complete the School Transport Purchase Pass Application Form 2021-22 and return to schooltransport@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk 

Buying a School Bus Pass for Academic Year 2022/23 (i.e. Commencing September 2022)

Details on how you can do this will be released here two weeks before the end of the 2022 Summer term.  Please do not use the 2021/22 application form or any form from previous years to try and apply in advance, as they will ‘not’ be accepted.

 

Completed application forms should be emailed to:

 

If you wish to purchase a pass for a fare-paying service, please contact the bus operator directly. 

 

Replacement Bus Pass

Replacements passes can be obtained from the Passenger Transport Unit with an administration charge of £10 levied for each replacement pass.