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 to 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 2 miles for children aged 5 to 7 years
• more than 3 miles for children aged 8 to 16 years

The 2-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 (Extended rights)

There are additional ways in which children from low-income families may qualify for free travel.

Low-income families are defined as those entitled to Targeted Free School Meals*.

Children from low-income families are eligible for free travel if they meet one of the following criteria:

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

*Targeted Free School Meals - applies to pupils in households receiving Universal Credit with annual household earnings of no more than £7,400.  

Coventry City Council uses the Department for Education’s Eligibility Checking Service to confirm whether a child meets the criteria for Targeted Free School Meals and is therefore eligible for extended rights travel.

*Expanded Free School Meals - applies to pupils in households receiving Universal Credit who do not meet the Targeted Free School Meals income threshold.

If your child is eligible under Expanded Free School Meals only, they will not qualify for extended rights for travel.

Exceptional circumstances

If your child does not meet the standard eligibility criteria, you may apply for travel assistance under exceptional circumstances. Each application will be considered on its individual merits, taking full account of all the circumstances and evidence put forward. 

Please note: Parents and/or carers work or care commitments would not be considered as exceptional circumstances. 

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 3 miles or more from the school measured by the nearest available walking route
• They must have attended one of the partnered Catholic primary school schools within Holy Cross MAC: Christ the King, St Augustine’s, St Elizabeth’s, St John Vianney, St Thomas More 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 
• Pupils have previously attended a Catholic school in the city of Coventry

In addition, for pupils who are in Year 7 for the 2026 to 2027 academic year, free bus passes will be available for eligible pupils. Eligible pupils are children who meet all 3 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.

Funding for Year 8 onwards is on a case-by-case basis and is reviewed annually. Applications must be in writing to the school office: admin.cw@romeromac.com. 

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.

Please note that Romero funded bus passes may potentially be reviewed if attendance falls below 95% and there are consistent concerns regarding U codes.