To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent guidance his Department has issued to (a) parents and (b) teachers regarding recommended traveling distances between home and school for pupils.
Answered on
19 January 2021
The Department does not issue guidance to parents and teachers about recommended travelling distances between home and school for pupils.
Children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest suitable school and live more than the statutory walking distance from it are eligible for free home to school transport. The statutory walking distance is 2 miles for children under the age of 8 and 3 miles for children aged 8 and over.
The statutory guidance for local authorities on home to school travel and transport recommends that, for children receiving free home to school transport, the maximum each way journey time should be 45 minutes for a child of primary school and 75 minutes for a child of secondary school age, wherever possible. The guidance is available here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/home-to-school-travel-and-transport-guidance.