Spare seat scheme school transport

You can purchase spare seats on "Education route" buses and coaches that we run across the county, if there are any available.

We are happy to provide spare seats on buses / coaches operated by the county council (which are already running) to provide transport for pupils who have a statutory entitlement for 2024/25.

No-one is automatically entitled to a spare seat and we can't guarantee that a child will keep their place for longer than a term.

Education route buses and coaches only transport pupils who qualify for free travel under our current home to school transport policy. They don't run to every school. The scheme doesn't include public or commercial bus routes.

Applicants for the 2024/25 academic year should not assume that existing spare seats will be available on vehicles operated by the county council for children if their child is not entitled to free home to school transport.

Routes

Routes
Service No	Operator	School	Villages / towns that are served
E111	Dacorum Voluntary	Tring School	Wilstone, Gubblecote, Long Marston
E120	Barkerbus	Freman College	Standon, Puckeridge
E129	Golden Boy Coaches	Edwinstree C of E Middle School, Freman College	Great Munden, Nasty, Westmill, Aspenden
E131	Acme Transport Services	Ralph Sadleir Middle School, Roger de Clare First School, St Thomas of Canterbury RC School	Buntingford, Hare Street, Hay Street, Braughing
E138	AAA Transport Services Ltd	Offley Endowed Primary School	Lilley
E162	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Knights Templar School (The)	Hinxworth, Ashwell, Bygrave
E163	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Knights Templar School (The)	Weston
E164	Britannia	Knights Templar School (The)	Ashwell, Newnham, Radwell
E166	Britannia	Knights Templar School (The)	Sandon, Rushden
E170	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Hitchin Boys School, Hitchin Girls School, Priory School (The)	Preston, Gosmore, Hitchin
E171	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Hitchin Boys School, Hitchin Girls School	Pirton, Hitchin
E172	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Katherine Warington School, St George's School	Whitwell, Kimpton
E173	AAA Transport Services Ltd	Katherine Warington School	Wheathampstead
E174	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Katherine Warington School, St Georges School	Wheathampstead
E175	Welham Travel	Katherine Warington School	Whitwell, Kimpton
E176	Britannia	Roundwood Park School, Roundwood Primary School, Sir John Lawes School	Whitwell, Kimpton, Blackmore End
E177	Britannia	Katherine Warington School	Wheathampstead
E179	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Barnwell School, Marriotts School	Datchworth, Knebworth, Stevenage
E181	Britannia	King James Academy	Sandon, Barkway, Barley, Reed, Therfield
E184	C G Myall & Son	Edwinstree C of E Middle School, Freman College	Gt Hormead, Brent Pelham, Anstey, Wyddial
E189	A1 Minibus	Hitchin Boys School	Pirton
E2	Welham Travel Ltd	Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The)	Albury, Bury Green
E22	Chariots for Hire	Leventhorpe School	Hadham Cross, Perry Green, South End, Green Tye
E22A	Chariots for Hire	Leventhorpe School	Hunsdon, Widford, Hadham Cross, Much Hadham, Allens Green
E203	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Edwinstree C of E Middle School, Freman College	Ardeley, Cottered, Throcking
E4	Chariots for Hire	Birchwood High School, Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The), Hockerill Anglo-European College	Much Hadham, Little Hadham
E40	Golden Boy Coaches	Chancellors School	Cuffley
E429	A1 Minibus	Long Marston JMI	Whilstone, Gubblecote, Long Marston
E43	Welham Travel	Chancellors School	Hatfield
E446	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	St Albans Girls' School	Kimpton, Blackmore End, Wheathampstead, Harpenden
E6	HertsLynx	Avanti Grange Secondary School	Hadhams, Ferneux Pelham
E61	Welham Travel Ltd	Bayford (C of E) VC Primary School	Brickenden, Bayford
E65	Golden Boy Coaches	Richard Hale School, Sele School (The), Simon Balle School	Little Berkhamsted, Bayford, Brickendon
E7	HertsLynx	Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The)	Furneux Pelham, Stocking Pelham, Albury
E85	Golden Boy Coaches	Presdales School	Hertford Heath
E86	Golden Boy Coaches	Chauncy School, Presdales School	Dane End, Sacombe, Tonwell

Who’s eligible
How to apply
Prices (24/25 academic year)

Who’s eligible

Firstly, seats are given to:

statutory school-aged pupils who are eligible for free transport
students aged 16-25 who are eligible for travel assistance due to their disabilities and / or learning difficulties.

If there are spare seats once all eligible pupils have been allocated, they will be offered in the following order:

statutory school-aged pupils
students aged 16-19.

If we receive more applications than spare seats available, we'll allocate seats based on the following criteria:

Children Looked After, children with special educational needs (SEN) and disabled pupils who don't have a statutory entitlement to transport but may benefit from a spare seat as a result of their SEN or disability. In either case, this is on the basis of a particular medical or social need to travel to this school.

In this case, we'll send you an Individual Transport Needs Form. A panel of our senior officers will consider each application and whether the evidence provided meet the requirements.
Children from low-income families who do not qualify for free home-to-school transport. For more details on what constitutes low-income, please refer to the home-to-school transport policy. Note that low-income families are not eligible for a concession on the publicised spare seat cost.
Siblings of those entitled to free transport.
Distance from school, giving priority to those living furthest away.

We can't guarantee seat availability each term, and you won't have a continued right to purchase spare seats. Availability depends on the number of children who have a statutory entitlement to transport – that might change throughout the year.

How to apply

Email the admissions and transport team to apply for the spare seats scheme.

We'll need the child's name, date of birth and the school they've been allocated.

To ensure proper assessment against the spare seat criteria, applications and payments for spare seats for the start of the academic year must be submitted by 15 August. Applications received after this date will be considered only after those submitted on time. Unsuccessful applications will be placed on a waiting list, prioritised by the spare seat criteria.

We cannot offer spare seats until all applications for free home-to-school transport have been processed. Therefore, tickets for spare seats will not be issued until the start of the autumn term. Please ensure you have alternative travel arrangements for September.

Spare seat applications received throughout the academic year will be individually assessed and either offered a seat if available or placed on the waiting list according to the spare seat criteria.

Prices (24/25 academic year)

Miles (home to school)	Charge per pupil
0 – 2.99	£926
3 – 4.99	£1,234
5 – 6.99	£1,418
7 and over	£1,632

You can pay for a spare seat annually, termly or half termly. Spare seat charges are standard, irrespective of when the ticket is issued and no reductions will be given.

Once a spare seat has been agreed, we'll send you a letter or email confirming the seat.

To pay by credit or debit card, call 0300 123 4050 and ask for the Passenger Transport spare seat payment team.

Tickets will be issued on a termly basis but can be withdrawn if:

payment has not been received for at least the following half term
an eligible pupil joins that route and a seat is required. In these circumstances, seats will be withdrawn in reverse criteria order and a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice will be given.

Spare seat scheme school transport

Who’s eligible

How to apply

Prices (24/25 academic year)

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