Guidance

Home-to-school travel: data collection

Updated 2 February 2026

Applies to England

The Department for Education (DfE) is collecting data from all local authorities on:

• home-to-school travel (HTST) for pre-16 pupils
• travel provided for those in post-16 education and training

The data collection aims to:

• build a clearer picture of local authority arranged transport at local and national levels
• enable local authorities to benchmark against each other when the quality of the data allows

This guidance is for use by local authorities to support them in completing the data collection.

We expect all local authorities to provide as much of the data as they can.

How to access the data collection

Local authorities can access the data collection through the DfE Sign-in. Refer to the Home-to-school travel: DfE Sign-in guide for more information.

The collection is now open and will close on 6 March 2026.

All data must be submitted via the online form. We are unable to accept data submitted via other means.

Use of the data

DfE intends to publish the key findings from the data collection. Where data quality allows, this will include the:

• numbers or proportion receiving HTST (including split by reason of eligibility)
• proportions using different modes of transport
• rates of single occupancy vehicle use
• expenditure, including by mode

Data will be published at a national level and, subject to data quality, also at local authority level to support benchmarking and facilitate the sharing of best practice.

All data provided must be signed off at an appropriate level of seniority within the local authority – for example, director or head of service. Prior to submitting the data, the form asks users to confirm that appropriate sign-off has been received and by whom.

How to report pupil numbers

Where the data collection requests the number of pupils or learners that the local authority arranges transport for, figures should be reported as of 2 February 2026.

Include all pupils or learners whose transport is being either fully or partially funded (in the case of discretionary transport or transport for post-16 learners) by the local authority. Throughout the collection, where data is requested for post-16 learners, this should also include any post-19 data.

Include pupils or learners who:

• have travel passes paid for or subsidised by the local authority, giving access to free or concessionary use of public transport
• have a vehicle arranged for them by the local authority, including through internal fleets, external contracts, taxis, minibuses or school buses
• receive a contribution to their travel from the local authority
• are undertaking independent travel training

Do not include pupils or learners for whom the full cost of transport is paid by their parents or themselves, even where that travel has been arranged by the local authority.

Reporting financial information

Where the data collection requests financial information, provide your most up-to-date financial expenditure forecast for the financial year 2025 to 2026.

We expect forecasts to consist of actual spend data for most of the financial year combined with the most up-to-date forecast for the remainder of the financial year available at the point of completing the data collection.

We understand that there will be some uncertainty in expenditure forecasts, although we would expect any fluctuations to be relatively small between February and the end of the financial year.

Where the data collection requests total overall expenditure forecasts, include all areas of expenditure that the local authority reports in its section 251 financial returns. For example, this may include staff costs.

Where the collection requests forecast expenditure on each mode of transport, only include the costs directly associated with that transport provision. Where staff costs, for example, are included in the overall total forecast, the sum of forecast expenditure on each mode may not exactly match the overall total forecast.

Nil responses and reporting zeros

If the local authority does not hold the data requested or is unable to provide it in the form requested, questions should be left blank.

Where the local authority holds the requested data and the answer is zero, enter ‘0’.

For example, if the local authority does not issue any personal travel budgets for pre-16 special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) HTST, enter ‘0’ in response to this question.

However, if the local authority does issue personal travel budgets but is not able to report how many children receive a personal travel budget, leave the cell blank.

Categories of travel

The data collection requests information relating to the following categories of travel:

• pre-16 SEND HTST
• pre-16 mainstream HTST
• home to post-16 provision – SEND transport (sixth form duty, aged 16 to 18)
• home to post-16 provision – SEND transport (adult duty, aged 19 to 25)
• home to post-16 provision transport – mainstream (aged 16 to 18)

We know that local authorities are not all consistent in how mainstream transport and SEND transport are categorised. This was also identified in the National Audit Office home to school transport report.

Many local authorities categorise SEND transport as being transport provided to any child with SEND, irrespective of why they are eligible. Others categorise some SEND children as receiving ‘mainstream HTST’ – for example, where they attend their nearest suitable school, which is beyond the statutory walking distance.

Local authorities should ensure that reporting against these categories for the data collection aligns with how the local authority reports on spending on education and children and young people’s services, in accordance with section 251 of the Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009.

Local authorities should refer to the section 251 guidance, which defines each of the travel categories:

• pre-16 SEND HTST is defined in row 2.1.4 of section 251
• pre-16 mainstream HTST is defined in row 2.1.5 of section 251
• home to post-16 provision – SEND transport (aged 16 to 18) is defined in row 2.1.6 of section 251
• home to post-16 provision – SEND transport (aged 19 to 25) is defined in row 2.1.7 of section 251
• home to post-16 provision transport – mainstream (aged 16 to 18) is defined in row 2.1.8 of section 251

Noting the inconsistency in how mainstream and SEND transport are categorised, the data collection provides the opportunity for mainstream transport numbers to be broken down by those:

• with education, health and care plans (EHCPs)
• attending special schools
• attending special units or resourced provision in mainstream schools

Depending on how a local authority categorises SEND transport, some may not report any pupils against these questions, as they will instead all be reported in the SEND transport sections.

School types and phase

For pre-16 SEND HTST and pre-16 mainstream HTST, local authorities are asked to report on the numbers being transported to each of the following school types:

Primary mainstream school, early years and secondary mainstream school

Includes all the following where they are not special schools:

• academies (including free schools)
• community schools
• foundation schools
• voluntary aided schools
• voluntary controlled schools
• university technical colleges (UTC)
• studio schools

Also includes any early years settings to which the local authority has agreed to arrange free or subsidised travel.

Children attending all-through or middle schools should be reported against the primary or secondary phase appropriate to their age. For example, an 8-year-old child in an all-through mainstream school should be reported as ‘primary’.

State-funded special school

Includes academy, community, foundation and non-maintained special schools established under section 342 of the Education Act 1996.

Special schools in England are defined in law in section 337(1) of the Education Act 1996. A school in England is a special school if it is specially organised to make special educational provision for pupils with special educational needs, and it is:

• maintained by a local authority
• an academy school
• a non-maintained special school

Independent special school

Independent special schools that, upon registration, declare they are ‘specially organised to make special educational provision for students with special educational needs’ through section 98(3)(f) Education and Skills Act 2008.

Alternative provision and pupil referral units

Includes pupil referral units and alternative provision academies (including alternative provision free schools).

Special education needs (SEN) units and resourced provision

Local authorities are also asked to report, of those pupils in mainstream schools, the number of children attending a SEN unit or resourced provision that is part of a mainstream school.

SEN units and resourced provisions are specialist provisions in mainstream schools formally recognised by the local authority. In SEN units, pupils are taught within separate classes for at least half of their time. In resourced provisions, pupils are taught for at least half of their time within mainstream classes but require a base and some specialist facilities around the school. They are both for pupils with SEN, who typically have education, health and care (EHC) plans.

Post-16 provider types

For post-16 transport, local authorities are asked to report on the numbers being transported to each of the following post-16 provider types:

Mainstream post-16 providers

Includes further education (FE) colleges, sixth form colleges and school sixth forms.

Specialist post-16 providers

These are institutions that provide post-16 education for young people with learning difficulties and/or disabilities whose needs cannot be met in a general college. Most students have an EHCP. Specialist colleges focus on tailored learning, life skills and wellbeing, and may also offer therapies and residential care.

Home-to-school travel eligibility

For pre-16 SEND HTST, local authorities are asked to report the number of pupils that travel further than the statutory walking distance and the number that live within the statutory walking distance but are unable to walk due to their SEND. This will enable us to gain a better understanding of why those classified as receiving SEND HTST are eligible.

For pre-16 mainstream HTST, local authorities are asked to report, of the pre-16 pupils that the local authority arranges mainstream HTST for, the numbers that are eligible under each of the following statutory criteria:

• statutory walking distance: a child attends their nearest suitable school, which is more than the statutory walking distance from their home (2 miles for children under the age of 8, 3 miles for children aged 8 years or over)
• no safe walking route: a child attends their nearest suitable school and it is within the statutory walking distance from their home but there is no safe walking route

• extended rights: a child is eligible for free school meals and they are:

  • aged 8 or over but under 11, attend their nearest suitable school and it is more than 2 miles from their home
  • aged 11 to 16 years, and attend one of their 3 nearest suitable schools provided it is more than 2 miles but not more than 6 miles from their home
  • aged 11 to 16 years, attend a school that is more than 2 but not more than 15 miles from their home that their parents have chosen on the grounds of their religion or belief if, having regard to that religion or belief, there is no suitable school nearer to their home other/discretionary
• other (discretionary travel): local authorities have a discretionary power to provide free transport to children who are not eligible for transport under the statutory eligibility criteria

Each pupil should be counted under one eligibility criterion only.

Further information on each of the eligibility criteria is available in the guidance on home-to-school travel.

Modes of transport

For pre-16 SEND HTST, pre-16 mainstream HTST and post-16 transport, local authorities are asked to report the number of pupils transported using the following modes of transport:

• public transport pass: a local-authority-funded pass providing the user with free or, in the case of some post-16 travel, concessionary use of public transport on all or specific local transport routes at all or certain times of the day or week
• external contract – taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV) with up to 8 passenger seats
• external contract – public service vehicle (PSV) with 9 seats and above, including school-run services that the local authority purchases seats on
• in-house fleet: vehicles owned and managed by the local authority, including fleets run by a company that has been set up by and is owned by the local authority to provide services
• personal travel budgets or mileage allowance: money provided to parents for them to make their own arrangements to transport their child to and from school
• other: to include any transport provision that the local authority is unable to categorise under the other categories provided (where numbers are reported under ‘other’, provide an explanation of what this includes in the free text comments box)

It is possible that some children or learners may use multiple modes to travel to and from school, and so pupils may be double counted. For example, the local authority may provide a pass providing the user with free travel on a particular rail route and also arrange for a taxi to transport the child between their home and train station. The child would be counted under both ‘public transport pass’ and ‘external contract – taxi or private hire vehicle (PHV), up to 8 seats’.

Provide the number of pupils travelling rather than the number of vehicles used. For example, 2 children that travel in the same taxi are counted as 2.

Single occupancy vehicles

For pre-16 SEND HTST, pre-16 mainstream HTST and post-16 transport, local authorities are asked to report the number of pupils transported in single occupancy vehicles.

Numbers reported should include those:

• where a single occupancy vehicle is agreed to meet the specific needs of the child or learner being transported
• being transported with a passenger assistant, but where only one child or learner is transported
• who could travel with others but are transported in a single occupancy vehicle due to no other children or learners travelling the same route

Independent travel training

For pre-16 SEND HTST, pre-16 mainstream HTST and post-16 transport, local authorities are asked to report specifically on the number of pupils undertaking independent travel training.

Unlike for other parts of the data collection, where numbers are requested relating to 2 February, for this question specifically on independent travel training, local authorities are asked to report on the number of pupils or learners who will have undertaken training in the 2025 to 2026 financial year. This reflects the fact that training may be undertaken by a pupil during just part of the year.

Include all pupils who either:

• have completed independent travel training during the 2025 to 2026 financial year
• are currently undertaking training
• are expected to start undertaking training before the end of the 2025 to 2026 financial year