Education Act 1996

509 Provision of transport etc

(1) A local education authority shall make such arrangements for the provision of transport and otherwise as they consider necessary, or as the Secretary of State may direct, for the purpose of facilitating the attendance of persons receiving education—

(a) at schools,

(b) at any institution maintained or assisted by the authority which provides further education or higher education (or both),

(c) at any institution within the further education sector, or

(d) at any institution outside both the further and the higher education sectors, where a further education funding council has secured provision for those persons at the institution under section 4(3) or (5) of the [1992 c. 13.] Further and Higher Education Act 1992.

(2) Any transport provided in pursuance of arrangements under subsection (1) shall be provided free of charge.

(3) A local education authority may pay the whole or any part, as they think fit, of the reasonable travelling expenses of any person receiving education—

(a) at a school, or

(b) at any such institution as is mentioned in subsection (1),

for whose transport no arrangements are made under that subsection.

(4) In considering whether or not they are required by subsection (1) to make arrangements in relation to a particular person, a local education authority shall have regard (amongst other things)—

(a) to the age of the person and the nature of the route, or alternative routes, which he could reasonably be expected to take; and

(b) to any wish of his parent for him to be provided with education at a school or institution in which the religious education provided is that of the religion or denomination to which his parent adheres.

(5) Arrangements made by a local education authority under subsection (1) shall—

(a) make provision for pupils at grant-maintained schools which is no less favourable than the provision made in pursuance of the arrangements for pupils at schools maintained by a local education authority;

(b) make provision for persons receiving full-time education at any institution within the further education sector which is no less favourable than the provision made in pursuance of the arrangements for pupils of the same age at schools maintained by a local education authority; and

(c) make provision for persons receiving full-time education at institutions mentioned in subsection (1)(d) which is no less favourable than—

(i) the provision made in pursuance of the arrangements for persons of the same age with learning difficulties (within the meaning of section 15(5)) at schools maintained by a local education authority, or

(ii) where there are no such arrangements, the provision made in pursuance of the arrangements for such persons for whom the authority secures the provision of education at any other institution.

(6) Regulations under section 414(6) may require publication (within the meaning of that section) by every local education authority of such information as may be required by the regulations with respect to the authority’s policy and arrangements for provision under this section for persons attending institutions mentioned in subsection (1)(c) or (d) who are over compulsory school age and who have not attained the age of 19.