Written question asked by Connor Naismith (Labour) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 22 June 2026. It was answered by Olivia Bailey (Labour) on Friday, 26 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Schools: Travel

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has plans to review the statutory safe walking route distance of three miles for school travel.

Answer: The department’s home-to-school travel policy aims to make sure that no child is prevented from accessing education by a lack of transport. Children of compulsory school age, 5 to 16, are eligible for free travel if they attend their nearest suitable school and live more than the statutory walking distance from it. The statutory distance is 2 miles for children under 8 and 3 miles for children aged 8 and over. Children are also eligible if they cannot reasonably be expected to walk to school due to special educational needs, disability or mobility problems, or the safety of the route. There are extended rights to free travel for children from low-income households intended to support school choice.

Secondary information