We provide school crossing patrols and operate a school transport policy that is more generous than the law requires.

Our home-to-school transport provision is among the most generous of any Scottish local authority.

We provide free school transport if your child:

• Lives more than one mile away from their catchment primary school (by the shortest acceptable walking route).
• Lives more than three miles away from their catchment secondary school (by the shortest acceptable walking route).
• Has been recommended on health grounds by a designated medical officer.
• Has been assessed to attend a school to meet the requirements of their additional support needs (these assessments involve Psychological Services who also recommend appropriate transport arrangements).
• Has to walk a route, which after being assessed, does not meet the acceptable criteria for a walking route (routes are assessed based on adult accompaniment on the route).

Please note that the eligibility criteria for primary school pupils will change to two miles from August 2025.

Catchment school and transport eligibility

We receive a lot of enquiries regarding catchment school and transport eligibility. Please use the school catchment and transport eligibility checker below.

Types of transport

For primary and secondary school pupils, we identify needs and work with Strathclyde Partnership Transport (SPT), who find operators for us.

We make all arrangements for pupils with additional support needs.

The type of transport depends on a variety of factors and we take all circumstances into account when making a decision.

This can result in any of the following:

• dedicated school contract bus (service solely for pupils)
• bus pass on local service bus (which can either be a commercial or subsidised local service also carrying members of the public)
• train pass on service train
• taxi or private hire cars and minibuses
• our own transport vehicles

Free transport normally covers one return journey to school in the morning and home at the end of the school day. Parents of pupils wishing to return home for lunch have to make their own arrangements.

Special arrangements may be available locally to cover pupils taking part in school activities after the end of the normal school day.