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 2023/24.

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 2023/24 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
E119	Golden Boy Coaches	Edwinstree C of E Middle School, Freman College	Braughing, Standon, Puckeridge
E120	Landmark Coaches	Freman College	Standon, Puckeridge
E129	Chariots for Hire	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	Cozy Travel	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, St Peters Green
E173	AAA Transport Services Ltd	Katherine Warington School	Wheathampstead
E174	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	Katherine Warrington School, St Georges School	Wheathampstead
E175	Welham Travel	Katherine Warrington School	Whitwell, Kimpton, Blackmore End
E176	Britannia	Roundwood Park School, Roundwood Primary School, Sir John Lawes School	Whitwell, Kimpton, Blackmore End
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
E2	Welham Travel Ltd	Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The)	Albury, Bury Green
E6	HertsLynx	Avanti Grange	Hadhams, Furneax Pelham
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
E4	Chariots for Hire	Birchwood High School, Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The), Hockerill Anglo-European College	South End, Perry Green, Green Tye
E40	Golden Boy Coaches	Chancellors School	Cuffley
E429	A1 Minibus	Long Marston JMI	Whilstone, Gubblecote, Long Marston
E446	Richard Taylor Travel & Partners	St Albans Girls' School	Kimpton, Blackmore End, Wheathampstead, Harpenden
E5	Acme Transport Services	Birchwood High School, Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The)	Hadham Cross, Little Hadham
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	Birchwood High School, Bishop's Stortford High School, Herts and Essex High School & Science College (The)	Furneux Pelham, Albury
E85	Golden Boy Coaches	Presdales School	Hertford Heath
E86	Golden Boy Coaches	Chauncy School, Presdales School	Dane End, Sacombe, Tonwell, Bengeo
E901	Britannia	Sandringham School	Blackmore End, Wheathampstead

Who’s eligible
How to apply
Prices (23/24 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 of low income families, but are above the level for free transport. See the home to school transport policy for more detail.
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.

Applications and payments for spare seats for the next academic year must be received by the last day of the summer term. If you need to pay by cheque, send it with your application form.

We can’t offer spare seats until we’ve processed all applications. This means we won’t issue tickets until the start of the autumn term.

So make sure you have alternative travel arrangements in place for September.

Prices (23/24 academic year)

Miles (home to school)	Charge per pupil
0 – 2.99	£882
3 – 4.99	£1,176
5 – 6.99	£1,350
7 and over	£1,554

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.

If you've already sent a cheque with your application form, we'll cash it once your seat has been agreed.

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 (23/24 academic year)

Rate this page