Buy a vacant seat for children and young people going to special school
If your child or a young person doesn’t get free school transport, you might still be able to buy an empty seat if they:
- have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan
- don’t get free school transport on another route
Should you try the vacant seat scheme?
Children and young people who get free transport are always given seats first. This means:
- your child might have to get on the bus at a different stop, not always close to your home
- we may take their seat away if someone who gets free transport needs it
- we may take their seat away if the bus gets changed to a smaller one
- we only know for sure if there are seats to sell in November.
How much does it cost?
Prices (from September 2025):
- Primary school: £94.35 each term (6 terms in a year)
- Secondary school and sixth form: £188.70 each term (6 terms in a year)
How to continue your travel in the new school year
You need to apply again every year to keep a vacant seat. Most of the time, we can’t tell you if you have a seat until November, so you’ll need to make other plans before then. Sometimes we can’t keep offering a vacant seat on your route.
Apply for a vacant seat for children, young people or adult learners with an EHCP
Send us an email with:
- your child or young person’s details
- proof they have an EHC plan
- your home address and their school address
We try to reply within 10 working days. If you apply in the summer or before October, we reply in November.
Email: Specialist Transport Team
Phone: 01273 335067