Post-16 Transport

Parents/carers of post 16 students do have two transport assistance options available to them:

1. Personal Transport Budget (PTB)
2. Council arranged transport (subject to a fee payable to the Council)

A Personal Transport Budget (PTB) is money that is paid at the council's discretion to parents or carers of students with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) who are eligible for travel assistance. For most Kite Ridge students, a PTB is not suitable due to their needs. Most students use council arranged transport which is free up until the end of Year 11 (end of KS4). 

Kite Ridge School does not manage decisions around Home to School transport, this is managed by Buckinghamshire Council. There is a 3 step process to an application - first it must be approved by the SEND Team, next a Transport Assessment must take place and then once this has been completed and accepted the Client Transport Officer will put this in place. The criteria to be accepted for Council funded transport can be found here.

The cost of post-16 transport varies year-on-year but for 2026–27 the cost is as follows:

Number of days travelled per week	Annual fee 2026/27 academic year
5 days per week	£1,126
4 days per week	£901
3 days per week	£675
2 days per week	£450
1 day per week	£224

The fee contribution is a fixed amount for council-arranged transport. This is not the full cost. The fee stays the same, no matter when you start or stop using the transport. The payment must be made in a lump sum or through a payment plan. Transport will not be arranged until payment has been received by the Council.

Once transport is in place you can apply for a reduced fee. You can only apply if you can show financial hardship.

If you qualify for the reduced annual fee, the cost will be:

Number of days travelled per week	Annual fee 2026/27 academic year
5 days per week	£751
4 days per week	£600
3 days per week	£450
2 days per week	£300
1 day per week	£150

To qualify for the reduced fee, you’ll need to provide evidence that your household income is less than £21,000 before any deductions. Household income is the total combined weekly or annual income of everyone living in a private household, including earnings, benefits, pensions, and investments.

If there are any issues with funding for transport you must contact the Council directly. If you are experiencing severe financial hardship you must complete the full application and follow the process explained here. 

For more information from Buckinghamshire Council about post-16 transport, please click here.

Bursaries

We understand that the Country is in a cost of living crisis and that finances are an important consideration for many families. We appreciate that some parents may wish to enquire about financial support, particularly to help with post-16 transport costs.

There are two types of bursary that are typically recommended to Parents and Carers, these are the Discretionary 16-19 Bursary and the Vulnerable Groups Bursary. Kite Ridge School does not receive Discretionary 16-19 bursary funding. The Vulnerable Groups Bursary is offered by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and while our students should be entitled to it based on the criteria provided, they are only entitled if they have the capacity to be able to claim their DLA or PIP payments in their own right. If their parent claims the benefit for them then they are not entitled to the Bursary.

Kite Ridge School is a specialist provision and as such we are funded differently to other Schools within Buckinghamshire. We do not receive any bursary funding or financial assistance from external organisations, charities, or government sources. As a result, we are unfortunately unable to offer bursaries or means-tested financial support to families. 

Free School Meals

Eligibility for Free School Meals is changing from the 2026-27 academic year.

Going forward there will be two categories of eligibility, Targeted and Expanded.

Parents in receipt of the following benefits will be entitled to FSM for their children under the Targeted category -
• Universal Credit and the household income is below £7400 per year as assessed by HMRC
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Income Based Employment and Support Allowance
• Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit
• Families eligible under the No Recourse to Public Funds criteria (NRPF)

Children eligible through the Targeted category will be entitled to Free School Meals, be included in funding provided to schools for the Deprivation Pupil Premium and will be eligible for Holiday Access Fund vouchers (while the scheme is provided). This may also help with eligibility for Free School Transport. The additional support would also be available for children who would receive a free school meal due to being taught in the Reception, 1 and 2 year groups if their parents were receiving one of the qualifying benefits and made a claim.

Parents in receipt of the following benefits will be entitled to FSM under the Expanded category -
• Universal Credit and the household income is above £7400 per year as assessed by HMRC

Children eligible through the Expanded category will be entitled to Free School Meals only. No other additional support is available through this category of eligibility.

In order to apply for Free School Meals, please complete the application form below. This is also sent home at the end of each Academic Year ready for the next year's eligibility checks.

These eligibility checks are completed by Buckinghamshire Council and Kite Ridge School does not make any decisions about eligibility. 

If you have any concerns regarding FSM please contact us and we will do our best to help.