Newcastle City Council Post 16 Transport Statement 2026/27
This Transport Policy Statement is published in accordance with sections 508F, 508G, 509AA and 509AB of the Education Act 1996 and the Department for Education (DfE) statutory guidance: Post‑16 Transport to Education and Training.
Local authorities must have regard to this guidance when developing and publishing their annual statements. There is no automatic entitlement to free transport for learners once they are over compulsory school age; however, councils must set out the transport arrangements they consider necessary to facilitate participation in education and training.
Compulsory school age ends on the last Friday in June in the school year in which a child turns 16. This is normally at the end of Year 11. The people that are within scope of this statement includes those:
- aged 16 to 18
- continuing learners who started a course before their 19th birthday
- young adults aged 19 to 25 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
Newcastle City Council will provide travel assistance to eligible learners aged 16 to 25 where it considers this is necessary to support access to education or training, having regard to individual need, proportionality and effective use of public funds.