Can dd have free school transport to a school out of catchment without her having a statement?

[marne2]

Hi, dd1 will be starting high school next year, she has a dx of Aspergers, hypermobility and fluctuating muscle tone and has suspected dyspraxia, she is not statemented. We have chosen a school which is small and friendly and is only 4 miles away, the school catchment area has been changed slightly, apparently we are now in the catchment area but not for free transport, there is a bus that goes through our village but we have to pay £150 a term which would be more expensive than me driving dd1 myself. I am happy to drive her to school but will struggle to pick her up as I have to pick dd2 up from another school at roughly the same time.

Will we be able to get transport because the other school in the catchment is not suitable for her? Or would she not be entitled due to not having a statement?

Are you in the uk? If she starts next year how do you know she will definitely have a place there yet? In the uk parents haven't even applied for places for next year yet.
If you are choosingto send her out of catchment then she probably won't be entitled to free transport unless she has a statement of special needs that states she must go to this school. Somebody may correct me here though.
Generally local authorities aren't very interested in your logistics, especially if you have chosen the school over a school that is much closer to you.

We are almost guaranteed a place, we are in the uk but there is no shortage of school places here ( we are quite rural ), this school is usually the less popular of the 2 schools, is more popular for children with mild sn's as there is no sn school that caters for mild- moderate sn's/ld. Dd1s teacher said he will look into the transport side of things for us but so far he hasn't.

I agree with smartie. The LA will expect you to sort out transport if you have picked a school further away and there is a closer school with a place available for your DD.

The other school is almost 10 miles away but used to be the only school in our catchment, even though the school we have chosen is closer we just miss the catchment ( which seems silly as it's only a few miles down the road ).

But even though the other school is further, because it is your catchment school and it is over 3 miles away then the LA has to provide transport. They don't have to provide transport for a school that you are not in catchment for.
Most LAs have their transport policy on their website so have a look at the criteria or give them a call.

i think it would be unlikely you would get transport - transport is one area that LA have started to play hardball over even for children with statements and they will deem it as parental choice not to go to the catchment school - my elder child goes out of county to a special school and has a statement and I have to transport him every day myself so it prevents me from even having a job but the right school placement was more important - we use his dla to fund the travel costs. my friend has also chosen a school out of catchment for her son with the same difficulties as your daughter - there is a bus and she is also having to pay the cost of the transport and he has a statement but the LA would say the closer school could have met his needs so again its parental choice - that all said you could phone and ask them and see what they say

I have emailed transport to ask ( no harm in asking ), part of our village is in the catchment but I'm not sure which part, I have a feeling it just misses us. The bus picks up right outside my house. The school agreed to take kids from our village a few years ago but for some reason will not provide free transport. I'm not going to pay £150 for the bus as it will cost me less to drive, hopefully I can find another parent to bring dd1 home or I will have to get her to hang around outside school until I can collect her.