Secondary School Transport in Surrey Heath
Many families struggle to access transport to secondary schools such as Collingwood College, Charters School, and St John the Baptist. Parents often assume a school place guarantees transport, only to find out too late they’re ineligible. The system is unclear, with separate school and transport applications causing confusion and stress. When transport is unavailable or unaffordable, families rely on cars — increasing congestion. In semi-rural areas, it is not acceptable to expect children to walk along dangerous road walking routes unsafe walking routes and limited services make daily commutes especially difficult.
🚍 School Transport Challenges in Surrey Heath (Complete Survey): Summary of Key Issues
Families across Surrey Heath are increasingly frustrated with a school transport system that feels unclear, inconsistent, and unfair. Parents have highlighted the following concerns:
❓ Confusing and inconsistent eligibility - Similar families in the same neighbourhood receive different outcomes, with little clarity on how decisions are made.
📝 Appeals are the norm, not the exception - Even where no safe walking route exists, parents are forced through lengthy and stressful appeals processes — wasting time and public money.
🏫 No link between school offers and transport provision - Many children are allocated schools miles away (e.g. Charters, Collingwood, SJB) but with no transport in place — especially from Chobham, Lightwater, and Windlesham.
💷 Unaffordable costs - Some families pay over £145 per month, per child. This hits lower-income and working households hard and makes access to suitable schools feel like a financial penalty.
👨👩👧👦 Pressure on working parents - Parents report reducing work hours, rearranging shifts, or quitting jobs altogether to cover school runs, due to a lack of alternatives.
🕔 No transport for after-school clubs - Pupils are discouraged from participating in extracurriculars because there’s no late return service — creating inequality in access to enrichment.
♿ Vulnerable children face greater barriers - Those with additional needs or anxiety struggle with long, indirect, or unsafe journeys. Some routes involve walking along 50mph roads or through woods with no pavement.
📞 Poor communication and unclear rules - Parents describe the application and appeals process as opaque, slow, and stressful — with inconsistent decisions and little accountability.
The Result? - A postcode lottery that penalises families for choosing the right school for their child, fuels road congestion, limits opportunity, and causes unnecessary emotional and financial distress.
If you would like to have your say, please complete Al's Secondary School Transport Survey so he can reflect your concerns in Parliament: please click here for the survey