Pupil benefits

These are for pupils whose parents receive certain Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and Inland Revenue Tax Credits. The Learning Trust provides clothing vouchers at age 11+ for pupils transferring from primary to secondary school, and free school meals.

Pupils or parents temporarily housed outside the borough by Hackney Council can get help with travel fares to school and clothing vouchers if the borough they are in does not provide such benefits.

School meals
School meals are available for a standard charge. Schools can also arrange meals for children who have special diets due to religious or health reasons. You can ask the Headteacher about this. Your child can have free school meals if you get: Income Support; income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance; Child Tax Credit and your annual income is no more than £14,155 and you do not get Working Tax Credit; if you receive the guarantee element of State Pension; or you receive Support under part Vl of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

You can ask for an application form from Pupil Benefits on 020 8820 7248.

Clothing grants
A clothing grant is available to pupils transferring from primary to secondary school at age 11. The grant is paid in vouchers (£60), which can only be exchanged for clothing suitable for school.

Help with travel fares to school
Children under the age of 16 are entitled to travel free on London buses, this will be extended to 18 year olds from September 2006. We normally only give free tube and /or train travel to children who live in Hackney if we cannot find a suitable place for them at a school within 3 miles of their home.

Where this can be shown, parents must also prove that they have applied to all the nearest schools and have been refused a place. This is known as the ‘Nearest Schools Policy’.

We will only take into consideration religious preferences if you have already applied and have been refused a place at any other nearer equivalent religious school. We do not consider preferences for single-sex or mixed-gender schools.

Threshold distance
To qualify for help with travel to school, your child must attend a school 3 miles or more from the home address. This is called the ‘threshold distance’. The nearest schools policy also applies as above.

Types of schools
Only pupils attending an LEA-maintained school will qualify for help with fares. However, if your child attends a particular school because they have a statement of special educational needs, they may also qualify for help with fares.

Special educational needs
Pupils can get help with fares if they travel by public transport to a particular school because they have a statement of special needs. The SEN Code of Practice says that your preferred school may be further away from your home than another school that can meet your child’s needs. If this is the case, The Learning Trust has the right to name the nearer school because it has to use its resources efficiently. The Trust would be willing to name the school you prefer so long as you pay for the cost of travel.

Exceptions on medical grounds
The Chief Executive of The Learning Trust may not apply the threshold distance if your child has advanced medical reasons which can be supported with professional medical evidence.

Financial help
We will pay for the cheapest form of travel from home to school unless the cheapest form of travel makes the journey too difficult or there are medical reasons why your child cannot travel by the cheapest method. If this is the case, we will need to see evidence.

Schools outside Hackney
The Nearest Schools Policy applies. See above.

Help with travel fares for pupils and students over 16
Pupils/students who receive an Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) are not entitled to help with home-toschool transport unless they can show an exceptional case for extra support. Exceptional cases could include pupils/students with a significant special educational need or where travel cost at the cheapest rate is more than £10 per week.

Returning your pass
You must return your free travel pass to Pupil Benefits straight away if your child leaves the school, moves to another school or moves to another address.

Lost passes
We will only replace lost travel passes once a term for each pupil.

Other considerations
The Learning Trust will consider any applications outside the terms of this policy, but will not normally depart from it.

The Learning Trust can at any time make changes to the existing pupil benefits and travel policies.

If you want an application form for any of the above, call pupil benefits on 020 8820 7245.