School Buses in the UK

I can see why you're worried if he has to take public transport and never has before.  I grew up in small, rural town and never took any type of public transport until I was in Uni and all my friends had to show me how it was done. Took me a long time before I felt comfortable enough on my own.  I would have been terrified at the age of 14 of moving to a brand new country and having to do so on my own.  I was not an adventurous kid at all. Very shy.  Heck, we have so many grown up people who come onto this site terrified of having to take the bus and how to do it.  So I think your fears are justified!
 
I think it sounds like a good plan to take the bus/train with him around when you first move, just so you can get used to and he can feel comfortable.  Even if its just to the shops or whatever and not to school. 

If its walking, you could just walk it together at somepoint before school starts, if he'll walk with his mom    but in that case, you could not make a big deal about, but rather, once you first move, "Oh, let's walk to the school so that we all know where it is"

Good luck with your move!! 

He is 14, so not a little child anymore but has never taken public transport so it will be a new thing for him. At the beginning, I am going to either walk with him (if he is not embarrassed of walking with mom) or take the bus with him until he feels comfortable on his own. Am I being over protective? I know over there is the everyday thing, so I guess it will be another thing to adjust. So sad there aren't yellow buses.

I don't think you're being overprotective at all.  I had never ridden a public transport bus until I arrived here and I (at 27-years-old) was nervous about it...so I can definitely see where it could be a concern for a 14-year-old!

If he makes friends quickly, it probably won't be a big deal as he'll be riding/walking with them and you'll both feel more comfortable about it (so he doesn't miss his stop and end up 2 miles the wrong direction or something like that).

This is a side note, but I think that it's really good that kids in the UK find their own way to school most of the time.  I lived .5 miles away from my middle school and high school (one was in front of the other), through a residential development and then a park, and not only was a bus provided for me to get to school but I wasn't ALLOWED to walk to and from school.  The rule wasn't my parents', the school would suspend me (!!!).  How crazy is that? Talk about being overprotective, huh?   

My home school district in PA had no buses at all. 

We have 10 elementary schools, the idea being the kids are close enough to walk. 
5 middle schools, walk a little further or take a city bus. 
2 High schools, take a city bus or drive yourself. 

Like an OP mentioned your son's school should have a travel plan based on how far away from the school you'll be living.  If you can find that out, you can start to make plans for how your son will be travelling to school.

I know the local Comprehensive (High School) in our village uses the Bright Bus, for their students that live in neighbouring villages, as they expect the students within the village to walk to school.  I don't know the particulars, but I believe a few other schools use them as well.  It's a fare paying bus, but only for students.

Check out the local LEA (Local Education Authority) regulations. 

In our area the usual rules about being a certain distance away apply.  My primary school aged son gets a school bus (free) to the school in the next village - however the bus also takes regular passengers at the same time.  When my daughter had to travel into the local high school she also got a school bus (free) until she was 16.  This was a dedicated school bus with no public on board.

I think issues arise when children don't go to either their local school or the one they were given by the LEA, ie their parents make a choice to send them somewhere else.  In that case I don't think the LEA is obliged to provide transportation although some still do.

I think issues arise when children don't go to either their local school or the one they were given by the LEA, ie their parents make a choice to send them somewhere else.  In that case I don't think the LEA is obliged to provide transportation although some still do.

One note that may not apply here, but I thought I'd put in case it helps anyone is that the rules may apply differently if a child is statemented.  I've been able to get assistance with transportation (taxi) costs for children on my social work caseload that live out of area because of their having statements for learning concerns.

My kids had a good hike to primary and middle schools, then took the public bus to high school. They went (by choice) to a school further away but even if they had opted for the closer high school they would have had to take the bus most of the time.  When my son and I returned to suburban Boston, there was no such thing as a yellow school bus for his new high school so he had to walk (or run as he was often late!)
Growing up in the same suburban town, I had had to use "Shank's mare" as well. We did have a bus briefly when I was in elementary school but then they redistricted us to a closer school and did away with the bus. But as I had only one more year in elementary they allowed me to finish at that school -- but walk. Occasionally my friends and I would get rides from someone's dad but mostly we walked.
I think the public bus is a better idea because if they miss the school bus they've had it. There's always another public bus along and, although they might be late, at least they'll get there.

When we moved to the UK, our kids were in middle school and they walked.  I walked with them, to and from for a few weeks, until they felt confident about finding their own way.  We parted ways on a side street nearby and they met me back there at the end of the day. 

Our catchment included outlying villages so there was a bus for them but generally speaking, there was no school transportation.  Also, in our LEA if your child is allocated to a school outside of catchment and it is more than 3 miles from home, they are obligated to provide transport - this quite often, is via taxi.