School Bus Service

Below are shown the timings for the routes which we are intending to operate from September 2021, together with a summary of the requirements for using the service and the costs involved per term.

Charges will be added to bills on a termly basis.

Routes are reviewed on an annual basis in order to meet the demands of parents.

A place on the school bus must be booked in advance. All departure and arrival times are subject to change due to varying traffic and weather conditions.

Inbound

Route 1- Leicester              Operated by Woods Coaches

Route 2A – Charnwood         Operated by School Transport

Route 2B – Charnwood       Operated by School Transport

Route 3A Week 1 – Nottingham        Operated by School Transport

Route 3B Week 2 – Nottingham      Operated by School Transport 

Route 4 – Belvoir                 Operated by School Transport

Outbound

The evening departure from school will leave school at 6:20pm

In previous years, numbers of students using the evening services have generally been lower that the mornings, which has meant some stops have not been necessary and routes have been shortened as a consequence. The details shown below reflect the full service, which will almost certainly reduce once the actual bookings are received.

Route 1 – Leicester                 Operated by Woods Coaches

Route 2A – Charnwood         Operated by School Transport

Route 2B – Charnwood         Operated by School Transport

Route 3A – Nottingham        Operated by School Transport

Route 3B – Nottingham        Operated by School Transport

Route 4 – Belvoir                 Operated by School Transport 

Discounts

There is a discount of 50% off the cost of the outbound journey when booked with an inbound journey. A discount of 50% is offered to siblings.

Guidelines on Using the Bus

Pupils must arrive at their stop five minutes before the advertised pick up time. Pupils must wait at the bus stop and not in cars. If the drivers do not see anyone at the stop, they will not stop. The school will follow Government guidelines on social distancing and face coverings may need to be worn. Please ensure the bus is filled from the rear seats forward, in family and year group bubbles to comply with this requirement.

Where bus passes are issued, they must be shown to the driver on all journeys. If your son/daughter has a mobile phone it is a good idea to take a photo of the bus pass in case they forget or lose it.

Coach and mini bus drivers aim to reach each stop at the advertised pick-up time. However, unforeseen circumstances with traffic delays/adverse weather conditions can result in coaches and minibuses, being delayed at certain stops. On these occasions, pupils must follow the instructions below:

If your bus is late in the morning:

Wait 10 minutes; the most senior pupil should ring the coach company / minibus driver.

If the bus does not arrive by the new time given by the coach company, please ring Ratcliffe College on 01509 817000

Follow the instructions given to you and please be patient. A replacement vehicle will get to you as soon as

General Information:

All students may use the bus service provided they have parental consent and are able to get on and off the coach/minibus and fasten and unfasten seatbelts themselves. The coaches/minibuses only have a driver and the School does not provide staff to travel, assist or supervise. Therefore students should be in Year 5 or above. Consideration may be given to younger pupils where they are accompanied by siblings who are in Year 8 or above.

School rules apply on the bus and any student who misbehaves will be subject to School discipline. In appropriate cases, the School will suspend the student’s right to travel on the bus for a period, or indefinitely, without the return of all or some part of the charge.

Please note individual route timings are subject to change depending upon actual usage.

Timings will be confirmed at time of booking, if booked during term time or at the start of the academic year.

All charges listed above are per term and will be billed termly.

Queries and bookings should be directed to sdavison@ratcliffecollege.com

New Pick up locations

• Each academic year pick up locations are reviewed.

•Parents are invited to suggest new locations during the second half of the Summer Term, which will be considered over the summer holiday period, when the planning the new routes for 2021/2022 takes place.

• Where sufficient demand for new locations is viable or we are able to adapt current routes (subject to journey time restrictions), changes may be possible.

• New timetables will be issued shortly prior to the start of the new academic year and timings given above are subject to change.