Travel to School
Concessionary Transport: North Somerset does not provide transport beyond the compulsory age of 16, except for those with special needs. There is a concessionary travel scheme whereby a student not entitled to transport may be able to take up a spare seat on a hired vehicle. For enquiries, please contact North Somerset Council's home to school transport department, on 01934 634715.
Public Bus: Most students travelling by bus from the Bristol or Weston-super-Mare areas obtain a First student bus pass, which can be purchased via the First Group Website, here. Students in full-time education can obtain up to 20% discount on all tickets across the West of England (Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare and Wells). They must show a valid form of photo ID to the driver on every journey to receive the discount, e.g., a valid NUS card. For further information, click here
Out of Catchment Coach Service: The school runs a paying coach service covering South Bristol and Long Ashton. Sixth form students are also welcome to apply for a place on one of these buses. Places are limited and offered on a first-come-first-served basis. Please see the Travel to School page for more information and details on how to apply.
Driving to School: Students wishing to drive to school may be able to apply for a permit to park on the school site. However, please be aware that parking space is extremely limited and, in practice, permits are only issued to students in Year 13 who are unable to use public transport. Priority is always given to students with a greater distance to travel. If students wish to drive to school and park offsite, we ask them to do so sensibly and give consideration to Backwell residents.
Request to park a car on the school site
Request to park a motorcycle/scooter on the school site
Bicycles: There is parking for bicycles on school grounds.
Train: For students wishing to travel by train, substantial savings can be made on the cost of travel. Students aged 16 and 17 are eligible for the 16-17 Saver for £30 per year, which will allow them 50% discount off standard Anytime, Off-Peak, Advance and Season tickets. It is valid for one year or until their 18th birthday, whichever comes first. They must keep it with them when they travel (on their phone or in their wallet). For further information and to apply for a 16-17 Saver, click here
GWR offer a Scholar Season ticket for 16 to 18 year olds who are in full-time study. The Scholar Season ticket is valid for a specific, regular journey to and from school/college on Monday to Friday only, and can be bought either termly, or as a block of three terms (Term 1 is from September to December; Term 2 is from January to Easter and Term 3 is from Easter to July).
It must be purchased before the student’s 18th birthday and offers a substantial saving on the price of an equivalent standard Adult Season ticket.
If you are interested in purchasing a GWR Scholar Season ticket, you will need to call GWR direct on 0345 766 0228 (Option 2).
This line is available between 8.00 am and 6.00 pm, from Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can apply by email to business.direct@gwr.com, stating both your departure and destination station.
Payment can be made by credit or debit card. To enjoy the best discount on the cost of a Scholar Season ticket, it is worth purchasing the 16-17 Saver. If you buy a Scholar Season ticket before your 16-17 Saver expires, you can keep using the season ticket for up to four months after the expiry.
For students aged 18 and over, it may be worth considering purchasing an Adult Season ticket to save substantially on the cost of a regular train journey. For further information, click here
Students may also wish to consider buying a 16-25 Railcard, which will give 1/3 off standard rail tickets; this costs £30 for a year. However, we would point out that this discount does not apply for journeys before 10.00 am (a minimum fare of £12 is payable), so it is therefore not very useful for school travel. For more information and details on how to apply, click here
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NB. The 16-19 Bursary Fund makes it possible for students to claim back some of the costs they incur in travelling to school. However, this is a means-tested scheme with a limited pot of money for the school to allocate. Details and application forms below.
