Home School Transport
The responsibility for transport to and from the Academy rests with parents, however, free school transport is provided for some students. In such cases, it is the local authority who organise and are responsible for the provision of contracted services. The latest Derbyshire County Council transport timetable (updated September 2023) can be found here.
Please make sure your child is at their bus stop five minutes earlier than their pick up time. At the end of the academy day most buses will depart at 3.10pm, with the exception of three services which will depart at 3.30pm.
Below is other relevant information you need to know:
- Please use the turning circle to drop off students in the morning (opposite the Spread Eagle Public House)
- Please do NOT drive through the bus park to drop off or collect students
- Please do NOT stop to drop off students in the entrance to the bus park
- Please do not park in the bus park at the end of the academy day, as all students will be finishing at 3pm including bus students
- You can drop off students in the Derwent or Hilton Road Car park
- All three academy entrances will remain open (bus park, main drive and Derwent)
- Please make sure all students are in the academy by 8.35pm ready to be seated in registration at 8.40am
The Academy has a secure cycle storage facility for any student wishing to cycle to and from the Academy. This facility is locked during the Academy day. Students are expected to wear a cycle helmet.
Students within the normal Academy catchment area entitled to free transport:
- Students entitled to free school transport are usually those who live within catchment area but in excess of three miles from the Academy.
- Applications for a school bus pass should be made electronically at the following address: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/get2school or via South Derbyshire Student Services (telephone: 01629 537479 or email: admissions.transport@derbyshire.gov.uk).
- If a student moves house parents/guardians MUST inform Derbyshire County Council to ensure that the student is eligible to travel on the school bus (even if the same bus is used). For changes of address, the ‘Previous Address’ section of this form needs to be completed and submitted electronically: Derbyshire.gov.uk/applications/home:school transport
- Please note that applications may take a number of weeks to process (during this period of time, responsibility for home-school transport lies with the parent/guardian).
- John Port Spencer Academy requires all students to follow a code of conduct to ensure the journeys to and from the Academy are safe and pleasant for all students.
- Transport provision for students in this category is the responsibility of Derbyshire County Council.
- Derbyshire County Council will inform both the parent and the Academy which bus a child has been allocated to and the child’s bus reference number – this reference number will then be printed on the student’s ID card, which also doubles as a bus pass. If your child has lost their ID card and needs a temporary bus pass so they can travel to/from the Academy, they should ask at the Ashbourne Student Services Office
- Students wishing to change their assigned bus should see go to the Ashbourne Student Services Office for further advice.
Staff are on duty in the bus park at the end of the Academy day. If your child has lost or forgotten their bus fare, they should see a member of staff who will call home to arrange alternative transport.