Bus Services

For families who use the bus services serving Winterbourne Academy and the surrounding area, this page provides the latest school bus timetables and important information about routes, pick-up and drop-off times, and locations.

Local Authority-operated buses

**Please note, we currently do not have timescales or process information for the 427 or 459 service seat allocation from September 2025. This page will be updated as soon as we have received an update from the local authority.**

The following buses are operated by South Gloucestershire Council / West of England Combined Authority (WECA) and timetables effect from September 2024 can be found below:

427 timetable (Eurocoaches)
459 timetable (Eurocoaches)
Y6 timetable (First Bus)

The 427 & 459 bus drop-off and pick-up is at the back of the school in the bus park.

Any students starting at Winterbourne Academy who are eligible for free transport will be contacted directly by South Gloucestershire Council prior to their admission in September (usually by mid-June). If you feel your child may be entitled to free school transport and you haven't been contacted automatically, please speak to South Gloucestershire Council Student Access and Support Department on 01454 868008 or by emailing them at admissionsandtransport@southglos.gov.uk.

Services from September 2024

The 427 and 459 routes are primarily for Winterbourne Academy students who are entitled to school transport under South Gloucestershire Council's school travel assistance policy. However, where there are spare seats, the local authority can offer concessionary passes. Please note, there will be no spaces available to pay for on the day to ensure there are no capacity issues on the services. Concessionary application forms should be submitted to the local authority by 31st August 2024. If there are more applications that seats available, a draw will take place on 2nd September. There will be no cost to students who are entitled to transport. However, due to demand on the routes, students not entitled to school transport will need to pay £209 in advance if allocated a seat for September to Christmas, covering terms 1 and 2; then again before January for terms 3 and 4, and again before Easter for terms 5 and 6. For more information and FAQs on these concessionary passes and how to apply - Help with transport to and from school (concessionary travel scheme) | South Gloucestershire (southglos.gov.uk).

School-operated buses

Daily late bus

The school operates a daily late bus, which is a free service designed for students at Winterbourne Academy who have period 6 lessons or are participating in pre-approved extracurricular activities.

The late bus (Turners) departs from the front entrance to the school at 4.35pm each afternoon.

The route and timings of the late bus vary dependent on who is using the service and therefore it is important that students inform the driver of their intended destination as they board the bus. The general route consists of:

Bristol Road
Church Road, Frampton Cotterell
Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath
Left at the Badminton Road roundabout along the ring road towards Lyde Green, stopping at any metro bus stop on the way
Lyde Green
Emersons Green (Sainsbury’s only)
Turn and continue on Emersons Way and turn left onto Westerleigh Road
Turn right onto Westbourne Road, Downend (they will stop at either end on request)
Right onto Badminton Road
Not turning into Bromley Heath but stopping at the top of Four Acre Road or Oakdale Road
Badminton Road shops (The Horseshoe)
Along Downend Road towards the Straits Parade at Fishponds
Turn right into Manor Road
Continue onto Blackberry Hill
Continue onto Broom Hill
Right onto Frenchay Park Road
Along Bromley Heath Road
Continue onto Bristol Road
Left onto Ring Road
Carry along the Ring Road down to the new turning by the Holiday Inn towards Stoke Gifford
Across the roundabout towards Bradley Stoke
Along Bradley Stoke Way
Gloucester Road, Patchway
Gypsy Patch Lane

458 Service

This is a daily service at a cost of £209 per long term (i.e. £209 for Term 1 & 2, £209 for Term 3 & 4 and £209 for Term 5 & 6). This is the cost per student for a daily return journey. There are currently no concessions for reduced travel options. Students using this service will be required to show their bus pass on boarding. The timetable is:

07:20 Fishponds, Straits Parade
07:23 Downend, Grace Road
07:28 Downend, The Horseshoe
07:33 Downend, The Trident
07:38 Emersons Way, Bromfield Walk Bus Stop
07:40 Emersons Way, Church Farm Road
07:42 Emersons Way, Sainsburys
07:45 Lyde Green, Science Park Bus Stop
08:00 Winterbourne Academy

The afternoon service leaves from the bus park to the rear of the school.

15:20 Winterbourne Academy
15:30 Lyde Green, Science Park Bus Stop
15:32 Emersons Green, Sainsburys
15:35 Emersons Way, Church Farm Road
15:36 Emersons Way, Bromfield Walk Bus Stop
15:42 Downend, The Trident
15:47 Downend, The Horseshoe
15:52 Fishponds, Cassell Road,
15:55 Fishponds, Straits Parade

If you are interested in using this service, please contact the school for more information: enquiries@winterbourneacademy.org.uk.

Please note that there is currently a waiting list for seats on the 458 service.

OAT-operated buses

The Olympus Academy Trust provides an inter-school service for use by Post 16 students who have lessons at other Trust sites. This runs Monday-Friday between 7.50am - 5.15pm and the timetable is here. The bus does not operate when Post 16 students are out of lessons, e.g. Careers Week.

General information

Parent/carers are responsible for making sure that cycles, scooters and cars used to and from the Academy are legally safe. Students should ride in a manner which is safe and in keeping with the law. Cycles and scooters should be wheeled through the entrances and kept in the designated bicycle racks and should be secure. Under no circumstances should they be allowed in any part of the Academy building. The Academy will investigate damage to/theft of cycles but they are left at the owner’ risk. To avoid possible damage students should avoid loitering near cycles or any other vehicles. Motorised scooters are not permitted transport for any student aged 16 and under.

Acceptable behaviour

When travelling to and from school, please remember that students are representatives of Winterbourne Academy and are expected to behave both sensibly and safely at all times. Appropriate conduct on the buses is essential to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers. Any disruptive, unsafe, or inappropriate behaviour may result in students being refused entry to the bus service and will also be subject to the school’s normal sanctions.

Bus passes

It is obviously important to make sure that all are being used appropriately, particularly as there are no additional spaces. For this reason, please make sure if using the bus that your child always has their pass with them and expect this to be regularly checked. Buses have capacity limits which cannot be exceeded for safety, insurance and legality reasons. We can and will check passes against our list when students are boarding at school, and a local authority rep will be on board periodically to monitor the morning and afternoon services over the coming weeks, making having a correct pass very important. Any student without a pass should not get on the bus.

Lost bus passes

If your child has lost their pass for the 459 or the 427, please contact the South Glos Client Transport team at clienttransport@southglos.gov.uk or by phone on 01454 864110 / 863924 / 863925 / 862926. They will be able to reissue a bus pass and let the bus company know so that your child can continue to board while it is being processed.

Any lost passes for the 458 should reported to enquiries@winterbourneacademy.org.uk.