School Transport

People who live within the designated catchment area and three miles or more from school may have free transport. At the discretion of the bus company and at a fare set by the company, pupils within the three-mile limit may be transported if space permits. About 40% of pupils attending Inverurie Academy travel to school by bus. The buses are timed to arrive at Inverurie Academy between 8.20 am and 8.35 am allowing pupils plenty of time to get to their registration rooms by 8.39am. Parents should check the departure time of the bus their child would use and if the pick-up point is somewhere along the bus route the earliest time that the bus can be at that point. Children often arrive at school rather wet as a result of waiting in the rain for the bus. A light-weight cagoule which can be easily carried in the school bag is ideal for such occasions. On every bus there are a few senior pupils who are asked to act as bus prefects. These pupils may be either school prefects or senior pupils appointed as bus prefects. Their duties as bus prefects will be to comfort any pupil feeling ill and in distress, to pass on complaints from junior pupils to the appropriate member of staff and to be on the lookout for any bad behaviour or acts of vandalism on the bus. They are asked, for their own sakes to report any such acts to a member of staff rather than to take action themselves. Children should follow any instructions given to them by the bus driver without argument. Repeated failure to do so could result in the withdrawal of the ticket issued by the Authority. This could also be the case in instances of bad behaviour or vandalism; the parent would then be responsible for the child's transport to school. Pupils should carry a valid bus pass with them at all times as drivers are required to make checks. Pupils without a bus pass may be asked to pay their fare. The loss of a bus pass should be reported to the school office so that arrangements can be made to replace it. A replacement charge pf £2.00 is made by all bus companies. Pupils who wish to remain in school after 3.40 pm (eg to play sport, attend excursions and visits, choir practice, etc) can obtain a late bus pass from the school office at 3.40 pm. Only in special circumstances will bus passes be issued earlier in the day.