Bus Routes
The School is now partnering with Vectare, a specialist school transport software company to improve our transport offering. One of the key benefits of Vectare is the ability to view seat availability in real time. You no longer have to worry about whether there will be a seat for your child on their preferred route. Through the intuitive system, you can instantly see which seats are available and make a booking accordingly. This real-time visibility ensures that you can plan your child’s transportation more efficiently. Vectare have worked successfully with a number of other independent schools and feedback has been very positive.
With Vectare, you will receive alerts when your child has boarded the coach as senior school pupils will have to swipe on as they board the coach using either their School ID card or a QR code on their phone available at the time of booking. Prep school pupils will be logged on to the coach by the operator. This feature keeps you updated and reassures you that your child is safely on their way to their destination. Moreover, Vectare allows you to track the coach yourself through the dedicated transport portal. By accessing the parent portal, you can easily monitor the progress of the coach and have a clear idea of when your child will arrive at their destination.
Vectare also offer booking flexibility to parents. The portal allows you to either book your child’s transport for the whole year in one go or make one-off bookings as and when needed. To make the experience more accessible, Vectare is also available through the Vectare Passenger App. This mobile application allows you to manage your child’s transport bookings on the go, making it easier for you to stay connected and in control.
Bookings for the next academic year will be available at 9:00am on Wednesday 26th June, 2024, reservations can be made at https://svsprep.vectare.co.uk/. Please note that this link is for the Prep School only. This is now the only way to book school transport; the school can no longer take bookings directly.
If you have any questions about the bus routes, please contact the Prep School’s Admissions Officer, Miss Abigail Betts, on 01622 845800.
Train Routes
The School operates a bus to and from Headcorn Train Station. The morning bus collects pupils arriving on the 8.03am east-bound service (from Sevenoaks). Should pupils be arriving to Headcorn on a west-bound service (from Ashford), they must ensure that they arrive at Headcorn before 8.03am. The bus then leaves School at the end of the day (5.00pm on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday or 4.25pm on Wednesday and Friday) to return pupils to the station.
Headcorn Train Station is on the South Eastern Main Line, so is accessible from the east from Dover, Folkestone, Ashford and Pluckley. From the west, it is accessible from Staplehurst, Marden, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Hildenborough, Sevenoaks and Dunton Green as well as a number of South East London stations. To book a place on a bus to and from Headcorn station, please contact the School’s Finance Administrator, Mrs Julie Holderness, on 01622 845202.