Transport to Dartford/Wilmington Girls schools & Tonbrid

PW Mum · Post by **PW Mum** » Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:27 am

Hi everyone the time is looming soon to start looking at schools for my dd. I live in Petts Wood and I understand there is a coach you can catch to Dartford/Wilmington - is this true?

Any idea where about it stops in Petts Wood?
How long is the journey?
Does it restrict after school activities if kids need to get the coach or is there an alternative tranport option. What time does the coach leave?

Also I am keeping my option open and looking at Tonbridge which would be a train from Orpington - has anyone any experience of this journey?
Thank you, looking forward to your responses

PW Mum

New shoes · Post by **New shoes** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 4:21 pm

Hi. There are several coaches that serve the Orpington and Petts Wood area taking children to the Wilmington and Dartford Grammar schools. There are operated by North Kent School Transport. All the details are given at the individual school open evening and there is usually a representative there to answer your questions. In addition a coach timetable is available so you can see exactly which stop is most suitable.I believe the Petts Wood coach stops outside Morrisons as well as Towncourt Road and Chislehurst Road but there maybe more. We don't live too far from yourselves and my daughter has been using this service for 2 years and we have found it very reliable.It usually leaves around 7.40am and usually arrives about 8.15am so they children are in school before the start of the day even allowing for traffic problems. Coming home I have seen the Petts Wood coach dropping off as early as 4.10pm.Although there is only one coach in the morning and again in the evening alot of the school clubs tend to happen at lunchtime as so many pupils have a way to travel.Hope this helps.

muse · Post by **muse** » Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:53 pm

Hi PW mum,
We live in Petts Wood and my dd is at Tonbridge(yr

.She catches train from PW and changes at Orpington.
there has always been other Togs girls on the train going to Orpington from Bickley,Chislehurst etc. At Orpington theres around 30 of them .
If your dd gained a place at Togs they would make sure there are other girls from your area in her class
As for the journey itself my dd has never had any problems getting a train to school even in the bad weather and only a handfull of times has the train been late coming home.
Behaviour wise its pretty civilised the worst thing thats happened was a group of Judd boys flicking ink but thats just boys being boys certainly a dam site better than some of the bus journeys
Only draw back is you have to pay but apparently its cheaper than the coach to Wilmington.

PW Mum · Post by **PW Mum** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 12:01 pm

Hi

Sorry for coming back so late wih my thanks - forgot my password.

I went to see Tonbridge girls school - absolutely loved it - fabulous head teacher!

perplexed · Post by **perplexed** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 4:44 pm

What is the walk from Tonbridge Station to TOGS like?

tonbridgemum · Post by **tonbridgemum** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:34 pm

Perplexed - the walk from the station would take about 10 mins and although there are two busy roads to cross, there are Pelican crossings at both so its a pretty safe walk. Also as the roads/pavements in that direction are used by not only TOGS girls its well used, well lit and plenty of people about.

Kent99 · Post by **Kent99** » Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:49 pm

I think that there are a total of 6 roads to cross, the two busiest of which have pedestrian crossings. It seems to be the fashion among some of the youngest girls to run across Pembury road between cars rather than use the crossing. I gather that every few years or so someone gets hit and then they all behave for a while...

That said, there are positive hordes of girls walking between station and school which means that there is a certain safety in numbers.

perplexed · Post by **perplexed** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 7:54 am

Oh good that sounds a shorter walk than I thought. It sounds as though despite the academic selection the dicing with death method is still used.

TOGS is only a vague future possibility for us, but it's quite an awkward journey from where we currently live. A not very easy walk at this end, followed by a train ride. I then thought it was more than 10 mins at the Tonbridge end, particularly at the speed that teenagers seem to dawdle along at these days.

But it sounds like I can keep it on my possibilities list.

Thanks for the replies.

tonbridgemum · Post by **tonbridgemum** » Sat Jul 19, 2008 3:20 pm

Yes, it is only 10 minutes - although it does include an up walk hill for half the way there...so i guess, depending on your daughter, could take a few minutes more on the way and less on the way back!

I regularly sit patiently in my car, as a steady line of girls busy chatting walk in front of my car on one of the minor roads on the hill up... still no road sense as a teenager it seems.
I sit and bark at my 10 year old son in the back how he would never do that..would he?!

hughfarn · Post by **hughfarn** » Sun Mar 14, 2010 7:10 am

I have found a web site for North Kent School Transport (nkst.co.uk) which may answer a lot of questions

Transport to Dartford/Wilmington Girls schools & Tonbrid

Transport to Dartford/Wilmington Girls schools & Tonbrid

Transport to Wilmington Grammar and Dartford Grammar

Transport to Wilmington Grammar and Dartford Grammar