Before we decide about the grammar school, want to check exactly if there are buses that go to The Crypt/Denmark road and Ribston from Forest of Dean.

Want to make sure it is an easy commute and that the buses go directly to each grammar school. Also, anyone know what time the buses reach the grammar schools.

Anyone have children travel in from Forest ? Thank you.

I would imagine it's best to look on the school websites and find the travel info. I've found contact details for the bus companies and they have sent timetables over

Willetts coaches have 3 coaches from the forest, however not all of the forest is covered.
If you are Lydney/Cinderford/Mitcheldean area you are OK but towards Berry Hill, Lydbrook etc is currently left out of the route.

I believe the all go to DRHS for 8.15 and then pupils swap onto Crypt/Ribston/Tommies buses
Its pretty expensive at £131 per month compared to public transport but the change in Stagecoach times/provisions means that these are not suitable for many of the grammer schools start/finish times now

Hi, I didn't realise that a change in bus would happen ? I assumed it would just be the one bus taking all the children to the schools in Gloucester. I will need to find out about this and will need to check the price as I didn't realise it would be £131 a month for bus fare.

I think this is something I need to find out more, as this will definitely mean that I can't afford to send my daughter to Gloucester grammars.

I will get onto Willets coaches tomorrow and query this with them. Thank you for the information.

It is also important to realise that buses do and will change the timetable with very little notice. We live in rural Warwickshire and pretty much every year there has been changes to the timetable - the bus either starts earlier or later depending on whether the route has added stops or - and this is important - taken stops away....we are lucky in that our village is one of the "route starting" stops, so we have not actually lost the bus service yet.

It would actually seem fairly sensible of the company only to run one bus on to the further schools from the nearest one, if enough get of at the first stop, as it both frees up coaches and drivers earlier for other contracts and adds less to congestion and pollution on the rest of the route. Is there a particular reason why your DD is unable to change buses with the other students for the further schools?

The cost issue is something else, of course.

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Changing buses is also means extra delays in her getting to a different school. Not sure she would cope with this. Depends if there were lots of other children all going to the same school.

Transport costs I think will also play a huge part in the whether or not she can go. I will also have to pay for a son to go the different direction to 6th form. Not really sure if it is worth stretching ourselves financially to pay for transport.

Also check the coat of the train. Easy to walk to DRHS from Gloucester station.

Unfortunately unless you are in Lydney, there is no train Forest-Gloucester

We have decided that we are not going to put down for the grammar schools for entry in Year 7.

We might look again in the future, if the state secondary isn't working.

I might be able to look at getting a job in the city centre, so then there would be the option of dropping her off in the future.

Thanks for all your advice.