Evesham to Alcester Grammar travel options

[m12357]

While researching schools I found this great forum and would like some help/advice. We highlighted Alcester Grammar as a potential school that meets our needs.

We need a relocation solution for the following:

• Home location 25minute drive from Worcester Hospital WR5 1DD.
• Catchment for a good/excellent (non grammar) secondary school as backup plan.
• Transport service to Alcester Grammar

The criteria leads us to one conclusion, which is the Evesham Prince Henry catchment area. There is a bus from Evesham centre to Alcester which sets off at 7:52am and arrives at 8:50, the return journey leaves at 15:50 from the school returning at 16:37 to Evesham. Add the walk to and from the bus stop and it is a very long day.

Here is the route map http://www.diamondbuses.com/services/Wo ... m_293.html

We prefer the Northern side of Evesham and are worried about the lonely walk to and from Evesham bus stand and the travel time. We would also like to know if there are any other Alcester Grammar School children that go on this bus and if it is a safe (maybe even enjoyable) problem free way to travel to school.

One other option is to locate in one of the small villages north of Evesham, a bus runs through these but not to Alcester. Our child would need to take the #28 Bus to Stratford, alight at Bideford and intercept the original 247 as it passes through Bideford. Despite our child's academic abilities, awareness of external environment, changing buses and time keeping would throw up some problems. It would be easier to stay on the bus and go to Stratford, but we would prefer the mixed Alcester school.

We would really like to find a home location with easier/shorter journey times.

Is anyone else in a similar positions or can offer any other solutions. It feels like I cannot see the wood for the trees at the moment.

[magwich2]

DS1 started at AGS last September - one of his best friends travels from Evesham and he and his other best friend travel from south of Stratford. They all seem to enjoy their respective three different bus routes, making friends and using phones to get plenty of screen time!! He appreciates it when he gets a lift home from me but really slightly prefers the bus!

The school and bus companies seem to be very organised and reliable.

I hope your plans go well

[Yamin151]

Agree on Prince Henrys, though it has very definite feeder schools which you would be wise to get into as the competition for places at Prince Henrys very fierce. St Egwins comes to mind. That is on the north side of Evesham, which i believe Prince Henry's is too. Some lovely villages around there. But also a nice road leading North out of Evesham with lovely houses with nice views! Could you drop off any day? Just thinking the journey from North Evesham to AGS is not much more than 10 minutes.

[m12357]

magwich2, Thank you, it's nice to know there are other children travelling from Evesham, I feel calmer already. We can hopefully deliver or collect on occasions but it would be reassuring to think that he may actually prefer the bus. I can see myself rushing to collect him only to discover he got on the bus absorbed in gameplay.

Does DS1's friend get on at the very beginning at the bus stand and am I right in assuming it is the Red Diamond 247?

Yamin151, Thank you for the heads up regarding Prince Henry and the feeder schools. St Egwins Middle is on our ideal list for our 2nd child, which is where the non grammar school backup plan comes into play. The villages look good if we can find the right balance between travel to St Egwins/Prince Henry, Worcester for work and a Bus Stop or drive time to AGS

My wife and I will be in a position to drive a few times a week but we would also need to rely on public transport for AGS.

Anyone else know of AGS children that get on at Evesham?

[kenyancowgirl]

Very sensible to look at alternatives to the GS, just in case. Remember that the priority area for first round offers is 17 miles (currently) from a point in Stratford - outside of this you are deemed out of county and would only be offered in the second round if your child had ranked highly enough.

Just a thought - have you checked the start of day time at AGS? 8.50 seems quite late to be arriving at school? I would have thought registration would be before then and that doesn't give any allowance for the bus being late...

[Yamin151]

Very sensible to look at alternatives to the GS, just in case. Remember that the priority area for first round offers is 17 miles (currently) from a point in Stratford - outside of this you are deemed out of county and would only be offered in the second round if your child had ranked highly enough.

Just a thought - have you checked the start of day time at AGS? 8.50 seems quite late to be arriving at school? I would have thought registration would be before then and that doesn't give any allowance for the bus being late...

Evesham should be well within catchment for the grammars. Good point re start time.

[thirdgeneration]

I am pretty sure AGS account for the long journeys that some children have getting to them and that the school day does not start til 9am. That's what we were told at the Open Day when we looked round and were considering it for our DD, we live in Warwick.
Your best bet is to look round all the potential schools and get a feel for them.
Btw Pershore High is considered a very good school and gets good results - although I live in Warwick now, I am from Worcester and have friends around there with children in various different schools.

[Brum Mum]

I was told on a tour that the DC's are expected to be in their forms for 8.45 for 8.50 registration...? I believe first lesson starts at 9.

[kenyancowgirl]

That's what I thought the Head told me when we visited recently!

[m12357]

I agree 8:50 does seem too late. From the bus timetable I assumed the service was run with the intention of getting the children to Alcester Grammar on time for school. The link below shows the timetable and the three buses are designated SchA, SchB, SchC.

http://www.diamondbuses.com/services/Wo ... m_293.html

However, looking again I think I made a mistake and the school bus designation is intended for ST BENEDICTS RC SCH arriving at 8:46, which is the correct time to arrive at school. The 8:50 arrival at Alcester Police Station is coincidental, the grammar school is two stops later (approx 8:55) so the 247 Bus from Evesham is now ruled out entirely. The Grammar School stop is coded wardgtga if that helps anyone else looking.

I understand we are not owed anything from Warwickshire County Council when attending from out of county but there must be some other public cross county transport links.

I will keep searching for a suitable bus.

Does the Grammar School suffer from a high level of traffic congestion for dropping off and picking up and what amount needs to be added to the car journey time to navigate from the A435/A46 ?