Bus Services
For families who use the buses serving Winterbourne Academy and the surrounding areas, this page provides the latest school bus timetables and important information about routes, pick-up and drop-off locations.
For the 2025-26 academic year, the 427, 458 and 459 bus services are contracted by South Gloucestershire Council / West of England Combined Authority (WECA), and routes and timetables effective from September 2025 are shown below.
The Y6 is contracted by WECA and is a public First Bus service.
427, 458 and 459 bus pass applications
Any student starting at Winterbourne Academy who is eligible for free transport will be contacted directly by South Gloucestershire Council prior to their admission in September (usually by mid-June). If you feel your child may be entitled to free school transport and you haven't been contacted automatically, please speak to South Gloucestershire Council Student Access and Support Department on 01454 868008 or by emailing them at admissionsandtransport@southglos.gov.uk.
The 427, 458 and 459 routes are primarily for Winterbourne Academy students who are entitled to school transport under South Gloucestershire Council's school travel assistance policy. However, where there are spare seats, the local authority can offer concessionary passes. Concessionary seats for the 2025-26 academic year cost £219 per Autumn, Spring and Summer term. Where a child is entitled to Free School Meals, this fee is waived by the local authority, however you must still submit an application to receive a bus pass. Please note, there are no spaces available to pay for on the day to ensure there are no capacity issues on the services.
All applications for bus passes on the 427, 458 and 459 services, whether for travel assistance or as a concessionary passenger, should be made via this link: South Glos LIFE | How to apply for school or college travel assistance
General information
Travelling to school
Parent/carers are responsible for making sure that cycles, scooters and cars used to and from the Academy are legally safe. Students should ride in a manner which is safe and in keeping with the law. Cycles and scooters should be wheeled through the entrances and kept in the designated bicycle racks and should be secure. Under no circumstances should they be allowed in any part of the Academy building. The Academy will investigate damage to/theft of cycles but they are left at the owner’ risk. To avoid possible damage students should avoid loitering near cycles or any other vehicles. Motorised scooters are not permitted transport for any student aged 16 and under - more info here: Winterbourne Academy - Travelling to School.
Acceptable behaviour
When travelling to and from school, please remember that students are representatives of Winterbourne Academy and are expected to behave both sensibly and safely at all times. Appropriate conduct on the buses is essential to ensure the safety and comfort of all passengers. Any disruptive, unsafe, or inappropriate behaviour may result in students being refused entry to the bus service and will also be subject to the school’s normal sanctions.
Bus passes
It is obviously important to make sure that all are being used appropriately. For this reason, please make sure that if using the bus your child always has their pass with them and expects this to be regularly checked. Buses have capacity limits which cannot be exceeded for safety, insurance and legality reasons. We can and will check passes against the approved traveller list when students are boarding at school, and a local authority rep will be on board periodically to monitor the morning and afternoon services over the coming weeks, making having a correct pass very important. Any student without a pass should not get on the bus.
Lost bus passes
If your child has lost their pass for the 427, 458 or 459 services, please contact the South Glos Client Transport team at clienttransport@southglos.gov.uk or by phone on 01454 864110 / 863924 / 863925 / 862926. They will be able to reissue a bus pass and let the bus company know so that your child can continue to board while it is being processed.
427 service (Frenchay - Winterbourne Academy)
The 427 service drops-off and picks up from the bus park at the rear of the school. Bus passes must be shown the driver upon boarding and spot-checks will be carried out by school staff and/or the local authority.
427 route timetable sep 25.pdf
458 service (Fishponds/Downend/Bromley Heath - Winterbourne Academy)
The 458 service drops-off and picks up from the bus park at the rear of the school. Bus passes must be shown the driver upon boarding and spot-checks will be carried out by school staff and/or the local authority.
458 route timetable sep 25.pdf
459 service (Emerson's Green/Lyde Green - Winterbourne Academy)
The 459 service drops-off and picks up from the bus park at the rear of the school. Bus passes must be shown the driver upon boarding and spot-checks will be carried out by school staff and/or the local authority.
459 route timetable sep 25.pdf
Y6 First Bus service (Chipping Sodbury/Yate - via Winterbourne - City Centre)
This is a public pay-as-you-go service, please check the First Bus website for the latest Y6 timetable and route information: Timetables | First Bus
School 'late' bus
The school operates a daily late bus, which is a free service designed for students at Winterbourne Academy who have period 6 lessons or are participating in pre-approved extracurricular activities.
The late bus (Turners) departs from the front entrance to the school at 4.35pm each afternoon.
The route and timings of the late bus vary dependent on who is using the service and therefore it is important that students inform the driver of their intended destination as they board the bus. The general route consists of:
- Bristol Road
- Church Road, Frampton Cotterell
- Badminton Road, Coalpit Heath
- Left at the Badminton Road roundabout along the ring road towards Lyde Green, stopping at any metro bus stop on the way
- Lyde Green
- Emersons Green (Sainsbury’s only)
- Turn and continue on Emersons Way and turn left onto Westerleigh Road
- Turn right onto Westbourne Road, Downend (they will stop at either end on request)
- Right onto Badminton Road
- Not turning into Bromley Heath but stopping at the top of Four Acre Road or Oakdale Road
- Badminton Road shops (The Horseshoe)
- Along Downend Road towards the Straits Parade at Fishponds
- Turn right into Manor Road
- Continue onto Blackberry Hill
- Continue onto Broom Hill
- Right onto Frenchay Park Road
- Along Bromley Heath Road
- Continue onto Bristol Road
- Left onto Ring Road
- Carry along the Ring Road down to the new turning by the Holiday Inn towards Stoke Gifford
- Across the roundabout towards Bradley Stoke
- Along Bradley Stoke Way
- Gloucester Road, Patchway
- Gypsy Patch Lane
OAT Post 16 inter-school bus
The Olympus Academy Trust provides an inter-school service for use by Post 16 students who have lessons at other Trust sites. This runs Monday-Friday between 7.50am - 5.15pm and the timetable is here. The bus does not operate when Post 16 students are out of lessons, e.g. Careers Week.
