Travel to / from school
Travel Information
There are different travel passes available for High School and Sixth Form students to travel in Greater Manchester:
igo card
Children aged 11 to 16 must have an igo card to travel using a child ticket on buses in Greater Manchester. It can also be used as proof of age for travelling by tram.
Our Pass
Our Pass is a scheme that enables all eligible 16–18 year olds in Greater Manchester to gain access to free bus travel, and exclusive offers and experiences. To gain access you must become an Our Pass Member.
Changes to Bee Network – tap & go
From 23 March 2025, tap and go contactless payments are being introduced across Bee Network buses and trams for full fare paying adults only.
Child tickets are not available using tap and go. Children can continue to use their current method of payment for travelling to school or leisure (e.g. cash, contactless).
At the same time, TfGM are making it even easier to pay for child tickets on the Bee Network app.
Single child hopper tickets will be available on the app, alongside a range of other child tickets. It’s the safe, cash-free way to pay for travel.
Bee Network’s top tips for paying for child fares from 23rd March 2025:
- Download the Bee Network app to pay for a range of child tickets.
- When paying with contactless always ask the bus driver for a child ticket before tapping your card (to avoid getting charged adult fare).
- Keep your TfGM travel pass (igo card, Our Pass) separate from bank cards when you tap the card reader, to avoid your bank card being charged an adult fare.
If you have any further questions or want to speak to someone, please get in touch with the Bee Network Contact Centre online.
Walking & Cycling
Please consider whether your child can walk or cycle to school – it can be a safe and healthy way for students to make shorter trips. New cycling and walking routes have been put in place across the region as part of the #SafeStreetsSaveLives project to make it safer and easier than ever to get about on foot or by bike. To get help and advice on cycling and walking, including tips on journey planning visit tfgm.com.
If you have to drive your child to school and/or pick them up, please switch off your engine when waiting outside to reduce air pollution and consider parking further away and walking the last part of your journey.
Bus Service
Our School Bus Service is operated though Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
It’s important that families plan ahead for how children will get to and from school. You should also apply now for any tickets or passes you may need.
For the latest information on timetables, tickets, changes to School Bus services and advice on cycling and walking, visit TfGM’s HGHS page.
If children need to use both Stagecoach and Bullock’s school services, they need to buy TfGM’s weekly school ticket or a TfGM school return ticket. Both tickets are available from the driver.
Operator-own tickets are ONLY valid on that operator’s services. Alternatively, if children also use buses outside of school times, they may want to buy a System One ticket which are valid on all operators’ services. The weekly ticket costs £10.50 and the day ticket cost £2.50. You can find full details on the System One Travel website.
Bus Timetable
Please see the 2024-25 bus timetable. If you have any questions regarding the buses please do not hesitate to contact us.