Transport to Thomas Gainsborough School from September 2025.
Updated 24/09/25
If you are entitled to transport provided by Suffolk County Council
Pupils who live more than 3 miles from TGS and are going to their nearest school according to the Suffolk County Council measure (available at http://nearestschool.suffolk.gov.uk) must opt in via the county website www.suffolkonboard.com. The deadline for ‘opting in’ was 31st May 2025.
Pupils who live less than 3 miles from TGS or who are not attending their nearest secondary school are not entitled to funded transport to school .
Pupils who are travelling to a school that is not their nearest have to make their own arrangements for transport to school. Options do exist using public transport. Please check the information below for the options from your location.
Post 16 Pupils (current and new)
Pupils who are in post 16 education are not entitled to funded transport to school and must make their own arrangements. Options do exist using public transport. Please check the information below for the options for your location.
Transport to TGS that is provided by Suffolk County Council
Once you have checked your eligibility for funded transport and ‘opted in’ via the Suffolkonboard website, Suffolk County Council will send you a bus pass and timetable for the most appropriate bus route. This usually happens during August.
Your pass only entitles your child to travel on that route and is not transferable to other bus routes. This is to ensure safe numbers on each route and avoids overloading.
All details are available on the Suffolk School Transport webites here: www.suffolkonboard.com
Transport to TGS that is NOT provided by Suffolk County Council
Legally it is the parents’ responsibility to get students to school on time. If you are not eligible for funded transport from Suffolk County Council there are a number of options.
A summary is as follows:
From September 2025: (Please note, Chambers Buses have rebranded to become Konect Buses).
Travel to and from Bildeston, Chelsworth, Monks Eleigh, Lavenham, Great Waldingfield and Acton:
Konect are running the 716 service. Passes, times and fares are available from the Konect website.
Konect are also running the 43A service in the afternoons only to provide additional seats to compliment the 716 and 41 routes.
Travel to and from Sudbury:
Konect bus routes 41 and 43 run through Sudbury to TGS each day. Passes, times and fares are available from the Konect website.
Konect are also running the 43A service in the afternoons only to provide additional seats to compliment the 716 and 41 routes.
Travel to and from McDonald's Sudbury (near Tesco), Long Melford, Glemsford, Cavendish and Clare:
Konect Buses are running route 41. Passes, times and fares are available from the Konect website.
Konect are also running the 43A service in the afternoons only to provide additional seats to compliment the 716 and 41 routes.
Travel to and from Colchester, Great Horkesley and parts of Nayland:
Pupils will be able to catch the 713 (Beestons) or the 43 (Konect), please check the routes for your location. Beestons or Konect will issue a pass for this service. Students will also be able to pay daily at standard rates for this service.
Travel to and from Colchester, Wormingford and parts of Bures (Essex side of the river):
Pupils will be able to catch the Konect service 44, which is a public bus but many of our students catch it from Bures. Passes are available from Konect. Students will also be able to pay daily at standard rates for this service.
Travel to and from Hadleigh and parts of Boxford (and surrounding villages):
Beestons run the 91 service to suit the times of the school. This is a public service and passes are available directly from Chambers. You can also pay on a daily basis if you prefer.
Travel to and from Halstead and surrounding villages
24X7 are running a service between Halstead & the surrounding villages and Sudbury. You will need to contact Essex County Council via this link https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/school-transport to apply for a seat.
Safety and Behaviour
We expect the highest standards of behaviour whilst travelling to and from school and the schools behaviour policy applies in the same way as it does at school.
The bus companies and Suffolk County Council reserve the right to withdraw bus passes for students who are unable to behave in an acceptable way.
In addition, we expect students to leave the bus as they find it (e.g. no litter or damage).
Late Bus Provision
Extracurricular activities on offer after school will sometimes require students to catch a later bus. The school has provision for 3 late buses. These services are public ones and will depart the bus park at a variety of times after 4.20pm each day. There is no charge for the use of these services if you hold an appropriate Suffolk, Konect, or Beestons pass. Other students are able to pay as they go on these routes.
Links to all timetables are provided below.
Please note that sports fixtures and other events may finish even later than this and parents will need to make their own arrangements in these cases.
Further details are available from:
Suffolk County Council - www.suffolkonboard.com
Suffolk CC Nearest School Checker - http://nearestschool.suffolk.gov.uk/
Konect Buses (formerly Chambers Bus Company) - KonectBuses - Explore Essex and Suffolk by bus with us - Konect buses have an app available on both the Apple Store & Google Play store
Beestons Bus Company – http://www.beestons.co.uk
Essex CC - https://www.essex.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/schools/school-transport
24X7 ESSEX www.24x7essex.co.uk
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Late buses |
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'Late’ 43 |
at 16:28 – to Sudbury, Long Melford, Acton, Great Waldingfield. See Konect website Change for the 41 at Sudbury Bus Station (17:10) to Glemsford, Cavendish and Clare and the 43B at Sudbury Bus Station (17:21) to Lavenham, Cockfield and Bury St Edmunds |
Konect |
All passes valid or PAYG |
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‘Late’ 44 |
at 16:28 – to Little Cornard, Bures, Wormingford, West Bergholt and Colchester See Konect website |
Konect |
All passes valid or PAYG |
All buses depart from the TGS Bus Park - including late buses.
Pupils with SCC passes will be able to use any late bus from either Beestons or Konect at no extra cost. Konect will accept Beestons passes and vice versa.
Pupils catching ‘Late’ buses may wait in the Library but must be in the bus park at least 10 minutes before their bus is due.
N.B. Information correct as of 24th September 2025