To find the best travel option for your son, please visit Transport NSW and utilise the Trip Planner. It provides comprehensive information for train and bus travel to the College. By selecting ‘School Buses’ under the refinement tab, you can plan the most efficient route for your son.
School Special Buses
To view the timetables and maps of the school buses that service the College at:
School Opal Card
The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) provides eligible school students with free or subsidised travel from home to school on public transport. Applications are made through the Transport NSW SSTS website, not through the College.
- Students currently without a School Opal Card will need to create a new application.
- Students currently holding a School Opal Card may need to update their details.
Cards are sent to the student’s nominated address.
The School Opal card provides eligible students with free or discounted travel between home and school, using the train, bus, and ferry services specified in your application.
When provided with a School Opal card or school travel pass, students must adhere to the Student Codes of Conduct. The School Opal card or school travel pass can only be used for approved travel on school days between the student’s home and school from 6:30 AM to 7:00 PM.
Please note that the School Opal Card does not cover travel to and from:
- before and after-school care or child-minding premises
- before and after-school activities
- school excursions
- sports events
- work experience.
If a student possesses a School Opal Card, it is expected that they will use it for school special buses whenever available. Boys must ‘tap on’ and ‘tap off’ for each journey. If a School Special bus is not accessible, the pass can be used on an appropriate ‘public’ bus route, but only when your son is traveling ‘to’ or ‘from’ the College.
Kiss and Ride
St Patrick’s College offers a ‘Kiss and Ride’ (Drop-off and Pick-up) zone located on Fraser Street, on the school side of the road.
‘Kiss and Ride’ Hours of Operation
The designated hours for ‘Kiss and Ride’ are between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. During these hours, the only authorised area for dropping off and picking up students is along the Fraser Street ‘Kiss and Ride’ zone.
- Drop-off: 8:00 AM to 9:30 AM
- Pick-up: 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Traffic Management and Transport Procedures
To ensure the safety of our community members and in consideration of our neighbours, parents are reminded to adhere to the following guidelines when dropping off and picking up students before and after school:
- Between the hours of 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, the ONLY place where students can be picked up and/or dropped off is along the Fraser Street ‘Kiss & Ride’ area.
- You must line up in Shortland Avenue along the side of Breen Oval. If you approach Fraser Street travelling east along Shortland Avenue, you SHOULD NOT TURN RIGHT as it is a no right turn during school hours. Please continue along Shortland Avenue to Francis Street and go around the roundabout and join the line travelling west towards Shortland Avenue. I would ask that you support the community by following these directions.
- Do not ‘double park’ or stand your vehicle in this zone from 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
- Ensure that the driver does not alight from the vehicle while in the zone.
- Ensure that passengers enter and disembark from the vehicle via the KERB side door, preferably the rear door. Items should not be collected from the boot.
- Once you have turned into Fraser Street, students should alight immediately once the car has stopped. Too often we have students waiting in the car until the car gets to the top of the queue. This slows everyone down. Your son will benefit from a short walk, and it helps the whole community if we alight 15 cars at once rather than the first three only.
- I would ask that when your son does alight, that you still wait in line for the cars in front to drive off. When parents drive around other cars, this becomes extremely dangerous. Your patience and understanding are very much appreciated.
- In the afternoon, if your son is not there, you are required to move off, do a lap of the block and join the end of the queue. Years 5 and 6 can access Kiss and Ride from 3:10 PM and Years 7-12 only from 3:25 PM.
- Picking your son up in the local surrounding streets or the ACU surrounds is not permitted. If boys are found in these areas or are found moving to these areas, we will direct them back to Kiss and Ride and a consequence will be issued.
- Homework Club operates until 4:45 PM each day for all boys in the McGlade Library. At the conclusion students can be collected from the Library or Kiss and Ride.
- College supervision begins at 7:55 AM in the morning from Scientia Building and then at 8:15 AM, students move to their next designated supervision areas. Students must not be dropped off prior to 7:55 AM.
In relation to students catching buses from the College:
- Students should be in possession of a valid OPAL Student Pass, ensuring that they are ‘tapping’ on and off when travelling.
- Students must not catch the public bus (407 Burwood to Strathfield) prior to 4:00 PM.
- Public Bus Times have changed please refer to the link here for updated information.
Additionally, please ensure you are familiar with the NSW Government School Safety guidelines for further reference.