School transfers from Sandwich, Kent: term-time trips to school, university and the airport

What a school transfer includes, and what it does not

A school transfer is a journey in a licensed private hire car at a fixed fare agreed in advance. It runs between the addresses you give: a home in Sandwich, Ash or Wingham, a school or college, a university hall of residence, or an airport terminal.

Every driver holds a private hire driver's licence issued by a local authority, which requires an enhanced DBS check, and every car is licensed by the council and insured for hire and reward.

It is transport, not supervision. Arrangements with the school, such as who signs a pupil out or whether a younger child must travel with an adult, are for the family and the school to agree, and we follow the pickup details you give us.

Booking around term dates

Schools publish their own calendars, and academies and independent schools can set dates that differ from the county's. Check the first and last days, plus any exeat weekends, and book as soon as the dates are fixed.

End of term often lines up with the busiest roads. Friday afternoons and the first days of a school holiday can add 30 to 45 minutes on the M25, so if a pupil leaves school and flies the same evening, put a generous gap between the school gate and the check-in desk.

Boarders flying in and out of London

For pupils who live abroad and board in Kent, the journey to and from school usually starts or ends at a London airport such as Heathrow or Gatwick. Give us the flight number and it is tracked: the collection is timed to the landing, and the driver waits in arrivals holding a board with the pupil's name.

Agree the small details in advance: exactly what the board should say, a mobile number the pupil will answer, and who they should call if they cannot see the driver. Free waiting lasts 45 minutes from an international landing, and a delay outside the passenger's control adds nothing to the fare.

Airlines set their own rules for young people flying alone, including ages and how a child is handed over at each end. Check those with the airline first, so the car is booked for a time that fits them.

University moves from Sandwich, Kent

Moving into halls is a long-distance journey with a car full of boxes, bedding and a laptop bag, heading up the M2 and M25 towards wherever the university is. An estate takes three or four large cases; an MPV carries six people and four or more, so a parent can come along and everything still fits.

The fare is fixed for the whole car before you book, so a slow Saturday on the motorway does not change it. If you know when term ends, book the journey home at the same time.

Pack fragile things, a monitor or a musical instrument, where they will not shift, and mention anything long or bulky when you book so the right car is sent.

Open days, interviews and visits

Before the move comes the search. An open day or interview at a university a long way from east Kent can mean a weekday with an early start. A pre-booked car turns it into one journey there and one back, with time to talk the visit over on the way home.

For a day like this, book the outward and return journeys together, or keep the car as-directed for the day if you are visiting more than one campus.

Exchange visits and school-holiday trips

Exchange pupils landing at London City, Gatwick or Stansted can be met and brought to a host family in Sandwich, Eastry, Woodnesborough or any of the villages nearby. Up to six travel in one MPV; a bigger group can be booked into several cars for the same flight.

Holiday travel works the same way. A teenager flying back to family abroad at half term can be collected from home or school and taken to the terminal, with the parent at the other end given the flight details.

What parents should tell us when booking

The more we know at the start, the smoother the day. Please include:

• The passenger's full name, and the name to show on the arrivals board
• A mobile number for the pupil or student, and one for a parent
• Flight numbers and terminals for both directions
• The exact school, boarding house, college or hall address, and which gate or entrance to use
• Luggage: cases, trunks, musical instruments or sports kit
• Child seats for any younger brothers or sisters travelling: available on request

Fares, payment and changes

Book online, by phone on 01843 247247, on WhatsApp or by email. Paying online, you can use a card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna or Revolut, and the code ExpressTravelKent takes 10% off.

Term dates move and flights change. Cancelling more than 24 hours before pickup is free; between 6 and 24 hours up to half the fare may be charged, and with less than 6 hours' notice the full fare may be due. Extra waiting, extra stops and tolls or parking on the route can be added where they apply.