DAILY TRANSPORT & ROUTINE

RHS uses Vectare, a specialist school transport management company, to manage the school bus and taxi services.

We continue to work with our long-established partner companies, Tendring Travel and Manorside Travel, but Vectare is the main point of contact for bookings and queries. 

All bookings for school bus routes are made via an online booking system, which can be accessed at royalhospitalschool.vectare.co.uk, and any enquiries can be directed to their team at royalhospitalschool@vectare.co.uk. This means that you no longer need to complete any paper forms.
 

TRANSPORT GUIDE 2022-23

All routes are subject to change depending upon demand. Outward and return times are subject to changes. Prices will be confirmed once bus routes have been finalised.
 

DAILY TRANSPORT FOR DAY PUPILS

The school operates a network of daily bus routes throughout Suffolk and Essex. The routes are currently as per the guide above, but routes may change each year dependent upon demand.

Timetables are set to ensure that pupils get to school each morning from Monday to Saturday by 08:20. They depart in the evenings at 18:10 from Monday to Friday, enabling pupils to take part in after-school prep sessions, activities and practices before going home.

 

Transport for Boarders

Vectare, a specialist school transport management company, manages our Taxi Booking service. To use this service, please go to royalhospitalschool.vectare.co.uk where you will find a taxi booking form to complete for the start / end of each term.

Should you have any queries relating to the process of booking these trips, please contact Vectare via email at contact@vectare.co.uk, or via phone on +44 115 777 3035.

Once each request form is completed, an email will be sent to you, and also to the Vectare contact centre. Vectare will then contact the taxi operators to book a taxi based on the information you have supplied in the request form. A confirmation email will follow to confirm that a taxi has been booked, normally within 3-4 days, which will include all relevant information needed for the trip, such as driver contact information and any reference numbers provided by the operator related to the booking.

In order for trips to have the greatest opportunity to be booked, we ask that requests for transfers are made as early as possible, but not less than 4 days prior to the departure time that is requested. Vectare will make every effort to book last minute requests, but the advance notice is very much appreciated.

The School Day

The school operates a six day teaching week although pupils in Years 7 and 8 have one morning and two afternoons of games per week. Pupils in Year 9 and above have two afternoons of games and one afternoon when they take part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme or Combined Cadet Force. Saturday lessons end at 12:10 followed by sport and inter-school matches for everyone in the afternoon.

Day pupils can arrive between 07:30 and 08:20 in the morning and may leave at the end of their school commitments although most will stay until 18:00 on Monday to Friday in order to take part in after-school activities, practices and prep sessions. Both day pupils and weekly boarders are free to depart after their sports commitments on Saturdays, which is normally around 15:30 to 16:00, depending on fixtures.

Daily Schedule

The general pattern of the day is as follows but this may change subject to age group and personal commitments:

07:45 Breakfast for boarders.
08:25 House meeting.
08:40 Assembly, Chapel or tutor meeting.
09:00 Lessons.
10:50 Break.
11:15 Lessons.
13:05 Lunch.
14:05 Registrations.
14:15 Lessons or games.
16:10 Prep sessions, practice sessions and activities.
18:00 Supper for boarders.
18:10 Day pupil transport departs
19:00 House meeting followed by prep (or activities for Year 7 & 8 boarders).

* adjustments may be made to this schedule due to Covid-19.

Weekends

On Saturday evenings there are always a number of different activities and social events on offer for boarders, including discos, film nights, house entertainment and barbecues.

Sundays are normally quieter when brunch allows for a little longer in bed, and social and recreational activities tend to be house-based. Some will make use of the sports facilities and there are also regular excursions such as trips to the beach, shopping, roller-skating, ice-skating, sailing or dry skiing.

There are some events held on weekends that are compulsory for all pupils. These may include Sports Day, Remembrance Service, Carol Service, Speech Day and other whole school events.

Midway through each half term there are ‘Quiet Weekends’ when fewer commitments are in the calendar and boarding pupils can go on leave-out. The houses do, however, stay open for remaining pupils. These weekends are extended to include all of Saturday for pupils in Years 7 and 8. There is one full exeat weekend in the Michaelmas Term. Full details on timings can be found on the Term Dates page.