Chilmington Green School Bus: Stagecoach 501C Timetable, Stops and Tickets

Last updated: August 2026

Route 501C timetable

These times are taken from the route registration timetable circulated to parents by the school, effective 30 August 2026. Always confirm live times with Stagecoach before travelling, because registered timetables can be revised.

What kind of service it is

• Operator: Stagecoach South East, funded by the operator without financial support from Kent County Council.
• Route: 501C.
• Vehicle: a double decker, with capacity for roughly 80 passengers.
• When it runs: term time only, at the start and end of the school day - two journeys, not an all-day service.
• Who can use it: anyone. It is a public bus service, so fare-paying passengers can board as well as pupils.

Tickets and bus passes

Because this is a public service rather than a closed school contract, there are two sensible ways to pay:

• KCC Travel Saver - Kent County Council's annual pass, generally the cheapest option for a pupil travelling most days. Read the council's guidance on collecting your KCC Travel Saver and allow time for the pass to be processed before the service starts. Queries go to kcctravelsaver@kent.gov.uk.
• Stagecoach tickets - daily or period tickets bought directly from the operator, usually better value for pupils who will only travel occasionally. Check current fares on the Stagecoach Kent school buses pages.

Capacity: the practical bit for parents

With around 80 seats and a school that already had roughly 274 pupils at its June 2026 Ofsted inspection, demand in the first weeks is the thing to watch. If the bus is already full when it reaches a stop it cannot take more passengers, and a pupil would then need to make their own way to school - or home again in the afternoon. The school has said it will supervise students until 4pm during the first full week of term while demand settles, but it cannot lay on extra transport. Sensible planning is to agree a fallback with your child before term starts and to travel earlier in the first week if you can.

The school is expected to grow to about 1,140 pupils when full, so pressure on this route will build year on year rather than ease.

How the campaign got here

• September 2025 - the purpose-built school site opens off the A28 Ashford Road with no public transport link.
• Through 2025/26 - Kent County Council assesses the walking route from Singleton twice, morning and afternoon, and declares it safe, so no statutory school transport is provided. Parents describe it as too long, poorly lit and unsafe in winter.
• Early July 2026 - parents launch a petition, which reaches roughly 5,000 signatures. United Learning, the trust running the school, backs the campaign.
• 21 July 2026 - around 30 campaigners protest outside the school, warning a child could be seriously hurt on the designated walking route.
• 30 July 2026 - Stagecoach confirms it will run a twice-daily service from 30 August. One campaigner says he is "utterly overjoyed".
• August 2026 - the registered 501C timetable is circulated to parents, with confirmed stops, times, ticketing arrangements and vehicle capacity.

Kent County Council said "the situation at Chilmington remains very complex" but that it had "continued to work with Stagecoach in the hope that something could be provided for the pupils". Joel Mitchell, managing director of Stagecoach South East, said: "Access to education is so important, and I am delighted we can invest in a service that will have a positive impact on local students for years to come."

Why this mattered so much locally

Chilmington Green was planned as a garden community with transport improvements funded by developer contributions. The collapse of the main developer stalled much of that funding, which is why a commercially funded bus - rather than a council-funded school service or an infrastructure scheme - ended up being the answer. See our explainers on Section 106 obligations, the Hodson Developments administration and the A28 Chart Road scheme for the wider picture.

Sources

• Route 501C registered timetable, effective 30 August 2026, circulated to parents by Chilmington Green School
• Chilmington Green School letter to parents and carers, August 2026, on ticketing, capacity and supervision arrangements
• BBC News - School bus launches in Ashford after parents' safety concerns (30 July 2026)
• KentOnline - Victory joy for Chilmington Green bus campaigners (30 July 2026)
• BBC News - Campaigners claim lack of school bus leaves children in danger (22 July 2026)
• Kent County Council - Collecting your KCC Travel Saver