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Transport

There are a variety of ways for your child to get to and from school in a safe and secure way. Specific campus transport information can be found on each of our campus pages.

Pick Up & Drop Off

Each of our campuses has a designated pick up and drop off area for students and families. We also offer secure bicycle storage on each campus. You can find specific information for each of the campuses at our Berwick, Officer and Beaconsfield pages under the Key Information section.

Private Bus

St Francis Xavier College has a Private Bus fleet that assists parents in transporting children to and from school. The College also offers a shuttle service from campus to campus.

Applications for the private school bus services must be completed annually in Term 4 (October). Future and current Parents will be notified via email when applications open.

The College, together with our service provider Ventura Transit Pty Ltd, is committed to offering:

  • Safety: every student has access to a seat, with seatbelt; friendly highly trained drivers
  • Comfort: vehicles equipped with heating and cooling for personal comfort
  • Efficient Service: Interactive private school bus route maps and times; Bus Minder App to track our private bus service vehicles in real time, student tracking by tap on & tap off RFID cards, parent alerts & service alerts

The 2024 bus routes can be viewed in the:2024 Bus Information Booklet. Parents may also view the routes via the Ventura Tracker App or online at: AM and PM Bus Routes

Buses may not run outside of the College boundaries due to growth within the major catchment areas. College Boundaries

Private Bus Service Terms and Conditions

Register for 2024

The 2024 private school bus and shuttle registration closed at 5.00pm Tuesday 17 October 2023. We are now accepting late applications.

Please note: Late applications may not be fulfilled, and you may be placed on a waiting list; however, we will do our best to complete your registration needs.

To submit an application for 2024, please:

1. Read the 2024 Bus Information Booklet to determine which bus you need to register for. Parents may also view the bus routes via the Ventura Bus Tracker App or online at AM and PM Bus Routes

2.  Complete the 2024 Private School Bus Application Form

All Officer and Beaconsfield students must complete:
3 . Private Bus Conveyance Allowance Form and email it to busenquiries@sfx.vic.edu.au

For assistance completing the Private Bus Conveyance Allowance form, please visit Admissions – Transport – Travel Conveyance Allowance or Further details of the DET Conveyance Allowance Policy are available here.

  • Complete 1 registration per child.
  • All applications are for the AM and PM service.
  • Your application is finalised once all the above steps have been completed.

Safety

The safety and well-being of students who utilize our college’s private school bus services are of utmost importance to us. The private school bus terms and conditions outlines the measures to be taken to ensure the highest standards of safety for students during transit, especially concerning the wearing of seatbelts and the restriction against standing while the bus is in motion. We request the cooperation of parents, guardians, students, in adhering to the terms and conditions to safeguard all passengers.

Private Bus Service Fees

The College is committed to subsidising the cost of the private bus service.

The cost is $1,050 (including GST) per student, equal to $5.77 per day.

All costs are an annual fee and will be charged per student for transport to and from school, including shuttle only services. There is no ‘one way’ charge. Bus fees will be invoiced to your Education Fee Account. It is a College expectation that education fee accounts are up to date upon applying for the bus service.

Private Bus Conveyance Allowance Forms

All Officer and Beaconsfield campus families are asked to complete the Private Bus Conveyance Allowance Form.

Conveyance Allowance funds received from the Department of Education are retained by the College. This assists the College to continue subsidising the cost of the private bus service and reduce costs for families.

We seek your assistance in completing the 2024 Private Bus Conveyance Allowance Form as part of your application for the school bus. To continue to offer families the reduced subsidised annual fee, families must submit this form. Your application is not complete without this form.

Student Cards

Bus users tap on/off the school bus using their student card.

Student cards will be issued to all new students and used as your child’s student bus pass to tap on/off the school bus. Students must always carry their student card. They must also produce the pass upon request.

Replacement Cards

If a student has misplaced or forgotten their student card, they can request a temporary pass to catch the school bus prior to 2.00pm, during recess or lunch time from Student Services.

In the afternoon, if a student is unable to produce either a temporary pass or regular pass as they are boarding the bus, they will not be allowed to board the bus. Students will then be instructed to go to Reception/Student Services to call parents/guardians/carers to arrange an alternative way home.

If a replacement student card is required, a signed note from the parent/guardian and $5.00 needs to be submitted to Student Services or ordered online via CDFpay, shop.sfx.vic.edu.au. A new student card will then be issued to the student.

Ventura GPS Tracking

Whilst every effort is made to ensure students arrive to school at the advertised times, drivers do encounter challenges, e.g., traffic congestion, roadworks, weather, break downs, etc. Ventura has an interactive private school maps and times App to track our private bus service.

Ventura Tracker uses GPS technology to track each school bus. Schools, parents and students can access this information via the APP or Ventura Website to view where the bus is, the route the bus will take, the designated bus stops, and the times for each stop. Ventura Tracker shows the location of the College school buses in real time.

You can see where the bus is on your favourite route and watch as it approaches your stop. You can also be notified whenever your children board or leave the bus and receive alerts.

The College can also track each student’s use of the bus through a touch on/touch off system. For information and instructions on how to download the App, please see the Bus Track Brochure.

SIMON Everywhere App – PAM App

Push notifications will be made from the SIMON Everywhere App, including notifications about late running buses, disruptions to the GPS tracking and bus breakdowns/delays. All notifications for the AM and PM service will be sent via this method.

The SIMON Everywhere App can run on Android and iOS devices.  It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Full details regarding the installation process can be found in PAM under Knowledge Bank / Parent Information / SIMON Everywhere App.

Further Information

For further questions, please contact our Transport Coordinator Kirsty Burkwood at: busenquiries@sfx.vic.edu.au

 

Public Transport

Each of our three campuses is accessible by both bus and train. All students who travel using the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) network are required to carry a Myki card. Students under 18 years old can use a Child Myki, but must carry a proof of age card with them as well if they are 17 or 18.

Students who travel very regularly on public transport may opt to get a Victorian Student Pass, or Yearly Myki. This allows for unlimited travel on the PTV network. Students must also receive a PTV School Student ID card, which can be applied for on the PTV website. Students must carry both their Myki and ID when travelling.

For specific public transport information relating to each campus, please look at our Berwick, Officer and Beaconsfield pages under the Key Information section.

Travel Conveyance Allowance

Travel Conveyance Allowance Victoria

Students and families may be eligible for financial support to assist with transport costs through the Conveyance Allowance Program. This is available to students of our Beaconsfield and Officer campuses travelling by public transport, private car or the College’s private bus network.

The conveyance allowance is a contribution towards transport costs and is not intended to cover the full cost of transporting children to and from school.

To be eligible for the Conveyance Allowance, students must:

  • attend their nearest school appropriate to their year level at which admission is permissible
  • be enrolled at a school or campus outside of Melbourne’s metropolitan conveyance boundary (meaning only Beaconsfield or Officer at SFXC)
  • reside 4.8km or more from that school or campus by the shortest practicable route; and
  • be of school age and reside in Victoria

Public transport applications must include proof of purchase of a half-yearly or yearly Victorian PTV School Student ID Pass.

The College will allocate the full amount received against the family school fee account for students travelling by public transport or private car. For students using the private bus fleet, families must authorise the College to retain the allowance on their behalf, allowing us to reduce the cost of the private bus service for the entire community.

  • One application form can be used for the full year.
  • If you do not know the VSN number, please leave this blank. The College will complete this on your behalf.
  • FTE = 1. Student must attend 3 days i.e., FTE 0.6 or more.
  • All applications must be submitted during the current calendar year. Late applications can not be accepted after the Term 4 closing date.
  • Forms must be received 1 week prior to the closing date. Please refer to DET Conveyance Allowance Policy below for details.

Forms

  • Private Car Conveyance Allowance Form.
  • Public Transport Conveyance Allowance Form.

Applications can be submitted to busenquiries@sfx.vic.edu.au or to Student Services at each campus.

Further details of the DET Conveyance Allowance Policy are available here.