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School transport is provided by bus companies selected by Ministry of Education Transport. Students travelling on the buses and vans attend a range of schools in Hamilton. We can and do assist families to access this transport by facilitating the filling in of the application for the service and sending it to MOE. If problems arise we can assist in communicating with the bus services.
If you are shifting to a new address you will need to complete a new application. Applications can take up to three weeks to action. The Ministry of Education has recently implemented a change regarding the transport approval process. There is a high probability that an application may be declined if the distance to Patricia Avenue school is greater than that to the nearest school able to meet your child’s needs from the home address. It is advisable and important that you contact the Deputy Principal or Associate Principals to discuss the change of address as this can impact on your child’s enrolment at Patricia Avenue School.
If your child for any reason is not travelling on the bus on a particular day it is important that you contact the bus company and the school. Contact details for bus companies are as follows:
Cross Country Rental Telephone 0800 467 3782 or 027 556 0994
SCHOOL TRANSPORT- SESTA REVIEW email for parent sent from School Transport
In July 2026, we let you know that the Ministry of Education had initiated an independent review of its Specialised School Transport Assistance (SESTA) operations to identify opportunities to strengthen the safety, quality and effectiveness for ākonga.
I am writing to update you that the review has now been completed, and the final report is available on our website:
The review found that while many parts of the system are working well, there are opportunities to improve communication, clarify responsibilities, strengthen oversight, and build greater confidence that students can travel to and from school safely.
While some improvement work is already underway, we will be giving further consideration to the findings and the recommendations of the report.
I would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the independent review panel for their work, as well as everyone who contributed their experience, perspectives and expertise to the review.
Keeping ākonga safe remains our highest priority. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s SESTA service, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s school in the first instance.
Ngā mihi
James
James Meffan
General Manager, School Transport
Te Mahau | Education Services