School and student transfers from Aylesham when term begins and ends

What school transfers from Aylesham cover

A school transfer is a booked car that takes a pupil or student from home to school, college or university, or to and from an airport, usually when term begins or ends, or for an exchange visit. A parent or guardian books it for an exact address in Aylesham or one of the villages, and the price covers the whole car.

It is not a daily school run, and it is a car with a licensed driver rather than an escort service: no chaperone comes with it. Each driver is licensed for private hire by a local council, and that licence depends on an enhanced DBS check.

Kent term dates for 2026–27

Kent County Council has fixed these dates for the schools it sets terms for. The current term finishes on Friday 18 December 2026. After the Christmas break:

Not every school follows them. Academies and free schools are free to alter their term lengths, foundation and voluntary aided schools decide their own dates through their governors, and independent and boarding schools publish their own calendars. Check with your child's school before booking, particularly for a boarding school, whose terms may open and close on different days from the county's.

• 4 January to 12 February 2027, then 22 February to 25 March 2027
• 12 April to 28 May 2027, then 7 June to 21 July 2027
• Good Friday falls on 26 March 2027 and Easter Monday on 29 March 2027

Busy days on the road

The opening days of the school holidays are among the heaviest of the year on the M25, and can put another 30 to 45 minutes on a journey. If a pupil is flying home from Gatwick or Heathrow on the last day of term, or the family flies out the next morning, build that into the pickup time.

Express Travel Kent's published airport times are for Canterbury rather than Aylesham: 1h 15m to 1h 45m to Gatwick and 2h to 2h 30m to Heathrow. From Aylesham the car first follows the A2 to Canterbury, so the trip is longer by that stretch. The price is the same however long the traffic makes it.

Students flying in: the airport meeting

For a pupil or student landing at a London airport, the collection works as it does for any traveller. We follow the flight and the driver works to its real landing time, then waits in the arrivals hall holding a board with the student's name and carries the bags to the car.

Give us the student's full name as it should appear on that board, their mobile number and the flight number. Waiting is free for the first 45 minutes after an international flight lands, or 30 after a domestic one, which leaves time for passports and bags. A delay outside the family's control costs nothing extra.

Moving to university: luggage and the right car

The start of a university year is a long-distance journey with a mountain of luggage: bedding, books, a desk lamp and a kettle as well as the suitcases. Choose the car for the load. An estate carries four people and three or four big cases; an MPV carries six people and four or more.

The price belongs to the car, not to the number of people in it, so a parent coming along to help unpack does not change it, as long as the car class suits the passengers and the luggage.

What parents arrange when booking

A clear booking prevents most problems on the day. Book on the website, by phone, on WhatsApp or by email, and include:

• The pupil or student's name and mobile number, plus a parent's number
• The pickup address in Aylesham or the villages, or the school, college or university address
• Flight number, airport and terminal for any airport leg
• How many big cases, and anything bulky such as a trunk or a musical instrument
• Child seats if a younger brother or sister is coming too, with their ages
• Who will meet the student at the other end

Prices, payment and changes of plan

The price for the car appears before you pay, and neither traffic nor the time of day changes it. Online you can pay by Revolut, Klarna, Google Pay, Apple Pay or card, and the discount code ExpressTravelKent takes 10% off.

Term dates and flights do move. Cancel more than a day before pickup and you pay nothing; between 24 and 6 hours ahead up to half may be charged, and later than that, or after the car has been sent, the whole fare may be due. If a date changes, tell us as soon as you know.