The Academy's catchment area is defined as that part of the old District of Ettrick and Lauderdale, consisting of the town of Galashiels itself, westwards to the village of Clovenfords, eastwards to the village of Tweedbank and northwards along the valley of the Galawater, taking in the villages of Stow, Fountainhall and Heriot. The catchment area extends only slightly southwards on the A7 towards Selkirk.
Pupils attending the primary schools on the diagram below normally proceed to Galashiels Academy after completing their primary education.
Transport Arrangements
Pupils from Heriot, Fountainhall, Stow and Clovenfords are transported to and from the Academy by bus and parents of pupils concerned are notified by the Scottish Borders Council of the timings of the buses along the route. Where pupils live some distance from the main road, a taxi or minibus is sometimes provided to make the connection with the buses. Parents are notified of timings and pick up points and the Transport Department provides a bus season ticket. The Council provides season tickets for pupils living more than 3 miles from the Academy.
A large number of pupils from Tweedbank and from Galashiels itself choose to travel to the Academy by bus. This is a purely individual choice as such buses are not school buses and as such are completely under the control of the bus operators with regard to timings, routes, etc. Parents should note that those pupils living within a three-mile radius of school are expected to make their own way to school if public transport is not available.
If a school bus transporting pupils to the Academy does not arrive within 15 minutes of the published time, pupils should return home. This does not apply to pupils living in Tweedbank and Galashiels.
Any queries concerning transport arrangements should be made to the school office in the first instance, then to Mr Angus, Depute Headteacher if necessary. However, it should be noted that allocation of pupils to buses, bus timings etc. is the responsibility of the Council Transportation Department and not the school or Education Department.
