Students will be able to travel to school on subsidised buses starting next term, Thetford Academy has announced.

The initiative is in response to concerns raised by parents about the distance some students would have to travel when the school's south site, on Staniforth Road, closes in 2013.

While the service would be a fee-paying route, run by Lewis Coaches, the costs will be subsidised by the academy and will be geared towards the timetables of the pupils.

The route will only operate on school days and will start from September 6 when students return after the summer break, with all fares being paid direct to the coach company.

Principal at Thetford Academy, Cathy Spillane, said: 'We listened to the concerns that were raised and with the backing of the governing body we have been able to introduce this new transport service.

'We will be monitoring its use and I will be looking at various travel initiatives including free bus travel for good attendance records next year and also ways in which we can encourage more students to cycle.

'The new academy will have secure cycle storage from 2013 and we are looking at a voucher scheme to help people buy a cycle who otherwise may not be able to afford one.

'We will also be increasing the provision of road safety awareness training for students in the coming year.'

Fares for the 2012/2013 school year will be �1 for a child single and �1.70 for a child return, �1.20 for a 16-19 single and �2.05 for a 16-19 return, �1.50 for an adult single and �2.50 for an adult return, and �5.30 for a child weekly ticket and �8 for an adult weekly.

The service will be available to all the academy's students with the planned morning route leaving Fulmerston Road, near the junction with Staniforth Road, at 8.25am, before reaching the academy's North Site, on Croxton Road, at 8.45am, via St Johns Way and Canterbury Way.

The afternoon service would leave the North Site at 3.40pm and arrive at Fulmerstone Road at 4pm, via Canterbury Way and St Johns Way.

It has been agreed the academy will support this service for a two year period subject to demand, with the possibility of extending beyond this.