School Run Taxi Sydenham Families Can Book by the Term

Written by the Sydenham Mini Cabs team. Last updated 3 October 2026.

Who uses a school run taxi

There is no single type of family. Over the years we have seen a few situations come up again and again.

Parents who start work before the school gates open. Families with children at two schools in opposite directions, where one adult cannot be in both places at 8.40am. A child with a broken leg who cannot manage the bus for six weeks. Grandparents who do the pickup on Wednesdays but no longer drive.

Some families book every day. Others book only the afternoon, or only on days with clubs. All of those are fine. Tell us the pattern and we will build the booking around it.

How a regular booking works

A standing booking saves you phoning every morning. Here is the process.

Setting it up

Call the office on 020 8778 8888 and give us the home address, the school, the times and the days. Tell us the names and ages of the children and who will be travelling with them. We will quote a price per journey and confirm the start date.

Day to day

The car arrives at the agreed time. For morning runs we suggest a pickup that gets you to the gate ten minutes before registration, because traffic near schools is unpredictable. In the afternoon, the driver waits at the place you have chosen.

Changes and cancellations

Children get ill and schools close for training days. Ring us as early as you can and we will cancel or move that day's car. Give us the term dates at the start, and we will pause the booking for half term and the holidays.

Schools and roads we know around SE26

Sydenham has a large number of schools within a small area, which is exactly why the roads jam at 8.30am. Our drivers work these streets every day.

Dartmouth Road is slow past Sydenham School and Forest Hill Library in the mornings. Westwood Hill queues back from Sydenham High School towards the station. Dacres Road and Perry Vale fill up around Forest Hill School. Down by Bell Green, the roads around Haseltine Primary are narrow, and parking is tight.

We also drive daily to schools in Dulwich, where College Road, Dulwich Common and Townley Road all carry heavy school traffic, and to Catford, Beckenham and Crystal Palace.

Typical school run times from Sydenham

These are typical term time figures. The same trips take about half as long in the school holidays, which tells you how much of the traffic is school traffic.

Safety and who is driving

This is the question every parent asks first, and rightly so.

Private hire drivers in London are licensed by Transport for London. To get that licence, a driver must pass an enhanced criminal record check, a medical and a topographical assessment. Vehicles are licensed and inspected separately. Our operator licence number is [TfL licence number].

Every school journey is booked through our office and logged. We know which driver and which car were sent, and at what time. If you ever need to check something, call us and we can look it up.

Where we can, we send the same driver for a regular run. Children settle faster with a familiar face, and the driver learns the best place to stop.

What your child should expect

A first ride without mum or dad driving can feel strange. It helps to explain the plan the night before. Tell your child where the car will stop, what the driver is called if we have confirmed it, and who will meet them at the other end. For the first few days, many parents ride along so the routine becomes familiar.

Child seats and seat belts

Tell us the age and height of each child when you book. Child seats are available on request, and we need notice to make sure the car that comes has the right one fitted.

Older children use the adult seat belt. Drivers will not move off until everyone is belted in, so a quick reminder to your child before the first trip helps.

Travelling with or without an adult

Many school runs have a parent, grandparent or childminder in the car. That is the simplest arrangement, and for younger children it is the one we recommend.

If you are thinking about an older child travelling alone, talk to the office first. We will go through the child's age, the route and the handover at each end, and agree clear arrangements with you before we accept the booking. A named adult must be reachable by phone during every journey.

After school clubs and activities

The school day does not always end at 3.15pm. Football at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, swimming at the Bridge Leisure Centre, music lessons, tutoring, Scouts.

An after school club pickup taxi can collect from school, drop at the activity and bring your child home later. You can book the whole chain in one call. Tell us where each handover happens and who will be there to receive your child.

What it costs and how to pay

We quote a fixed price per journey when you set up the booking. The fare depends on the distance and the size of vehicle.

Regular customers can open an account and pay weekly. That is tidier than finding cash every morning. You can also pay by card or cash as you go.

Sharing with another family is worth a thought. Two or three children from the same road going to the same school can split a car. For five or six passengers, ask about our 6 seater taxi.

Not only for term time

School journeys come in other forms too.

• Open days and entrance exams at schools further afield
• University drop offs with a boot full of boxes
• Trips to meet a school coach leaving early for a residential
• Boarding school runs at the start and end of term

For boarders catching a train, our Sydenham to Paddington Station taxi and Sydenham to Victoria Station taxi pages cover the main terminals.

Nearby areas for school transport

We collect from homes throughout Sydenham and the surrounding districts. If you live nearby, see our local pages for Forest Hill, Dulwich and Catford. Each one describes the roads and pickup points in that area.

Bringing the family dog along for the walk home through the park? We have a pet friendly taxi service as well.

School run taxi questions