Fife Council: School travel passes and NEC/Saltire/MyFife Card

We’ve received a number of comments underneath our Free School Meals post: https://www.facebook.com/FifeCouncil/posts/420557473435778 about when pupils can expect their school travel passes (if they’re entitled) and their NEC/Saltire/MyFife card which can be used to buy school meals. 

Hopefully the following helps answers the questions that have been asked.

There are two different cards:

1. School travel passes
These are for pupils who are entitled to have transport provided to take them to/from their catchment area school because of the distance they live from the school. This is measured using the shortest available walking route. So, any primary school child who lives more than one mile from their catchment area school is entitled to receive school transport and for secondary pupils, if they live more than two miles away, they will also get transport provided to their catchment area school.
School travel passes are being sent out from 2 August.

2. NEC/Saltire/MyFife card
This is one in the same thing, and you can use it to access different services. For example, YoungScot, Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel, cashless catering for school meals etc. However, some services such as the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel, need to be applied for before the card can be used for this purpose.

Anyone who applied for the Young Person’s Free Bus Travel a while ago will already have received their NEC/Saltire/MyFife card. The majority of P7 pupils moving to High school after the summer break, will have applied for this through their primary school during the summer term or via www.getyournec.scot These cards were sent directly to pupils at their home address. If you’ve only recently applied for the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel, please allow up to 10 working days for the card to be sent out.

Pupils should use their NEC/Saltire/MyFife card to access the cashless catering system etc.
For pupils who do not have or haven’t recently ordered a NEC/Saltire/MyFife card, they should advise the school office on their first day back and they will arrange for one to be ordered.

If anyone experiences any issues with their card, for example, it doesn’t work when they go to pay for their school meal, they should report this to their school office as soon as possible – it could be that the cashless catering service hasn’t been activated on their card. This can be easily done in school.

For more information about the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel and NEC/Saltire/MyFife card visit: https://www.fife.gov.uk/.../myfife-national-entitlement-card

Information provided by Leuchars HIVE