Warwickshire School Buses

[Alwaysconfused]

I have just seen on the BBC Ceefax service that school buses in Warwickshire are going to lose their "chaperones" on some services - "the chaperones make sure children behave and wear seatbelts" and that the "council said only 4 service had been affected".

My sons have been travelling to school for 7 years on Johnson coaches (used as a school buses). There aren't any seat belts let alone chaperones.

I assume the chaperones are for primary school buses, but would be interested to hear how many other children are travelling on unsupervised buses without seat belts. Incidentally, my son is in the VI form - it costs us over £600.00 per year for him to use these buses.

[Pixel]

My ds goes on a bus with a chaperone and seatbelts. Some of the children also have special harnesses or seats but his is a special needs school. Could this be what they were referring to? (if it is only 4 services?).

[LynetteScavo]

DSd1 travels 13 miles to school on an unchaperoned double decker bus (not coach). Apparently they don't need seat belts over the age of 11 because they should know that they should remain seated. The bus travels down a dual carriage way with a speed limit of 60mph.

The primary school bus has a chaperone on it. Some of the children on the bus are in reception, so I imagine they need a chaperone. But Warwickshire are planning to cut financial assistance to fee paying schools next year(but not grammar schools - no idea why they are immune), so maybe the bus will just stop altogether.

I really worry they will actually stop the bus to my DSs school. I want to send two more DC there, and for two years I will be paying for three DC to travel on the bus (Yikes!) I can see why some parents will opt for a school closer to home, which may threaten the existence of the bus route.

[Bingbangbong]

This particular local authority are aiming to ditch all of their directly provided services and just employ strategists and policy deliverers. Expect more than the bus service to disappear.

[LynetteScavo]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-14801748

when I have complained to the schools about behavior on the bus (more than one school use the same bus) a member of staff has traveled part of the route. I can totally see why chaperones may be needed. If you left a load of 11-16 year old in a room with nothing to do for an hour, mischief would occur.

I wouldn't be a school bus driver for anything.

[Alwaysconfused]

As you say, LynetteScavo, groups of teenagers, having spent a whole day at school, can become very rowdy and silly and need someone with authority on the bus to remind them to calm down. Following an incident on our school bus, we have been told that the driver is not responsible for the safety or well-being of the children apart from driving the bus (which is totally understandable - after all when you are driving 50+ mph through a 30 mph village, you do need to concentrate).

School told us that they feel VIth formers on the bus should be prepared to take control and not let any behaviour get out of control - as my son said, he can picture the reaction if a 16-year went to the back of the bus and told a load of 14-year olds to calm down and behave!! (Plus, should he be walking around the bus)?

Also, buses do have accidents - surely they would be safer with seat belts on - can you imagine the reactions of mums at the school gate if you casually mentioned that you did not have seat belts in your car for your children ?

[Alwaysconfused]

Son got on bus today (first day of new term) and had to stand for the whole journey!

Why are children considered such second class citizens in this country?

[LynetteScavo]

Oooh, that would make me cross! Does he have a bus pass or pay each day?

[Alwaysconfused]

He has a very EXPENSIVE bus pass! (£660.00 per year now he is in the VIth form). However, I have to hang my head in embarrassment as the next day there were two buses.

[BertieBotts]

I'm in Warwickshire too - don't have any school age DCs, but agree worrying. It was only last year that a school bus crashed and three people died in this area. (Not due to misbehaving students, but still.) When I was at school and college it was common knowledge that nobody would stop students smoking on the top deck or at the back.

[hannagomm]

Chaperones, Escorts or Passenger Travel Assistants (whichever you call them PTA) are being removed from Warwickshire Primary school buses, Warwickshire County Council have just told more parents that they are about to loose their PTA.

How can a driver drive the school bus and supervise all the kids whilst driving? This is a crazy cut and the council is not making the savings either, £2.50 for one school a day!

There are some parents that have a petition running on Warwickshire County Councils website to ask the council to change their minds. Please sign this, it runs to the end of January.
bit.ly/11t528M

They are also on Facebook AssistantsOnSchoolBuses

[bigbluebus]

I have never heard of school buses having chaperones/escorts before unless the buses are specifically for children with SEN. There is a coach taking children to our local primary school and the children just know that they have to put their seatbelts on. Parents are told to remind there children of this when they get on the bus. I think a designated TA checks the seatbelts before the bus leaves school at the end of the day. Any misdemeanours on the bus are reported to school by the driver or the other children and are dealt with by the school.
There are masses of school coaches/mini buses at DSs secondary school (rural area). None of them have chaperones on them. The children travel on the buses on the understanding that if they misbehave, they lose their place. I assume either the driver or other students 'dob' offenders in.