Home to School Transport- Safer Travel Guide
Guidance for schools dealing with antisocial behaviour on home to school transport
August 2021
Contents
Page
Introduction 2
Overview of suggested procedure 3
Template 1 4
Template 2 5-7
Template 3 8
Home to School Transport- Safer Travel Guide
• 2 •
Introduction
Lancashire County Council provides home to school transport services across the county.
The School Transport Team are responsible for co-ordinating home to school transport, arranging the school bus passes and fundamentally ensuring children &
young people travel to and from school in a safe and efficient manner. Antisocial behaviour on school transport is not acceptable and steps must be taken to deal with any incidents.
The Department of Education expects each school to promote appropriate standards of behaviour by pupils on their journey to and from school through rewarding any positive behaviour and using sanctions to address poor behaviour (Education Inspections Act 2006).
Headteachers are required to determine what measures should be taken to promote self-discipline among pupils; and encourage positive behaviour and respect for others, including the prevention of bullying. The Act makes it clear that Headteachers must make and publish rules and decide on penalties for unacceptable behaviour.
The Act also empowers Headteachers to take action to address unacceptable behaviour even when this takes place outside the school premises and when pupils are not under the legal control of the school, but when it is reasonable to do so. In the Department’s view, this would include behaviour on school buses, or otherwise on the route to and from school, whether or not the pupils are in school uniform.
The following information can be used as a guide when dealing with any antisocial behaviour on school buses.
If you would like any more information, please contact the team via:
schoolbusmanagers@lancashire.gov.uk 01772 534565/ 01772 533527
On receipt of a complaint of anti-social behaviour on the home to school transport, the following procedure can be adopted:
1st Incident: Verbal/written warning
If this is a low-level incident and is the first time a pupil is involved in anti-social behaviour, you may wish to deal with this using an appropriate low level school sanction i.e. detention, as well as a phone call with the parent/carer. However, if you feel a written warning is warranted, please see attached letter example. (Template 1)
2nd Incident: Acceptable Behaviour Contract and meeting with parents/carers Repeated poor behaviour on school transport services or a higher-level incident would advocate that a meeting request is made between school and the parent/carer to discuss behaviour and to sign a behavioural contract. Please see template of meeting request letter/contract template. You may wish to add to/delete conditions 1- 6. (Template 2)
Nb. The contract attached to the letter does not necessarily need to be posted to parent/carer, just presented at the meeting, read and signed by all parties present.
3rd Incident: Exclusion from services
If the poor behaviour continues, school may wish to implement an exclusion from all home to school services. This would need to be managed by school and the operator together. It would then be the responsibility of parent/carer to get their child to and from school. (Template 3)
POLICE MATTER – If you want to report a crime or other non-emergency that does not require an immediate response please call the police on 101.
Home to School Transport- Safer Travel Guide
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Template 1-Example-written warning
Mrs Smith 1 Smith Road Smith Hill Preston
Lancashire Your Ref: xxxx
PR0 0LL Date: xxxx
Dear Parent / Carer
[John Smith – DOB: xxxx] – ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR / SCHOOL TRANSPORT NETWORK
Your child is reported to have been involved in a recent incident on the school transport network. [John] has been reported to have DONE SOMETHING-INSERT ACTION on the school bus. This behaviour is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
The incident has been investigated and [John] has received a verbal warning from the school.
Parents/carers have a very important part to play in helping to ensure that their children can use the school transport network safely. Please discuss this matter with your child.
Yours sincerely,
Template 2 Example Meeting request and behaviour contract
Mrs Smith 1 Smith Road Smith Hill Preston
Lancashire Your Ref: xxxx
PR0 0LL Date: xxxx
Dear Parent / Carer
[John Smith] – DOB: xxxx – ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR / SCHOOL TRANSPORT NETWORK
Your child is reported to have been involved in a recent incident on the school transport network. [John] has been reported to have DONE SOMETHING- INSERT ACTION.
I am writing to invite you to the school, with your child, on 16 FEB-2018 at 13:00 to discuss the matter with a senior member of staff and a representative of the transport operator may also be present (please add/delete who you wish to be present at this meeting).
Failure to attend this meeting may result in [John] being excluded from using the school transport system.
Yours sincerely,
Home to School Transport- Safer Travel Guide
• 6 • Mrs Smith
1 Smith Road Smith Hill Preston
Lancashire Your Ref: xxxx
PR0 0LL Date: xxxx
[John Smith] – DOB: XXXX – ACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOUR AGREEMENT This agreement commences on ??? and will remain in force until ???
Between school and the transport provider
AND John Smith
John Smith enters into a commitment with school and the transport provider not to:
1 – Act in a manner which causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or inconvenience to all transport users.
2 – Use abusive language, gestures or make inappropriate comments to the driver or other transport users.
3 – Use physical violence towards anyone.
4 – Cause damage to the bus or any property belonging to another.
5 – Throw missiles on the bus, at the bus or from the bus.
AND
6 – Will respect the wishes of the driver of the vehicle and comply with any safety instructions given by the school/driver.
Signed (Pupil): ________________________________________________________
Parent/Carer: __________________________________________________________
Head Teacher: _________________________________________________________
Transport Provider: ____________________________________________________
Mrs Smith 1 Smith Road Smith Hill Preston
Lancashire Your Ref: xxxx
PR0 0LL Date: xxxx
Dear Parent / Carer
[John Smith] – DOB: XXXX– ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR / SCHOOL TRANSPORT NETWORK
A report concerning your child’s behaviour on the school transport network has been received, and investigated, concerning anti-social behaviour. [John] has found to have DONE SOMETHING-INSERT ACTION.
I regret that, in the interest of [John’s] safety, and the safety of others, there is no alternative but to exclude [John] from all home to school transport services with effect from XXX. This exclusion will end on XXXX.
Yours sincerely,
