To be cross with school bus leaving

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DD12 attends a private school that has a bus service. Due to various reasons, I asked school if she can get the bus for the rest of this week. All confirmed and ok. DD went to the meeting place, bus arrived and said there’s no space for her, then drove off. Amazingly a child who always gets the bus got off with DD and took her to their house and asked the mum to give them both a lift. I am so cross that school haven’t contacted me and I would be none the wiser had this other parent not let me know. Have left a message with school but I’m so cross and wonder if I’m unreasonable to be so cross. I’ve got a very stressful week so unsure if I’m over reacting and anyway not sure what they can do to rectify it now.

Why wouldn't your DD have told you?

It is fair to be cross though if they said she could use it.

How kind of the other kid.

I'd be cross about that if they said it was fine to use. Complain away.

If the school agreed she could use the bus service then told her there was no space, then you have every right to be annoyed, as they have essentially abandoned a 12 year old girl at the side of the road.

Lucky that your DD had a friend who helped out.

I'd be wanting an explanation from the school.

@TeenToTwenties I meant Dd has no way of contacting me while she’s at school so I wouldn’t have known until she got home… if she can even get home tonight!

@DazedDragon exactly this! I’m waiting to hear back from them as to how she will be getting home. I just can’t believe the driver was happy to leave her on the roadside! I keep thinking what if her friend hadn’t helped; she could’ve walked home but I’m at work and she’d have been locked out. She doesn’t take her phone as they say no phones. I think I’m more cross at the what ifs.

As its a private school service I assume she was left on school grounds rather than at the roadside. Did the girls go into the school and let them know? I know this is with hindsight but if it were to happen again tell her to do that to make it their issue to deal with, especially if they had said she could use the bus.

Her DD was being picked up so this will be a regular pick up on a road side to be taken to school.

The bus driver should have phoned the school to find out what was going on, not just left her there, or come back to get her.

I'd be furious. They said she could have a place on the bus,.she couldn't and was therefore left in a really vulnerable position. I would submit a formal complaint including how concerned you were for her safety

She says later that she wouldn't have been able to get home except if she walked home.

At the end of the day presumably. No bus place in the morning (friend's parent gave them both a lift) so no allocated bus place after school perhaps and no phone to call home. Shameful.

This is dreadful. I work in a private school and no way would this happen - it's a fuck up there was no space for her if you had booked it and even if that was the case, the driver would be expected to go back etc (depending on how far from school) or call you before abandoning her! This sounds like the least helpful thing to have done in the circumstances, and is dangerous. Good job her friend was kind and sensible. I agree about making a formal complaint - whoever was responsible for booking the bus and/or the driver will be in serious trouble, but I'm not massively sympathetic.

Clearly this is an error on the school’s part and you’re right to be annoyed that they promised something they didn’t deliver . But if there wasn’t a space then there wasn’t a space. I’m not sure what the driver was meant to do? And I don’t understand why your DD wouldn’t have contacted you straight away?

She’s 12, not a toddler. She should have gone to the school office and told them what happened and asked them to phone you. It’s pretty poor that her getting the bus wasn’t checked that there would actually be room on the bus. I assume it’s the school who should have done this. Also, give her a door key! Is she never allowed out unaccompanied?

Lesson learned - she needs her own key!!!

But also, yes of course the school are at fault.

It is really annoying. I would complain and regardless if what they say I would give 12 year old a key and let her take phone to school leaving it switched off unless there is an emergency as I wouldn't trust them not to make mistake again.

Presumably the driver would not have had contact details of the parent seeing as they were not expecting her on the bus. Also, DD didnt have a phone so likely would not know her DMs phone number.

Don't be daft - she walked to the bus stop and waited there, was she not vulnerable at that time? I see hundreds of kids at bus stops or walking to school every day.

The bus driver would have been able to phone the school if not the parent.

Does your DD not have a phone?

They would have been able to call the school and get them though? Honestly leaving kids at the side of the road without telling anyone should be the last option!
I do agree she needs a key.

Are the children allowed a phone? I'm wondering why she didn't call you?

Waiting at a bus stop and being picked up 5 min later is not vulnerable

Waiting at a bus stop, bus has wrongly gone past, can’t go home as no key, no other way to get to school - that’s vulnerable

Perhaps they could. But that still wouldn't have let her on the bus. The driver wouldn't have been able to wait with her as presumably they would have had other pick ups to do.

How would the school know what had happened? The driver will unload at school and move to his/her next job or return to the depot without taking the time to find someone to report that there was an extra pupil this morning.
Before you come down too hard on the school, is it possible that they believe that there is a space on the bus but that someone is chancing their luck and using the bus without registering for it? Also, is the bus company using a smaller bus than they are contracted to use?