AIBU to be concerned about young children on council-provided school bus with no adult supervision?

[Gertrudethechicken]

My DD is 5 and has recently started travelling to/from school on a council-provided school bus. There is a driver, but apparently no passenger assistant/chaperone on the bus. Yesterday she told me that an older boy on the bus tried to spill his juice over her. She said he was deliberately trying to do it, rather than it being an accident.
I know children messing around on buses isn’t exactly unusual, and I’m not suggesting this particular incident is some huge safeguarding crisis. But it has made me think about the fact that she’s only 5, travelling with considerably older children, and there doesn’t appear to be anyone supervising them other than the driver.
The driver obviously needs to concentrate on driving, so realistically they can’t be watching what’s happening further back on the bus.
I’m wondering whether I’m being unreasonable to think that a bus carrying 5-year-olds alongside older children should have some form of adult supervision? She’s my first so fully prepared to be told I’m being precious or over the top.

I don’t know -he pretended to this - older kids are usually protective of younger kids ime - were his friends pushing him to do it or was he being an idiot and showing off - I think I’d wait and see how things go - there’s nothing impressive about bullying a 5year old so hopefully he’s got the message .

Your 5year old might be the show off older child one day

Have you asked the driver if she can have a reserved seat at or near the front, as she is so young? I know our driver would try to accommodate that, but if yours won't I would escalate to the school or transport provider - either the Local Authority or bus company. (Our bus is run by a small local company, who I know have been very helpful when I've contacted them about things left behind on the bus.)

Is it just a minibus, rather than a big bus or coach?

It is very normal here too for children to travel with just the driver on rural transport, although we moved here when the children were 10+ and they travelled together, so it was less daunting for my children.

Why is it free? I know it’s the distance but I still don’t see why it’s not chargeable. Most people live where they do by choice so wouldn’t transport costs be part and parcel of living rurally? Also it might cover the cost of a chaperone which I think is necessary for children at that young age.

It sounds like the boy was teasing her really, I'm sure he could have poured his juice over her if he intended to, where is she going to go? But not a nice experience. If he goes to the same school tell the teachers and if you put her on the bus tell the driver and have a word with the boy yourself, 'it's not funny to be mean to little girls'. But of course these days you would be in trouble for saying anything to him. I don't know what authority a chaperone would have to tell off or discipline a child on a bus either.

Are there bigger kids getting on the bus with her that she could pall up with? From our rural lane there were always a few of us of different ages who got the same bus and looked after each other, but that was a regular bus and conductors were allowed to shout at the kids or even put them off the bus for being naughty in those days.

It’s normal in rural areas for just a bus driver. The head teacher should be told about any bad behaviour as they’re usually very quick to deal with it. Sometimes teachers would use it for their commute for a few days if they lived on the route if there had been bad behaviour and that seemed to settle things down.

Because all children have the right to free access to education. Its cheaper than having more schools.

But they don't You have to deal with realities not what " should be"

Move where? She's a 5 year old probably strapped in to her seat on a bus, she can't just start wandering around.

Do this until she’s older.

I don't think it's unreasonable for him to focus on driving the bus

Reported to school, they are going to pass it to the head. I will let my daughter decide when she is ready to get the bus again. Thanks for your input.

It’s a bit different because it’s a private school but our school minibus only has a driver and no chaperone. My 5YO takes it everyday but does have an older sibling to sit with. If another child was behaving badly I’d expect the school to deal with it and as a last resort remove that child from the bus. I wouldn’t expect to have to start driving mine.

I thought they had to have a 2 nd person for safeguarding reasons to protect the children and driver??

Do you know any of the other children who go on the bus? Can you 'pay' a neighbour's older child (in sweets/Pokemon cards/a bit of pocket money) to protect your child on the bus? My older one would love a job like that and would take it very seriously (although would have to be reminded not actually to smack the bully in the face).

It’s normal in rural Scotland. The primary school buses have seatbelts and the kids should be able to put them in from P1 or have an older child help them. If you don’t like it drive your kid to school.

Yes because everyone can afford a car and is medically fit to drive.

Not on but you could volunteer

Are you sure there is no adult other than the driver? Have you contacted the provider to clarify?

I've never heard of supervision on school buses here. It's just not a thing. If you don't like it then you need to take you child to school yourself. Absolutely raise the poor behaviour with the school though, they'll have a word with the child and maybe buddy your 5yr old with a nice older child.

Because if you live over 2 miles from your catchment school then you are entitled to free transport to and from school 🤷. Why would you have to pay to travel to school? Especially when bus travel is free for children anyway.

I am a teacher (and Mum of 3) and totally agree there should be a chaperone on the bus, I have always thought it is shocking (and dangerous) that there isn't one. The driver cannot be expected to do anything but safely drive the bus. The attitude some of the children give the driver is shocking too.

As a school we are always being asked to sort out issues arising from the bus but it actually has nothing to do with us!

What happens if one of the kids has a medical episode on the bus? Is the driver in loco parentis? Presumably they're the responsible adult in charge of the kids since there are no other adults?

What’s strange is that there have to be appropriate ratios in most other situations. Younger children require more adults. In girlguiding for example 14+ don’t need ratios so can travel alone and attend things alone if needed but the adult leading is always told there has to be a minimum of 2 adults due to safeguarding and never to be alone with a child. Brownies is 1:8 and rainbows who are 4-6/7 it’s 1:5. I’m sure in schools there are ratios depending on qualifications. So a teacher can be on their own with a class of 30 EYFS kids in school older kids don’t have these ratios and out of school there are no fixed ratios legally required but guidance around this does exist.

Bus travel isn't free for children over 5 here