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.

Well it is here, where I am all children get free travel. The op doesn't actually say where they are.

When mine were young I was entitled to bus but took them myself. I also thought it was strange no chaperone but fully understood why due to funding. But the driver also seemed to let some others not entitled to place get a place which didn't feel right. Also it was a long time on bus so quicker journey if we drove.

I would drop at school and review at later time. Some things just aren't worth the battle andain thing is that they enjoy school.

Thought only in London that was the case, so a miniscule part of the country

Scotland, so not miniscule. But also not the same country 🤷.
It sounds like op might be in Scotland as school transport is free and won't be supervised.

🙄

I wouldn’t be happy with this for a 5 year old. I didn’t start getting the school bus until I started high school at 11 and even then I remember it being quite terrifying. The bus driver is there to drive, not supervise the kids. At 5 they are really quite little to be looking after themselves in that scenario. Sorry op is there another option for you?

I am going back a few years but both of mine went on the school minibus right through primary with just the driver. We live in a very rural area and I would say that 90% of kids arrived at school that way (tiny villages, farms etc). It is the same now. We both worked so there was no choice. It would be nice to think of a chaperone on all those buses but practically it would be impossible. I can't remember either of them having a problem but I do remember them being a bit nervous about it at first.

There is absolutely no way I’d put my five year old on an unsupervised school bus 🫤

It’s normal in rural Scotland.

I think you would struggle to find someone willing to take on the role. Either because they need to work longer hours that such a part-time role, or because they would be fearful of accusations from some children and it affecting their future job possibilities.

When my son started school I couldn’t get him to go in when I took him in the car, but he loved going the 3.5 miles on the bus. The bus driver was a darling and gave him a toy for the journey. He had his big sister with him
too which helped.
Secondary school bus home was like the lord of the flies. I just could not understand the behaviour of what I thought are decent boys with lovely parents all of which we know. The bus driver took them back to the school one day as behaviour was so bad. (my son was sick that day, but it was the talk of the village) Now my son is older I have warned him if I ever hear that he is pissing about on the bus annoying younger children his life will not be as he knows it!

I live in rural Scotland. I still wouldn’t do it.

as regards cost if in at compulsory school age if the nearest suitable state school is more than 2 miles by safe walking route to age 7 or 3 miles 8 and older then local authority must provide free school transport. Different rules may apply for children with SEND.

I would ask for the risk assessment.

I would expect a chaperone to be necessary. To supervise the kids and help keep them safe. Who ensures seat belts are in and fastened? (Assuming a private coach rather the public bus)? Who provides first aid if some falls of a seat when bus stops? Who assists if driver is taken unwell?

Also to protect the driver from accusations by the kids or their parents. Any safeguarding training I've completed recommends adults are not alone with DC if avoidable and certainly don't give them lifts.

A host of issues could occur where one adult isn't sufficient.

That's probably why. The chaperones were assigned to the SEN children, not the bus as a whole.

Can your DD sit at the front and the bus driver be alerted to the issues?

One escort was standard on all the Primary buses, as the driver wasnt considered responsible for the children. Same across the whole LA.

Should be clear that this is England. Rules in are similar but a bit more generous. The distance remains 2 miles until secondary school

It’s completely standard where I live in Scotland for school buses to be unchaperoned and both my children travelled that way to primary from age 5.

report the behaviour to school and they should deal with it.

Report to the school. They can exclude certain bullies from the bus and they can appoint a school bus captain who writes names and notes to report to the adult at school who controlls the school buses.
Suggest that the bus has a camera.

I would speak to the school. I’m in the same rural situation so my dc have been getting school bus for years with no chaperone. The school are hot on bus discipline and a child can be removed from the bus if they don’t behave and parents will have to find an alternative. Even the most gentle of parents tends to read the riot act when faced with that twice daily school run.

In the meantime ask if she can be seated at front of the bus (row behind driver) as theres generally better behaviour at the front.

How would that work exactly? OP could volunteer as as a chaperone on the bus, gets to school.... Then how does she get back home? Or to work?

I thought they had to have a chaperone?
There is always a chaperone on all school transport in my area (taxis and buses)

Ours don't have a chaperone. I don't think the driver is allowed to do anything but stop the bus and tell the kids to stop misbehaving.
A child got off the bus once and wanted to come home with my gchildren. She wouldn't take no for an answer and I had to physically pick her up and put her back on the bus and clip her in. The driver wasn't allowed to touch anyone.

No one even knows how much older this " bigger" boy is. He could be all of 6 years old ( threatening to pour juice over someone is the sort of silliness 6 year old boys think of)

My dgc had free school transport which isn't supervised in England. Over family members have the same.

But public buses kids pay