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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

Daily school coach mixing primary and secondary age?

24 replies

RoseWindow · 21/12/2021 15:52

Our school announced it's got some school transport changes. They want to team up with another school locally to share daily bus hire for cost reasons. Both are private schools- one girls', one mixed.

So primary kids plus secondary and sixth form kids will all travel together on the same full size coach, for almost an hour together, unsupervised. School just looked at me like I was bizarre when I asked them what their chaperoning arrangement would be.

And with two different schools, what happens if there's a problem- the kids won't even know each others' names to report it? And who do they report to anyway? They can't all sit up near the driver.

It's a safeguarding red flag, isn't it?

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Adventing · 21/12/2021 15:54

Did the primary school bus previously have a chaperone?

TeenMinusTests · 21/12/2021 16:00

Which is the mixed, the primary or the secondary?

I can see more concerns if the secondary is mixed than the other way around.

sunshineclouds24 · 21/12/2021 16:02

@RoseWindow , in the Hampton area LEH and Hampton share a coach service for primary up to age 18, 1 school is boys only and the other girls only. There is no chaperone and the dc don't know each other, some routes are up to 1 hour. The secondary schools are a next to each other but the preps a short distance away and there is a system for collecting the prep children off their coaches and taking them to their sites.
My ds uses the coach and there are no problems I know of. Perhaps look at the school websites if you want more info to compare.

PatriciaHolm · 21/12/2021 16:06

I think it's pretty normal. DD's private school runs a fleet of similar all-ages coaches (well from Year 3 to sixth form; the younger ones get a " buddy" from one of the upper years as their chaperone).

Original poster

RoseWindow · 21/12/2021 17:37

It's a girls school 5-18 and a mixed school 5-18 from the same part of town. No other links but this bus although over time they may get to know each other. They certainly won't know each other's names and forms though, if anything happened.

Previously each school organised buses driven by their own staff so no chaperone needed. My DD is in primary stage at the girls school. Mostly I am just pretty shocked that the school apparently doesn't think anything could happen by mixing teens, smartphones and primary aged kids unsupervised.

School just keep repeating that parents are responsible for getting their DC to school. Absolutely, yes, but I would never choose to do it this way. On a public bus I would accompany her at this age.

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Takeachance18 · 21/12/2021 18:10

Mine use a bus shared by 4 schools - mine are in primary, they are taken to the secondary where the buses leave from by a teacher from their school waits until buses leave. The bus driver does a good job and some projects on the bus to start with. Normal school bus rules apply - youngest children at the front. My 2 are part of only 4 prep pupils, they sit at the front, they are some of the last off the bus. They have started knowing the other pupils. I am certain, any issues the bus driver will report back to schools (they are in uniform so that gives a clue, even if no-one gives a name).

What is the alternative- probably no bus, as guessing they want to optimise routes and have a service for pupils and spare capacity for both schools in their services.

Svara · 21/12/2021 18:18

An 11 year old in secondary is safe with adult sixth form students but an 11 year old in primary isn't? It's not unusual for schools to share buses either. If it was only one school, a student would be unlikely to know the names of students in different forms anyway. I don't see an issue TBH.

CorrBlimeyGG · 21/12/2021 18:26

We had this arrangement at school, and the schools still do. What do you think is going to happen?

PatriciaHolm · 21/12/2021 18:26

School just keep repeating that parents are responsible for getting their DC to school. Absolutely, yes, but I would never choose to do it this way. On a public bus I would accompany her at this age.

Then I suspect their response to that would be, well you are still welcome to bring her on public transport, or drive. Presumably the bus is a courtesy, and not compulsory?

SouthLondonMommy · 21/12/2021 20:38

This is pretty normal. Alleyns is co-ed, JAGs is a girls school and Dulwich College is a boys school and they all share the coach service. From year 3 through to the 6 form all ride together across the schools and I've never heard of the younger children having a problem with the older children.

Original poster

RoseWindow · 21/12/2021 20:40

I already asked about reserved seating for the preps and the school said no.
I will try again. If there's a sensible older girl she can travel with that would be great of course but it can't be guaranteed and isn't actual supervision, which is why an adult should be doing that job.

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Original poster

RoseWindow · 21/12/2021 20:44

Obviously it's not compulsory but there's no public transport alternative for this specific journey that I have time to take my DD on twice a day and while still doing my job. I didn't pick the school on the basis of there being shared coaches with other schools either. I'm glad to hear of other schools doing this without incident though in principle I still think it's really inappropriate and risky.

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cansu · 21/12/2021 20:51

The answer is drive her yourself. They are not obliged to transport her. The system is changing to be more cost effective and practical for the school. It is not a safeguarding issue. Many kids travel unsupervised on buses. If they are not safe doing this then their parents are responsible for transporting them. It really is this simple. If you dislike this aspect of the school then you are also free to move her to a more convenient school where you can drive her there yourself.

massiveblob · 21/12/2021 23:44

@RoseWindow what exactly are you envisioning happening?
Your DC will be sat in a coach seat with a coach driver overseeing the bus. Older kids will get on and chat/play on phones/do homework etc
I'm a bit at a loss about why you think it's a safeguarding issue.

Moonlaserbearwolf · 21/12/2021 23:47

@RoseWindow

I already asked about reserved seating for the preps and the school said no.

I will try again. If there's a sensible older girl she can travel with that would be great of course but it can't be guaranteed and isn't actual supervision, which is why an adult should be doing that job.

We had a mixed school bus aged 5-16 and never gave it a second thought. Reserved seats would have been unnecessary because children always sat in the same seat. Oldest children on the back row and then generally getting younger the closer to the front you went. If you sat in someone else's seat they would have thrown you out when they got on the bus!

Moonlaserbearwolf · 21/12/2021 23:50

Just remembered that very young children (under 7s) tended to sit with an older child to begin with if they wanted to. This would be a sensible request if you're worried.

massiveblob · 21/12/2021 23:51

@RoseWindow I think you are doing the teenagers a massive disservice tbh. You state that teens, phone and primary kids are a risk. These are private school kids on a private school bus service.
The vast majority of teenagers are lovely kids going through a tough period of life juggling expectations and exam pressures etc
Why do you think they will suddenly bully or abuse your DD?!?

Moonlaserbearwolf · 21/12/2021 23:52

Of course a sensible 14/15 year old would be fine to sit next to your child! They babysit young children at this age. Do you never use a teenage babysitter?

LondonGirl83 · 22/12/2021 06:43

I’m struggling to understand your concern. It sounds like your child is at a through school so is already travelling with older children from the secondary. Is it the bus becoming co-Ed that’s alarming you?

As you can see, the approach your school is taking is fairly standard so you’ll likely have to accept it or make other arrangements.

Whattodo121 · 22/12/2021 07:02

I caught the same bus to my (state) primary and secondary schools from reception to year 13 back in the eighties and nineties and it was fine. (Obviously times have changed and anecdote is not data) but I honestly think that this would be ok. And I say this as a parent of a primary aged child. I’m also a head of year in a secondary school so deal with behaviour issues a lot. Our school shares the buses with the girls school opposite and tbh the kids get on the bus, put their air pods in and stare out the window all the way home. I think we naturally leap to the worst case scenario sometimes about what could happen, but actually most teenagers are just really nice people, who would never dream of intimidating a younger child on a school bus. Chances are they will just completely ignore them with disdain.

TizerorFizz · 23/12/2021 12:03

You made a choice to use this school. It’s your responsibility to get DC there. Don’t use the bus if you don’t like it. Chaperones that I know about are for very disturbed SEN children. Otherwise children have to be responsible and they are! You will just have to change your routine if it doesn’t work for you.

InTheLabyrinth · 23/12/2021 12:15

Were you OK with the system when it was just the one school on a coach? So the only thing changing is extra kids, of the same age range, from a different school?
Where are your additional concerns coming from? Is the issue the boys?
My kids were on a mixed school bus (sounds similar to you - 3 primaries plus 2 secondaries, and a 6th form). The teen boys were actually better than the girls!

Oneforthemoneytwo · 04/01/2022 21:31

I took the school bus unsupervised from 7-18 to my girls school sharing a bus with the neighbouring boys school. We just got on and sat down. I don’t really see the problem. It’s not a safeguarding issue

BungleandGeorge · 04/01/2022 21:42

Never heard of a chaperone on a school bus unless it’s for students with additional needs.

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