Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral Schools Past & Present School Bus

Can anyone offer advice? - the school kept a pupil behind for a few mins so they missed the school bus: although the pupil did tell the teacher they needed to get the school bus. The school is over 10 miles away so they could not walk home. The school refused to part with £2.20 for their bus ticket. They did allow use of their phone. What is the situation regarding repaying costs which were more than the £2.20 for to travel and pick the pupil up and return them home, and also with holding them behind, even when they said they needed to get the school bus? Anyone come across this before?

By "kept behind", I take it you mean detention, no school bus schedule is so tight that it leaves within five minutes of a school day ending.

A summary of the law with regard to detention is given in the DfES circular 10/99 Annex C - Detention: the law and how to apply it:

If the detention class is arranged for after school the parent must, by law, be given at least 24 hours advance notice by means of a special form for the parent to sign and return. The notification to the parents is to inform them of the detention and is not intended as a request for permission. If the signed form/letter is not returned the detention should still be valid but it is desirable that the parent should be informed.

So basically, if you (or the pupil) knew about it, you should have made alternative arrangements, if the pupil didn't tell you, that doesn't affect the school, they followed procedure, if it was an immediate detention (kept beyond the usual school day) at the end of a class, then the school acted unlawfully and you are entitled to be compensated for out of pocket expenses.

But....for £2.20, is it worth it, just phone the school, tell them that they were in the wrong, quote the DfES guidelines and ask that they remind all teachers about it. Play nice, something might get done, go in guns blazing.......

DfES Rules Regarding Detention

24 rules still in law (read the small print at the bottom)

Thanks for the info TheDr. There was no detention involved, just a talking to by the teacher after class. Have the schools not a 'duty of care' towards pupils ensuring they are safe and go home safely. What is their position for deliberately keeping a pupil behind and ensuring they go home safely? Any legislation that I could quote?
It was interesting to note that detention, and pupils only method of going home was on the school bus, was made clear that this would be used at the end of the day with the agreement with parents.

The buses are a law unto themselves at some schools, I've know staff to stand in front of them to prevent them leaving earlier than the specified time.

I hope you're not questioning the integrity of Happy Als...

happens occasionally with my daughter , the whole class is held back till they all shut up and settle down, nothing that didnt happen to us all the time,
When this happens she never manages to get the organised school bus, and i get the call to go and collect her. No big issues most days but occasionally its really awkward.

I just wish the bus driver of these school buses would use there indicators when changing lanes , pulling in , pulling out.
How many times i have been overtaking a stationary bus that is indicating left , only for the stupid ******* to pull out on me.
Is the manouver not MIRROR SIGNAL MANOUVER when u learn to drive one of these ? After all the safety of our kids is in their hands

My old school sent a letter out ages ago saying they were allowed to keep us after school for up to half an hour without giving notice to parents, any more than that and they had to be given 24 hours!

Don't know about the money back, some of our teachers used to give us lifts home and I heard of a college paying for saveaways but not for reimbursing if they keep someone behind.

As for having a duty of care to get home safely our old school didn't allow you to bring phones in, most people did but if you're caught with it it gets confiscated until your parent comes in a picks it up for you! Anything can happen on the way home!

You need to indicate yourself when overtaking these buses i no do school run for a school myself ,they have to be at school on time other wise they get into trouble.I have nearly been hit by one so thats why i indicate.

i always indicate for lane changes so when it happens to me its definately the bus driver not looking i can assure you

For contracted school buses, should the driver not be absolutely sure that all the kids are on, especially if it is too far for the pupil to walk home if they miss the bus?

There is no way he could know:

Who was off that day
Who is in detention
Who has football practice
Who was picked up by parents
Who has gone to friends

Ah but we have already established, that it is a school policy, that is quite clear and accessible to parents.

In my day of course, we didnt have phones, and we managed without them just fine. As phone started to become more and more common (I was one of only a handful of people with one when I was in Year 8 or 9), my school iirc, did begin to introduce a similar policy, and again, it was sent out in newsletters and official letters to parents.

As the school also stated, a phone can potentially make a child a target for a criminal, not safer.

I hate mobile phones in the hands of school pupils. Especially when they have exams. You wouldn't believe the number of phones I have to collect in before pupils can go into the exam venue. A box stuffed full of i-phones and blackberries!!

and the post-its fall off, especially on the ones that aren't collected

From what I recall from 1950s/1960s in Birkenhead there was always a school near enough to where you lived and I don't think there was one person that I knew that had to get a bus or car to get to and from school. Don't know about other areas though.
It's been the closure of so many schools in Birkenhead since then that has caused the need for transport to schools that are now in a different catchment area.