There are two very different ways of deciding who should use the school minibus and for what.

For most of us, the use of the minibus is obvious. A school team has an away fixture, and has to get to the ground where the match is played.  The obvious solution is to use the school minibus.

The school doesn’t have its own swimming pool, but there is one that can be hired for school use just three miles away. On Mondays half the class go for their swimming lesson, on Thursday’s the other half goes.  In each case the minibus can take the group.

But there is another way of using the minibus – an approach that creates journeys because the minibus is there – and which ultimately enhances the quality of education and experience offered by the school.

Take for example the school that has a lunchtime chess club. The club takes place in one classroom, there’s never any trouble, and a small group of enthusiasts turn up and play their games on allocated days.

No one has ever thought of running a school chess team – since that would mean arranging events away from the school. And yet with the minibus and either a parent or a member of staff who is keen on the game, this could be arranged. Suddenly the school has one more activity on offer, and the opportunity to extend the skills of the best players in the school.

Or, to give a different example, one school had struggled with its end of term plays, Christmas carol service, and so on, because the hall and the staging that it had available were quite inadequate and inappropriate for the sort of events that were wanted.

Although it was possible to put on the final events at a neighbouring school, getting the students to the final rehearsals was always problematic, and so the arrangement of sharing the facilities of the local school was ultimately dropped.

It was not until two years after a minibus was brought into the school that the idea arose that this policy could be re-thought, that the sharing of the nearby school’s facilities could resume. Now the students could be taken to the neighbouring school for rehearsals in the minibus. As before parents and relatives could be used to get the pupils to the actual performance.

There are a lot of reasons to see the minibus not just as a way to solve obvious issues, but as a way to expand the range of activities the school takes on.

Once the bus is there, all sorts of previously unthought of possibilities arise.

Of course there can be many answers to such a question, but can be no doubt that when the day’s teaching and learning takes place outside the school, there is every chance that the students will take in and remember far more.

Which is of course one reason why we have minibuses. 

Sometimes the minibus is essential – for example to take students to an off-site venue that they regularly use, such as a swimming pool.

But sometimes quite often there is no direct and immediate need to go off-site, save for the fact that the learning that will take place off-site will normally be of a higher quality, because it is off-site.

As a result of this, many schools are now actively thinking of additional uses for their minibus rather than waiting for there to be situations which call for the necessity of a minibus. 

http://www.ukschooltrips.co.uk/ has a large number of school trip options listed as does http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk – on this site just write school trips in the search box.   There are of course many more such sites listed on Google.

It is also possible to find interesting school trips by getting in touch with schools near you, and asking the relevant head of department or co-ordinator if they would like to share information. There’s an index of schools on www.schools.co.uk

Of course all this activity depends very much on the minibus being well maintained and ready to use at all times. And as minibuses get older so the need for repairs can rise.

Quite often it is impossible to buy a new bus just because the old one is starting to show its age – but a way around this can be found with the leasing of a new bus – with the lease including full maintenance and servicing.

If you would like to see what models are available or further information on minibuses in general, do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

Alternatively give us a call on 01753 859 944.

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

If you go to Google and type in “School minibus risk assessment” you’ll come up with the inevitable 50,000 or more hits. 

If you are like me you’ll probably limit yourself to selecting a site from the first page of Google – which is exactly what I did, picking one website at random which offered a sample risk assessment for school minibuses.

And that is when I started to get worried, for a large number of these risk assessments require the driver or responsible person to ensure the roadworthiness of the vehicle prior to use.

Of course vehicles do have to be checked, but checking a vehicle that is (for example) over five years old takes a lot of time.

So if I were asked to sign to say I had checked a vehicle to make sure it is fully compliant with school or LA rules I’d want to have my school and local authority give me some reassurance in return that the minibus was being fully maintained by experts, and was not so old that it was liable to develop some significant fault.

Now fortunately however there is a solution to this dilemma.  

This occurs where the minibus is leased from a company that includes maintenance and servicing, (including checking tyres, clutch, battery) included within the payments of the vehicle’s lease.

Indeed it was to overcome issues and difficulties such as that outlined in the risk assessment above that we introduced full maintenance as part of our minibus leasing.  Not only do the schools that use us get a new minibus, without having to use current capital to buy it, they also get our certification that the bus has been checked by qualified engineers.

If you would like to know more there is more information on our website.  Alternatively give us a call on 01753 859 944.

A recent survey of school minibuses discovered that over half of the minibuses in use in the UK’s secondary schools are over 5 years old.

Obviously there is nothing wrong with having an older minibus – but we call this a “time bomb” because, as such vehicles get older, they are more and more likely to break down. 

Which means that in the coming year quite a number of schools are going to find that their prime source of student transport is out of action.

The breakdown of a school minibus is never a pleasant experience, not least because there is every chance that you won’t have a back-up service available.  As a result a school trip or visit will be cancelled, and that’s never good for the image of the school.

There is also the fact that as minibuses get older they need more attention, cost more to run and take up more time and money in maintenance fees.

Now we know from the survey that increasingly school minibuses are being used for regular journeys to other schools, colleges, swimming pools and the like. 

Which means that vehicles are not only on average older, but they are also being used more – all of which adds to the problem.

The simple solution (to buy a new minibus) is often an impossible option, since money is generally not available for such a purpose.

However, there is an alternative, which is to lease a minibus.  At present around 20% of school minibuses are leased – but the report shows that well over half of schools are now considering financing their next minibus via a lease.

What’s more, leasing still allows the school to have the school name and logo on the side of the bus – with a full range of models available.

If you would like to see what models are available, do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

One final bonus: not only does leasing overcome the question of funding, it also offers the opportunity of putting the maintenance with the leasing company – thus ensuring that the bus is fully serviced throughout the year and running at the highest safety standards.

If you would like more information please email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.

For some school business managers, a week in which the school minibus is not used is a week in which nothing can go wrong with the school minibus.

And yet there are some business managers who are involved in actively encouraging more teachers to utilise the school minibus. 

But why should they do such a thing?

One reason is a recognition of the fact that learning that takes place outside the classroom tends to be deeper, and be retained for longer, than learning in the classroom.

Of course it is difficult to the point of impossible to do a full analysis of this proposition, but the fact remains that many of us can remember our school visits and trips undertaken as students, long after the memory of classroom lessons has faded.

However, in most schools there are always some teachers who become involved in learning outside the classroom while there are others who don’t.  Likewise in many schools there is no one actively promoting learning outside the classroom while in others there is a champion of the cause.

Such people recognise not only that learning outside the classroom is beneficial, but also recognise that if a school minibus is not being used all the time, then a valuable resource is being under-utilised.

In order to help schools make more use of the environment around them, a few years ago we introduced a leasing scheme for school minibuses.

This scheme meant that many schools have now been able to take on a minibus where they didn’t have one before. Others have replaced an aging minibus while some have introduced the lease minibus as a second vehicle to cope with growing demand.

If you are interested in providing your first minibus for the school, replacing an aging minibus, or adding an extra vehicle, I would be pleased to show you what models are available.

As a starting point please do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

If you would like more information please email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.

If you are not sure who has ultimate responsibility for ensuring the roadworthiness of the school minibus, it might be worth checking your school risk assessment and policies on the issue.

Of course someone has to take responsibility for the fact that the minibus is safe.  But that is quite an onerous thing to take on, and anything which can make that person’s duty easier is to be welcomed. 

First off, it is fairly obvious that the newer the minibus, the less likely there is to be a problem.  But as we all know, few schools have the money to buy a new minibus – hence the ageing fleet.

But where a minibus is leased, the huge upfront payment for a new bus disappears.  What’s more there is an additional second benefit.

Maintenance and servicing, (including tyres, clutch, battery etc) can be covered within a leasing agreement. 

So you get a double benefit.  A new minibus, which is less likely to have problems, and the option of having a professional undertaking all the standard maintenance and servicing.

This effectively reduces the onus that is put on the person nominated in the school’s transport policy,  and indeed it was to overcome issues and difficulties such as this that we introduced full maintenance as part of our minibus leasing. 

Not only do the schools that use our service get a new minibus, without having to use current capital to buy it, they also get our certification that the bus has been checked by qualified engineers.

Given that the majority of school minibuses on the road are over five years old, this approach can be particularly valuable.

If you would like to know more take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php. 

Alternatively email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.

The fact that the majority of schools now have more than one minibus comes as little surprise.

But still, the fact that over three quarters of schools have two or more vehicles is interesting – especially when combined with the fact that the majority of these vehicles are over five years old.

Of course, if there are two minibuses on site and one breaks down, there is a chance that the other might be available. 

Unfortunately there is also the point that minibuses are, according to the survey, increasingly being used for regular journeys to other schools, colleges, swimming pools and the like, as well as occasional visits organised by departments. 

Which means that much of the time both buses are needed – and there is probably a demand for a third bus as well.

Furthermore, when these buses are ageing there is every chance that both could be off the road at the same time.  And there is also every chance that the cost of repair and maintenance is rising all the time.

All of which means that vehicles are not only on average older, but they are also being used more – and this adds to the problem.

The simple solution (buy a new minibus) is often an impossible option financially, which is why the older vehicles are being kept on the road.

However, there is an alternative, which is to lease a minibus.  At present around 20% of school minibuses are leased – but the School of Educational Administration and Management report, which revealed this data on minibus ownership, shows that well over half of schools are now considering financing their next minibus via a lease.

What’s more, leasing still allows the school to have the school name and logo on the side of the bus – with a full range of models available.

If you would like to see what models are available, do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

One final bonus: not only does leasing overcome the question of funding, it also offers the opportunity of putting the maintenance with the leasing company – thus ensuring that the bus is fully serviced throughout the year and running at the highest safety standards.

If you would like more information please email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.

Imagine your team travelling by minibus to a fixture and the minibus breaks down. Or maybe it makes the journey but it is extremely uncomfortable.

Neither approach is likely to make your team feel particularly well set for the match to come.

But you have a problem too. Minibuses are expensive, and you just don’t have the money in your fund, or indeed in any school fund, to buy a new minibus.

Which is why we have introduced the leasing of minibuses to schools rather than the buying of the bus.   

Further, through this arrangement whereby we, as the company that leases out the minibus, are also in charge of maintenance resolves the particular problem of keeping the vehicle fully operational at all times.

Through leasing, a minibus is simply paid for month by month. Where some visits and trips are paid for through contributions from parents and the PTA, it is very possible that the minibus can be funded without taking anything from the school’s capital account. 

In other cases the minibus can be funded through small monthly deductions from various departments’ income. Combined, if half a dozen departments agree to fund the bus, and the PTA agrees to put in a monthly amount as well, the funding problem is completely resolved.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

Minibuses – like all vehicles on the road – are subject to licences, rules and regulations.

Some of these are fairly obvious – and you won’t be surprised to read that yes, you do need a licence before you can drive a minibus.

But there are often questions: such as “is a car licence ok?” And, of course, this being the world of regulation, the answer is, “that depends”.  Not everyone with a car licence can drive a school minibus.

Then there is the “operating licence” which is different from the driving licence, and the question of the law on seatbelts. Plus all the extra issues that arise if you take the bus abroad.

And more, and more…

In a recent informal survey we discovered that a substantial number of people who were responsible for the running of a school minibus were not fully au fait with all the regulations and could potentially be committing an offence.

So we thought we would try and be of help by producing, “Operating a Minibus – your responsibilities” which is available free of charge.

Of course. some of the regulations cover situations which are fairly obscure – but then in the course of school life, the obscure can occasionally happen – and it is never a bad idea to be fully aware of what the regulations say.

So if you would like a free copy, all you have to do is send an email to laura@schools.co.uk and we will forward you the report. There is no charge and no obligation.

And there’s a further bonus. On reading the report, if you find that the key question you need answered is not there, you can write in and we’ll do all that we can to find the answer for you. We’ll also put that answer in the next copy of the report – so you will be helping many other colleagues in schools across the country by drawing attention to the issue.

If you have any enquiries please do call 01753 859 944.

If you are interested in leasing or buying a minibus we have further information on our website at www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

The fact that over half the secondary schools in the UK have at least one minibus is not a surprise.  But what is a surprise is that a recent survey conducted by the School of Educational Administration and Management  found that over half of those school minibuses are over 5 years old.

Of course there’s nothing wrong with an older minibus – except for the fact that, as with all vehicles, as they get older they need more attention, cost more to run and take up more time in maintenance.

Plus there is the point that minibuses are, according to the survey, increasingly being used for regular journeys to other schools, colleges, swimming pools and the like, as well as occasional visits organised by departments.

All of which means that vehicles are not only on average older, but they are also being used more – and this adds to the problem.

The simple solution (buy a new minibus) is often an impossible option, which is why the older vehicles are being kept on the road.

However, there is an alternative, which is to lease a minibus.  At present around 20% of school minibuses are leased – but the SEAM report shows that well over half of schools are now considering financing their next minibus via a lease.

What’s more, leasing still allows the school to have the school name and logo on the side of the bus – with a full range of models available.

If you would like to see what models are available, do take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

One final bonus: not only does leasing overcome the question of funding, it also offers the opportunity of putting the maintenance with the leasing company – thus ensuring that the bus is fully serviced throughout the year and running at the highest safety standards.

If you would like more information please email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.