The notion that school minibuses are expensive to the point of being unaffordable comes from the rather curious way in which newspapers tend to deal with the subject.

Their story is always the same. Through magnificent fundraising efforts and endless dedication by the PTA over the course of several years, the money to purchase the bus has been raised.

Which can be true, but quite often isn’t for one simple reason. Most schools don’t buy minibuses. They lease them.

Leasing means that the cost of the minibus is spread over time and can be accounted for in the budget. The PTA can still contribute by raising money to pay for the monthly payments, etc, but there is no longer that long, long wait for the capital to be accumulated.

What’s more, through the leasing arrangement there’s a second benefit, for all the maintenance of the minibus can be taken on by the leasing company, thus keeping the vehicle fully operational at all times.

Additionally, where school trips are paid for by contributions from parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those payments towards the cost of the minibus.

In other cases the minibus can be funded through a small monthly deduction from the school’s allocated income.

Not only will a new minibus help the school to expand education beyond classroom activities but it will also be a statement to prospective parents about the breadth and scope of the school’s vision.

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.

When it comes down to it, teaching and learning can and does happen anywhere.  Indeed it only takes a moment to recall that as well as the classroom, teaching goes on in the hall, the playing fields… 

But the growth in the notion of learning outside the classroom has demanded that we each of us think further and further afield. 

And once this line of thinking begins, the opportunities are endless.  We might think of a greater sharing of other schools’ facilities, and then we might think of visiting historic sites, geographic locations of interest, concert halls, major libraries, the sea shore, the city centre…

Suddenly, when learning outside the classroom becomes a normal way of thinking, the school becomes greatly enlarged, and the only issue that remains is that of how to transport the students to and from all these exciting locations.

The obvious answer is to get a minibus – and the common response to that is “we can’t afford it”. 

And yet when one remembers that what the minibus is giving the school is, effectively, an extra classroom, suddenly the cost becomes very feasible.

What’s more if we also recall that the minibus can be leased, rather than being a drain on school funding, then suddenly we have a very exciting scenario to consider.

Finally if we throw in the fact that when you lease a minibus the work of maintaining the bus in the highest roadworthy condition is undertaken by the leasing company, the whole operation really does become a lot simpler. 

You wouldn’t expect to have to maintain your classroom – likewise you should never be expected to maintain the school minibus.

Indeed, having a minibus – (or an extra minibus if you already have one) really does take matters forward in terms of space allocation.

If you would like to find out more give us a call on 01753 859944.

Alternatively, please do take a look at our website.

Sometimes we can all get lost in the technicalities and forget the purpose of what we do.

It is perhaps a reflection of the world in which we live, that if you were to type the phrase, “Why does my school need a minibus?” into Google you won’t find a single website with that phrase in it.  (Although I guess after this article goes on our blog you will then find one, assuming Google does its searching stuff properly!)

I guess one reason for this aberration is that it is assumed that we all know the benefits of the minibus.  But even if this is largely true, it is interesting to contemplate the fact that while there are hundreds of websites that talk about the type of minibuses available, the benefits of leasing, the technical details of driving licences and insurance and so forth, the broader picture still seems to be missing.

In short, one might be forgiven for thinking that we are now in a world in which few people spend time looking at the overall, while most of us are forced to observe the details.

Yet the broader picture really is worth considering from time to time between all the detail, not least with the minibus.  For minibuses are, above all, a mechanism for expanding the education of the students we teach.

True, education takes place mostly in the classroom, but while part of the purpose of education is, obviously, to expand students’ understanding of themselves and the issues they study, it is of course also important to help them find their place within the society in which they live.

Especially as the society in which we live is, as we all know, changing faster than anyone ever previously imagined was possible.

So taking students out to see, and interact with, that world is vital, be it for a morning spent in a work setting, for a football match, for a visit to a nursing home, or to explore the ruins of a Norman castle.

Indeed it is often shocking to find how little of their local environment some students know.  Locations of importance and significance just five miles away may be completely unknown to some, and local resources ranging from a swimming pool to a bowling club, a library to a running track, might remain completely off the radar.

The minibus therefore is about more than collecting children from outlying villages or going to sports matches, it is about education and exploration, and indeed this is why so many schools are now not just putting money aside for the leasing of a single minibus, but are also moving towards leasing a second bus as well.

If you would like to discuss the options available for leasing a minibus, and indeed ensuring that you get the right sort of bus for your school’s specific requirements, please do get in touch.