The demands of the National Curriculum do not allow much time for schools to provide their pupils with the valuable Learning Outside the Classroom activities that the DfE expects.

And the scheduling of Learning Outside the Classroom activities is made that bit harder when schools do not have transport of their own.

Schools that need to hire a coach often have a decision to make when the pupils only need to spend a couple of hours at the chosen location outside of the classroom: a) pay for the time that the driver is required to wait, or b) spend longer at the location and get picked up by the driver later.

Neither is ideal, but most schools are forced to pick the option that is financially viable – that being option b.

However, where schools have their own transport they have full control over how long pupils spend outside the classroom without any cost implications – making it easier to schedule such activities around the school timetable.

Leasing a minibus is a popular option for schools, not least because it gives them greater freedom as to where, when and how long children spend outside the classroom, but also because it is affordable.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month.

And in some cases, where 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 – reducing the funds being deducted from the school’s capital account.

In leasing a minibus with Benchmark, you don’t have to worry about servicing and maintaining the vehicle as we absorb the costs and keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

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.

What most of us remember most positively about our own school days are the days that stand out – and that often means the days that were different, the days when we left the school and went elsewhere.

Parents are inclined to be impressed by schools that offer their pupils regular opportunities to learn outside the classroom because they know from personal experience as well as from research on the subject that such experiences are highly valuable to a child’s education.

Schools that have a minibus are more able and therefore more likely to offer their pupils a wealth of such learning experiences.

And it is these schools that are likely to attract prospective parents.

However, because every other school prides themselves on offering such experiences to their pupils, it is unlikely that prospective parents will just take your word for it.

So you are going to have to prove it.

An effective way to do this is by logging these learning outside the classroom experiences on to your school’s website or blog for parents to see.

You will need to have a page that says, “Learning Outside the Classroom” and a link to it from the home page of the school’s website which will direct parents to your log.

The log might well include the date of the trip, the name of the group (eg Year 10 history students), the place visited, and the reason for the visit.

Of course, having a school minibus which is modern, safe and itself a positive advertisement for the school is key to being able to offer your pupils regular learning outside the classroom experiences in the first place – which is why Benchmark focuses on leasing minibuses.

Leasing the minibus means that you don’t have to raise money to buy the minibus from years of fundraising. All you have to do is ensure that you have the monthly leasing fee available – and then you can proceed.

You can find more information on our website or give us a call on 01753 859944.

Given that the demographics of students in a school are representative of the demographics of the people in the local area, schools located in areas where ethnic and cultural diversity is lacking have to travel further afield to fulfil Ofsted’s diversity requirements.

Such travel can be both time-consuming and costly, especially where a school does not own its own means of transport.

Clearly the outright purchase of a minibus is often not a feasible option for schools as the capital funding is simply not available.

So what is the solution?

An increasing number of schools are choosing to lease minibuses rather than buy them outright, and not just because it is better for the school’s cash flow (although it is), but because in most cases it is the cheaper option.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month.

And in some cases, where 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 – reducing the funds being deducted from the school’s capital account.

What’s more, in leasing a minibus from Benchmark, schools don’t have to worry about servicing and maintaining the vehicle as we absorb the costs and keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

A school minibus will not only make it possible for the school to arrange beyond the classroom activities for existing pupils, but it also becomes 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.