Despite numerous campaigns for schools to offer more learning outside the classroom experiences, the number of fieldtrips offered to history students is actually in decline.

Now a study has been carried out in the America evaluating the extent to which learning outside the classroom benefits attainment as they too are experiencing a similar trend of decline.

The study found that a massive 82% of students could recall information which they had learnt on a fieldtrip a year after the event, and the benefits that fieldtrips have on learning were even more pronounced among disadvantaged, minority, and rural students.

Students from schools in poorer areas experienced an 18% improvement in their critical thinking skills.

However, in providing your students with more history fieldtrips, reliable and cost effective transport is required.

One solution is to lease a minibus from Benchmark as it can often work out cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life) or hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which has the added benefit of improving budgeting and cash flow.

What’s more, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

For more information about leasing a minibus with Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk  

The Consent form for school trips and other off-site activities published by the DfE states that it is not necessary for schools to get written parental consent for local visits taking place in school hours, as such activities are as part of the national curriculum.

Which is great to know as getting written consent from the parents of every child before the date of the school trip can be somewhat frustrating and require much persistence.

Unfortunately however, for some schools, where there isn’t much to do or see in terms of Learning Outside the Classroom in the local area, the task of making, sending and collecting consent forms cannot be avoided.

Furthermore, LOtC activities for such schools carry the additional expense of travel to and from locations further afield. Which makes finding cost-effective and affordable transport a priority.

In leasing a minibus with Benchmark it can often work out cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life), or indeed, hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which has the added benefit of improved budgeting and cash flow forecasting.

What’s more, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

For more information about Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

With qualification changes ranging from an increased focus on extended writing and the removal of tiering, to greater emphasis on the geography of the UK and fieldtrips, the new geography curriculum is providing us all with a range of challenges.

And of all these changes it is perhaps the increased emphasis on fieldtrips that will require the most attention in terms of practical and financial planning.

The specifications cite that students must complete fieldwork in two contrasting environments, and this will inevitably require the school to arrange some form of transport that is cost-effective and can be used at any time to go anywhere.

Leasing a minibus with Benchmark Leasing is one obvious solution for it can often work out cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life) or hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which has the added benefit of improved budgeting and cash flow.

And in some cases, where financial contributions are made by 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, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

For more information about leasing a minibus with Benchmark you can visit our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk 

For some pupils and students set to advance to the next stage in their educational career, understandable feelings of nerves, uncertainty and excitement are replaced with feelings of anxiety, fear and panic – for reasons unique to each.

And too often, such feelings are accompanied by behaviours that not only threaten the success of their transition, but indeed the success of their education to come.

So what can be done to ensure that their transition is a success?

Arranging for those pupils and students who are likely to struggle with the transition to go out of school for a day or half a day together can really help to bring them together and form friendships that can last for years to come.

Strangely it often doesn’t matter too much where they go, whether it is to attend a character building course or visit an ancient monument, to see a local geographical feature or visit a theatrical production.

It is the fact that there is a day out that makes the impact.

But, of course, in order to arrange any sort of half day or full day out, cost effective transport is required.

Leasing a minibus with Benchmark Leasing is one obvious solution for it can often work out cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value of a school bus at the end of its working life) or, indeed, hiring a coach each time.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month, which has the added benefit of improved budgeting and cash flow.

What’s more, a full maintenance programme is included, so no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

For more information about Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk  

There are two things that an older school minibus has that a new one doesn’t.

The first could be could be called ‘character’ and ‘history’ – the result of an eventful past made up of away games, field trips and residentials. Which is rather nice really.

Unfortunately the second factor associated with an older minibus is the monthly bills for repairs, maintenance and upgrades and all the hassle that involves.  Not so nice!

Indeed, when it comes to maintenance work for the minibus, I’m sure that the vast majority of us would prefer not to have to ensure that the tyres, the clutch, the battery, etc, are all checked regularly.

However, if you can give up the heritage and history, you can now breathe a sigh of relief by giving the old bus a decent retirement and replacing it with a brand new leased minibus that comes complete with a maintenance contract.

So you get the benefit of a new minibus which is less likely to have problems – plus the option of having a professional undertake all the standard maintenance and servicing.

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

And there is an additional benefit in leasing, which is that the purchase of the bus doesn’t come in one lump sum from school funds. Rather the bus is paid for as it is used by the school.

Not only do the schools that use our service get a new minibus without having to use current capital to buy it, but 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.

For more information about Benchmark Leasing you can go to our website, call us on 01753 859944 or email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk