I am sure you will have seen it yourself.   When pupils or students return to school after an away sporting fixture or other out-of-school event, many will be picked up by their parents.  And of course, in the summer months, this pick-up will occur in daylight.

In such situations, most parents will dutifully wait in their designated area near the school gates – and thus in the summer term will actually see the school minibus return.  Indeed, for many parents, this is both the only contact that they have with the out-of-school activities and the only time they get to see the minibus.

As such that minibus is the key to their vision of the school.  They are proud of course that their daughters and sons are representing the school, and they will undoubtedly seek to get information about the event, and indeed the trip.

And when the transport is very obviously new, and in excellent condition, that will form a major part of their vision of the school.

For it is undoubtedly the case that a minibus can have more effect on a parent’s view of the school than one might think, for the simple reason that when parents don’t see the inside of the school on a daily basis, all they have to go on is what their sons and daughters say.

But when they see the school team return to school in a modern, gleaming, and obviously very safe vehicle, parental impressions of the school as a whole rises.

At the same time, the age and state of the minibus will affect the students’ perception of the school.  If they are travelling in a modern vehicle they will accept their role as “ambassadors” of the school.

Indeed, more and more schools are using leased minibuses not just to facilitate journeys to sporting fixtures but also to increase the “learning outside” opportunities the school can offer.

There is more about leasing a new minibus on our website.   Alternatively, you can get in touch by calling the Minibus Team on  01753 976 095 or by dropping us an email –  stephenplumley@selectcarleasing.co.uk – and we’ll do our best to help!

Stephen Plumley

Parents, of course, have many varied views of what schooling is all about.  After all, they all went to school themselves, and the images from their own childhood will still be clear in their minds – and influencing their thoughts.

Which inevitably raises the question, what is the most effective way of ensuring that parents feel that your school is both providing the quality education they want for their children, and constantly improving the services and facilities offered?

Curiously, despite the complexity of that question, there is one thing that has been shown, time and time again, to impact upon parents in a very profound way.   And yet it is something that you might never expect to have such an impact.  It is the school minibus.

For the look and quality of the minibus that transports their children around, is often taken by many parents to be symbolic of everything that goes on in the school.

What’s more, when the minibus is not only a very modern vehicle, but is also displaying the school livery, it not only speaks volumes to parents of those attending the school, but also to parents whose children will shortly be moving up from primary to secondary school.

For these parents, as indeed for all parents, safety is of parament importance.  Which is why an obviously modern and up-to-date school minibus with all the contemporary safety features is exactly what they want to see.

Unfortunately, it is not always possible to afford a brand new minibus.   But now, leasing a minibus means that low initial financial outlay and predictable monthly payments can make having a modern minibus available to pupils and students all the time.

Thus a modern, leased minibus with a contemporary design and full safety features gives pupils, students, colleagues and parents a feeling of quality, and a renewed respect both for the school, and the opportunities it gives to its pupils and students.

To see just what is available in terms of leasing contemporary minibuses, please do have a look at our website.

For more information on the vehicles available, and to discuss approaches to leasing please call 01753 976095 or email stephenplumley@selectcarleasing.co.uk

Steve Plumley

Select Fleet Solutions – Eton

Visits to art galleries, sports matches at other schools, theatre and concert events… the issue of travel for small groups of pupils and students has been something of a headache for many schools in recent years.

This has not just been because of the logistics of moving pupils and students around, but also because during the pandemic, the production of minibuses was greatly reduced, thus making them harder to obtain, and therefore harder to lease.

Now thankfully those problems are behind us and minibuses for schools are once again available on leasing contracts lasting anything from two to five years.

And as an added benefit we also now have available electric minibuses, which mean not only reduced fuel costs but also a very positive message indeed to put to parents and students about your school’s environmental awareness.

Leasing a minibus means that you can have a minibus with your school name on it, and an absolute guarantee that it will always be not just in full working order, but also fully maintained and ready to use, whenever you need it.

Which is why Select Van Leasing offer schools fully maintained vehicle leasing contracts, including scheduled safety inspections.

If you would like to explore the option of bringing a new minibus into your school, on a two-year lease or longer, from a company with a Trustpilot score of 4.9 out of 5, from over 34,000 reviews, then we would love to hear from you.

You can read more about our buses and our work on our website, where you will also find details of who can drive a minibus.

Or if you would like to talk about leasing exactly the right minibus for your school over any length of time that is suitable for you, please do call me on 01753 796095 or email me at stephenplumley@selectcarleasing.co.uk.

We can offer fully maintained vehicle leasing contracts, including scheduled safety inspections, as well as wheelchair accessible minibuses, and indeed all forms of vehicle signwriting to provide enhanced local awareness for your school.

Our minibus leasing contracts range from 24 to 60 months duration, to best suit your school’s specific needs.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Steve Plumley

Select Fleet Solutions – Eton