When it comes to venturing out in the school minibus, your first thought, of course, will always be for the students you’ll have onboard.

The second thought may well be to ensure that you have a mobile phone on you that contains relevant numbers and contact details in case of an emergency.

But what else should you consider?

Research has been completed with schools to find out what they carry with them in their minibuses. And the results make interesting reading.

Some ensure that they have details of what to do in an emergency printed out on laminated card which is always kept in the bus.

Others stress that they ensure that the phone also carries a relevant phone number which can be called should the bus be taking longer than expected to make the journey home at the end of the day.

This can be very helpful where this number reaches a person in the school who can contact parents to alert them to any delay – and it also means that if there is a problem the teacher only has to make one call, knowing the school will relay on all the details.

Insurance policy details are also included by most schools in their selection of items to take, to cover the unlikely event of the minibus being involved in an accident.

Next came the high visibility coat (BS EN 471) and the warning triangle which, although not compulsory in the UK, is compulsory in some countries such as France.

Interestingly, in France the regulation is that one must be able to get the jacket and put it on without getting out of the vehicle. It might not be the law in England but it certainly is a notion that makes sense.

A variation on the triangle (the portable flashing beacon) was also mentioned by some schools in their answers, and many stressed the need for a working torch – and a pen and paper. Seemingly obvious but given that not everyone mentioned them, presumably they are not always carried in every minibus.

Of course, above all this is the fact that we always need to be assured that the bus is in full working order before the party sets out. This is part of the service that schools which lease their minibuses from Benchmark automatically get – and if we ever spot something missing from your “must have” list, we do let you know.

Should you be looking to purchase or lease a new minibus please do call us on 01753 859944.

Alternatively you can find more information on our website.