For some schools the Raising of the Participation Age this year is having some unexpected knock-on effects – not least in terms of a growing level of interest in education outside the classroom for students who perhaps in the past might not have stayed on at school beyond the age of 16.

The evolution of whole new courses for such students who are staying on until they can get a job plus education placement, or are still seeking to pursue work or volunteering combined with part time education, has led to many unexpected problems – not least the issue of how students might get from one location to another.

While some students working under the new Raising the Participation Age regulations will be making their own way between venues, there are likely to be many others who cannot do this.  Indeed there are some who we might prefer not to do this – if for no reason other than the fact that we want to know they have actually got to where we want them to be!

As such the need for a second school minibus can become imperative – not just for transport between training locations, but also to help students gain additional work experience and undertake more activities than would be possible without them.

This is where minibus leasing can come into its own since most schools that do not have a minibus fund lined up for this eventuality, will find it hard to provide the cash to buy the bus.

As yet, of course, none of us knows exactly how schools throughout England will be coping with the new regulations, and as the information does start to filter through we will be passing it on.  But at this stage it looks more than likely that those schools with a minibus will find it easier to cope with their additional group of 16/17 year olds than those without spare minibus provision.

In the coming months we will be co-operating with some research to find out how schools are coping with the new RPA regulations, and I hope to be reporting back on this in subsequent newsletters.  

In the meanwhile if you would like to discuss how you will be able to expand the learning outside the classroom that your RPA students engage in, through the leasing of a minibus, please do call us on 01753 859944.