Every year the number of minibuses in schools increases, with virtually every school now possessing at least one minibus, and many schools now looking at getting their third or fourth bus.

But why is the national fleet of school minibuses growing at such a rate – and how are schools managing to finance such growth?  This was one of the questions that the second National Survey of School Minibuses sought to discover and this is what we found.

So why is the number of school minibuses in the UK growing at such a rate?

The most commonly cited reason for getting an extra minibus is to enhance learning outside the classroom. With this now a compulsory part of the curriculum in Scotland, schools in the rest of the UK are following suit, not least because of widespread reports that this type of activity can enhance everything from exam grades to personal and social development.

Secondly many schools report that they derive huge benefits from having closer connections with other schools.  Whether it is a case of playing competitive sports, joining a unified schools’ orchestra, or making use of specialist facilities that a neighbouring school has (be it a recording studio or top of the range D&T equipment), this interchange between schools is certainly growing.

Indeed such sharing of resources allows each school to make significant financial savings by sharing facilities and equipment – savings which themselves go some way towards paying for the extra minibus.

Third, it has become clear that some minibuses have in the past been underused because of their age and resultant unreliability. One only has to have one experience of a breakdown or failure to start, and then the old minibus tends to lie unused apart from for essential journeys. Given that the 2015 survey of school minibuses found that three out of four school minibuses on the road are over five years old, you can see the extent of the problem.

On the other hand a new minibus not only overcomes such problems, but it also makes a huge impact on parents – both those with children at the school and those contemplating sending children to the school.

Fourth, we have the increasing pupil population (which is estimated to reach 4.7 million in UK primary schools 3.3 million in UK secondary schools in the coming decade).

This is already presenting many schools with a logistical problem when it comes to offering learning outside the classroom experiences to their pupils.

With just one minibus, the opportunity to go on school trips will be very limited, and some pupils may never venture out of the school grounds at all. The availability of of a second minibus will become increasingly desirable.

And finally there is finance. In the past, schools have been more inclined to buy a minibus outright, and it is only recently that a totally different way of paying for a minibus has emerged.

The alternative approach, which avoids the need to make a large upfront payment, involves leasing the bus.

Benchmark Leasing are offering schools the option to lease a minibus, which has proven for many to be cheaper than buying a minibus outright or hiring a coach each time.

What’s more, Benchmark Leasing also offer a full maintenance programme, 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

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

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

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

What is the most effective way of enthusing your students to participate in sports on a regular basis?

When any major international sporting event comes around it has the power to enthuse even the least sporting of students to try out a new sport.

But if your students aren’t given the opportunity to try out the sport when they are most enthused, the desire to be the next Will Farrell, Jonathan Joseph or Billy Vunipola will, for many, instantly fade.

It is therefore important that students are given the opportunity to try out the sport of rugby when they are most excited about it, not only by increasing the number of times it is played and practised in PE throughout the duration of the World Cup, but in scheduling a number of friendlies with neighbouring schools.

And for that you are going to need transport.

Leasing a minibus with Benchmark 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.

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

Most schools could find a lot of use for another minibus.  Indeed since most schools have a minibus that is over five years old, they would be happy to stand it down for a new model.

But it is the cost that is the problem.  On average it takes PTAs about four years to raise enough money to buy a new minibus.  And that is when they divert all their fund raising activities to the issue.

So what is the solution?

The answer is leasing, for with leasing you will know exactly how much you are spending per month including servicing, maintenance etc.

And if you want the PTA to still be involved you can invite them to pay the monthly lease costs three or four times a year, in return for having their generous support noted on the side of the bus, the school web site, entry notice board or wherever is appropriate.

It is to meet all these requirements that Benchmark have designed a minibus leasing package especially for schools where all you need to add is fuel and an insured/licensed driver.

It is an option that can also work out to be much cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value) or hiring a coach each time you need transport.

Here are the details of two typical leasing packages that Benchmark offer…

Ford Transit Minibus 15 seat, Trend Model:
Contact Hire with Full Maintenance, Breakdown Cover and Road Tax
3 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £330.88 + VAT
4 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £313.37 + VAT

Ford Transit Minibus 17 seat, Trend Model:
Contact Hire with Full Maintenance, Breakdown Cover and Road Tax
3 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £372.41 + VAT
4 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £343.57 + VAT

Both packages include air conditioning, metallic paint (if required), heated front screen, electric mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, and fog lamps.

The leasing package/contract also includes routine servicing, replacement of worn tyres, replacement of worn brakes, repair of the exhaust, replacement of the battery, delivery and collection for pre-booked servicing, breakdown cover, and road tax for the full term of the agreement.

The payment profile is 3 months initial payment upon delivery with 1 payment per month for the remainder of the lease term.

What’s more, we are able to value and dispose of older minibuses and can either pay the proceeds to the school or use it as a higher initial payment on the new leased minibus thereby reducing the ongoing payments.

If you would like to know more about our leasing packages or have any questions please either visit our website

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

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

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

In an ideal world I suspect that most schools would much prefer to buy a complete minibus package rather than shopping around for the individual elements that are required to keep the vehicle running – a maintenance programme, breakdown cover, road tax…

Yet, for many schools this is not a viable option as buying a complete package is typically much more expensive than a school budget will permit.

Benchmark have, however, designed a minibus leasing package especially for schools, and at a very reasonable price, where all you need to add is fuel and an insured/licensed driver.

And it is an option that can also work out to be much cheaper than buying a minibus outright (especially if one takes into account the re-sale value) or hiring a coach each time you need transport.

Options and details of the leasing packages that Benchmark offer are as follows…

Ford Transit Minibus 15 seat, Trend Model:
Contact Hire with Full Maintenance, Breakdown Cover and Road Tax
3 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £330.88 + VAT
4 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £313.37 + VAT

Ford Transit Minibus 17 seat, Trend Model:
Contact Hire with Full Maintenance, Breakdown Cover and Road Tax
3 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £372.41 + VAT
4 Years, 30,000 Total Miles gives Monthly Rentals of £343.57 + VAT

Both packages outlined above include air conditioning, metallic paint (if required), heated front screen, electric mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, and fog lamps.

The leasing package/contract also includes routine servicing, replacement of worn tyres, replacement of worn brakes, repair of the exhaust, repair of the battery, delivery and collection for pre-booked servicing, breakdown cover, and road tax for the full term of the agreement.

The payment profile is 3 months initial payment upon delivery with 1 payment per month for the remainder of the lease term.

What’s more, we are able to value and dispose of older minibuses and can either pay the proceeds to the school or use it as a higher initial payment on the new leased minibus thereby reducing the ongoing payments.

If you would like to know more about our minibus leasing packages or have any questions please either visit our website, email minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk  or call 01753 859944.

Benchmark Leasing Ltd
11 High Street
Eton
Berkshire
SL4 6AS

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

minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

Tel: 01753 859944

The second School Minibus Survey reveals that the way in which schools are paying for and using their minibuses has changed.

The second Benchmark Leasing survey of school minibus use has revealed a considerable change in the way schools are paying for and using their vehicles in recent years.

As might well be expected the survey shows a considerable growth in the number of minibuses being operated by schools, and this growth has been accompanied by a change in the way in which the vehicles are financed.

Whereas in the past the norm was to buy a minibus outright, perhaps with a donation from the PTA to help matters along, leasing is now becoming the norm.

As a result schools are able to ensure that their vehicles do not become increasingly liable to breakdown, but can instead be replaced at regular intervals as one lease ends and a new one is taken out.

In addition schools find that they are covered against any sudden extra costs for repairs and maintenance with everything included in the lease.

The most common number of minibuses per secondary school is now two or three, but for the first time over a quarter of secondary schools report that they have four or more minibuses.

At the same time over 20% of schools now report that they only have leased minibuses in the school fleet – a figure that appears to be rising very rapidly.   Likewise the number of schools that are reporting that they will lease their next minibus (rather than buy it) is higher than ever before. Buying second hand is virtually disappearing as an option.

For a free copy of the second School Minibus Survey, which also incorporates details of the current legal responsibility and requirements, please like our Facebook page and email jenny@hamilton-house.com to receive the report.

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

The way in which schoolminibuses are being financed is changing, as are attitudes towards the use of minibuses by schools.

Benchmark Leasing has just completed its 2015 survey of minibus use by schools in the UK – and the findings make interesting reading, not least because this year we are able to compare results with those gained in the last survey in 2012.

Attitudes and approaches towards minibuses and the way to finance them are changing dramatically, as the report reveals.   Thus while there are still worries about the age of some of the school minibuses on the roads, more schools are seeing their way to replacing older vehicles sooner rather than later through leasing rather than purchasing.

The report into the 2015 minibus survey also comes with a review of the key legal issues surrounding the use of a minibus by a school. Please click here to download the report.

If you have any questions about the survey or about leasing minibuses, or indeed any other aspect of minibus use by schools please do call 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

It is a curious fact that there has never been a comprehensive study of just how, where, when and why accidents to young people happen.

Yet happen they do – in the home, on the way to and from school, on the sports field, in the classroom, in the corridor, on school trips… Wherever young people are, there will be accidents.

Which raises the question, where are the pupils and students most at risk?

Of course, not every accident is reported, but we can say that the HSE suggests that the number of accidents to pupils and students in schools is running at over 20,000 a year.

But that number excludes the 12,000 accidents a year reported to insurance companies that involve vehicles (mostly cars driven by parents) transporting children to or from school.

Of course, clearly we should never be less than eternally vigilant number no matter whether the number of accidents involving school transport is reported to be low or high.   A single accident is enough to remind us of the continuing need to ensure that school owned transport is safe and reliable and that this must always be a priority for any school.

But the problem with this is that the cost of repairs and of keeping school vehicles fully maintained can be much higher than first thought, particularly as the vehicle ages.

And, until funds are raised or a budget is released to allow the work to be done, the vehicle, quite simply, cannot be used – resulting in pupils missing out on valuable learning outside the classroom experiences.

Fortunately, we have found a solution to this by offering a full maintenance programme when a school minibus is leased from Benchmark. So no matter the outcome of the vehicle’s services and MOTs, the cost of repairs won’t affect the lease price.

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, leasing 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.

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

Organising a school trip is never a straightforward task, not least because overcoming the challenges that arise usually requires time that teachers don’t have and money that schools simply cannot budget for.

Not too long ago it was a case of teachers spending a huge amount of time reading through Health and Safety regulations and completing an abundance of paperwork for fear of prosecution if something on a school trip went wrong.

Fortunately, however, the HSE has since published a statement tackling many of the myths about bureaucracy and prosecution surrounding school trips, reducing the amount of time teachers are spending on such a task.

But now it seems there is a different challenge that schools are facing and one which is proving to be just as problematic – the task of arranging transport.

Many schools that have a school minibus of their own are finding that it isn’t as reliable as it once was due to the age of the vehicles, and schools that don’t own a minibus are finding that they can’t afford the high costs of coach hire.

Benchmark has, however, found a solution – minibus leasing.

Leasing a minibus with Benchmark can often work out cheaper than hiring a coach each time or, indeed, 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).

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 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

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