The demands of the National Curriculum do not allow much time for schools to provide their pupils with the valuable Learning Outside the Classroom activities that the DfE expects.

And the scheduling of Learning Outside the Classroom activities is made that bit harder when schools do not have transport of their own.

Schools that need to hire a coach often have a decision to make when the pupils only need to spend a couple of hours at the chosen location outside of the classroom: a) pay for the time that the driver is required to wait, or b) spend longer at the location and get picked up by the driver later.

Neither is ideal, but most schools are forced to pick the option that is financially viable – that being option b.

However, where schools have their own transport they have full control over how long pupils spend outside the classroom without any cost implications – making it easier to schedule such activities around the school timetable.

Leasing a minibus is a popular option for schools, not least because it gives them greater freedom as to where, when and how long children spend outside the classroom, but also because it is affordable.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month.

And in some cases, where trips are paid for by contributions from 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.

In leasing a minibus with Benchmark, you don’t have to worry about servicing and maintaining the vehicle as we absorb the costs and keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

What most of us remember most positively about our own school days are the days that stand out – and that often means the days that were different, the days when we left the school and went elsewhere.

Parents are inclined to be impressed by schools that offer their pupils regular opportunities to learn outside the classroom because they know from personal experience as well as from research on the subject that such experiences are highly valuable to a child’s education.

Schools that have a minibus are more able and therefore more likely to offer their pupils a wealth of such learning experiences.

And it is these schools that are likely to attract prospective parents.

However, because every other school prides themselves on offering such experiences to their pupils, it is unlikely that prospective parents will just take your word for it.

So you are going to have to prove it.

An effective way to do this is by logging these learning outside the classroom experiences on to your school’s website or blog for parents to see.

You will need to have a page that says, “Learning Outside the Classroom” and a link to it from the home page of the school’s website which will direct parents to your log.

The log might well include the date of the trip, the name of the group (eg Year 10 history students), the place visited, and the reason for the visit.

Of course, having a school minibus which is modern, safe and itself a positive advertisement for the school is key to being able to offer your pupils regular learning outside the classroom experiences in the first place – which is why Benchmark focuses on leasing minibuses.

Leasing the minibus means that you don’t have to raise money to buy the minibus from years of fundraising. All you have to do is ensure that you have the monthly leasing fee available – and then you can proceed.

You can find more information on our website or give us a call on 01753 859944.

Given that the demographics of students in a school are representative of the demographics of the people in the local area, schools located in areas where ethnic and cultural diversity is lacking have to travel further afield to fulfil Ofsted’s diversity requirements.

Such travel can be both time-consuming and costly, especially where a school does not own its own means of transport.

Clearly the outright purchase of a minibus is often not a feasible option for schools as the capital funding is simply not available.

So what is the solution?

An increasing number of schools are choosing to lease minibuses rather than buy them outright, and not just because it is better for the school’s cash flow (although it is), but because in most cases it is the cheaper option.

It is an arrangement which makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month.

And in some cases, where trips are paid for by contributions from 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, in leasing a minibus from Benchmark, schools don’t have to worry about servicing and maintaining the vehicle as we absorb the costs and keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

A school minibus will not only make it possible for the school to arrange beyond the classroom activities for existing pupils, but it also becomes a statement to prospective parents about the breadth and scope of the school’s vision.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

Since Nicky Morgan became Education Minister there have been numerous policy changes and initiatives to improve the shape and direction of education in the UK.

Just one of these is the way in which careers education for both primary and secondary school students has been prioritised in response to 2013’s NEET figures for young people.

Initiatives and schemes have since been set up to ensure that students get a better opportunity to experience business and the world of work long before they leave compulsory education.

Schemes such as Young Enterprise and Primary Futures aim to put schools and local businesses in contact with one another so that the children can experience business in action.

But, despite these schemes, schools are still finding it difficult to connect with businesses.

The problem arises when there aren’t any, or are very few, businesses in a school’s local area suitable for students to visit. And so for schools to provide the students with engaging careers education they are forced to look further afield.

Now if your school has a means of transport which enables students to visit businesses out of the immediate area then this is fine. But a survey has revealed that over 10% of schools don’t have appropriate transport such as a minibus available to them.

Of these schools, the main reason for not having a school minibus is the cost. And understandably so.

The cost of a minibus not only includes the vehicle itself, but of course the insurance, tax, maintenance costs… and so on.

Which is why we have developed and introduced a facility to lease minibuses to schools.

It is an arrangement which very often makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month rather than having to find a large capital sum for an outright purchase. We can also take over responsibility for maintaining the minibus if you wish us to.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

Purchasing a minibus costs money, lots and lots of money. Money that most schools just don’t have. Not now, not next week, not the week after…

And indeed, after taking into account the additional maintenance costs that come with the responsibility of owning a minibus, even considering such a purchase is unimaginable for most schools.

Which is why we have developed and introduced a facility to lease minibuses to schools.

It is an arrangement which very often makes it possible for schools to fund the minibus through a small payment each month – and, I am delighted to say, it has been an enormous success with well over 150 minibuses supplied through our facilities since we launched the scheme.

In some cases, where trips are paid for by contributions from parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those contributions towards the cost of the minibus, thereby reducing the funds being deducted from the school’s capital account.

One of the other main attractions of leasing a minibus from us seems to be that schools don’t have to worry about maintenance as the contract requires us to keep the vehicle fully operational at all times.

A new minibus is a valuable asset which enables the school to arrange beyond the classroom activities and is also a statement to prospective parents about the breadth and scope of the school’s vision.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses. If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

The fact that I am asking that question suggests that I actually do wonder if most parents grasp the change in thinking that has gone on in recent years with the adoption of the phrase, “Learning Outside the Classroom”.

My fear is that instead of seeing it as a significant step change from the way teaching and learning were thought about when they were at school, it is just seen as “more school trips”.

This is a shame because at the heart of Learning Outside the Classroom is the notion that experiences of the world beyond the classroom are an essential part of learning and personal development, which is vital for all children.

Of course, many parents do fully realise that it is completely untrue to say that the only learning of value is that which comes while sitting behind a desk, but I do think it is worthwhile to remind parents of the benefits of beyond the classroom education.

Fortunately it seems that Members of Parliament are themselves getting interested in the subject, and indeed just recently Baroness Susan Miller asked several questions in the House of Lords about Learning Outside the Classroom, including asking if the government has assessed the evidence of the impact it has had on attainment and social skills.

In reply the government said that the DfE had assessed the evidence of the impact on attainment, social skills and other outcomes and noted that Ofsted had reported that good quality education outside the classroom led to improved outcomes for pupils, including better achievement, standards, motivation, personal development and behaviour.

It also noted that the Education Endowment Foundation (funded by the DfE) found that outdoor adventure learning interventions consistently show positive benefits on academic attainment and wider outcomes such as self-confidence. The research found that, on average, pupils who participate in such activities appear to make approximately three months additional progress over the course of the year.

If you would like to see the government’s report it is here

Of course, in order to make such outside the classroom activities possible, transport needs to be arranged – which is where we come in.

Before the introduction of the easy leasing of minibuses, schools would often feel that it was necessary to wait for between three to five years before the necessary fund-raising could generate the amount needed for the school to buy a bus.

Now, with leasing all that needs be in place is the monthly leasing cost – which is known in advance and which includes all the regular maintenance costs of the bus.

Of course, such funding can come from the school funds, but if part of it is to come from fundraising from parents, then with leasing they will know that the bus is benefitting their children – rather than children who will attend the school in years to come.

What’s more, if they too can be shown the benefits of learning outside the classroom, they will also be ever more appreciative of what the school is doing for their sons and daughters.

If you’d like to know more about our range of minibuses, please take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

Alternatively, please do call us on 01753 859944 or email us at minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk

That isn’t a question that neatly fits into any syllabus that I know, but it is still an interesting question.

The answers could be anything – for when it was asked by a colleague of mine, she told her students that they could nominate whatever they wanted, but they each had to be ready to stand up and defend their choice in a reasoned way before the rest of the class.

Nominations that came back included the nearby reservoir (nominated by two different students, one for the local wildlife and one for its engineering), the local football ground (nominated by a supporter), the swimming pool, a run-down housing estate which had just started to receive a major overhaul, Tesco’s, the public library, the local 02 store, the recycling centre…

The list of nominations went on, and of course some places were nominated over and over again. But a handful of places were nominated by just one or two students, and it was upon these that the teacher focussed. It made for a good discussion of what we each find important.

And at the end of the in-class presentations and discussions the students thought that was it.

But it wasn’t, for the teacher then told the students that she would start to pick one place nominated by each of the 12 students in her group and ask the student who put the location forward to lead the visit. And at this point the students began to see what was going on. It was part of their training to be able to do interviews for jobs, take part in seminars, to present themselves seriously to a group. It was a lesson in entering the grown-up world.

Instead of being asked to stand up in class and speak, they were going to have to act as a guide on a site they had nominated.

The teacher contacted the location, explained the project and asked for permission to run the event, which was given in each case. Then the student had to liaise with the teacher over how he/she was going to run the visit, and the event was booked.

It was, the teacher told me, just about the best event she had ever run in terms of helping the students to present themselves to others and learn what organising meant. “These young people will go into work or to university knowing how to organise an event. Most of their contemporaries won’t have a clue.”

It was thus a great project, with a unique teaching point. But none of it would have been possible without one thing.

The minibus.

“If we had been using public transport, then the availability of the buses would have determined which visits we could do, and that would have meant some students would not have got to do their presentation at a place of real interest – just because of transport.” the teacher told me.

I have to say that I love this story, simply because I can see it at once as the most powerful of ways of getting students to organise their thoughts, to think about their ideas, to give of themselves to others – all of which are so vital in adult life.

And it includes a use of a minibus I had never come across before. Of course, the bus is just the facilitator, but even so, it was an essential part of the project. It just shows the value of having more than one minibus on site and encouraging as many members of staff as possible to drive.

There’s a PS to this story as well. The teacher who told me the tale gave me one other piece of information. She said that although her school had two minibuses the usage of them was fairly limited to what might be expected – sports matches, geography field trips, visits to the swimming pool…

This project made her colleagues sit up and look. The students talked about each trip so much that the whole school was awash with the project – even more so when photos of the visits and presentations were put up on the display boards. When the head heard what was going on, he insisted on some of the students doing an assembly based on their choice and their visit.

“The only downside,” she told me at the end, “was that bookings of the minibus started to go up. No one wanted to be left out. We’re all doing learning outside the classroom now.”

If you’d like to know more about our range of minibuses click here.

Alternatively you can call us on 01753 859 944.

Many schools are finding that the most effective way of ensuring that their students are involved in educational visits is by having their own school minibus.

However, when you think of a minibus for your school, your first thought may well be that they are so expensive to the point of being unaffordable.

This is a common perception, however many schools are now finding that a new school minibus is possible, but not by buying them, instead they lease them.

Leasing means that the cost of the minibus is spread over time with fixed monthly costs, and can be accounted for in the budget. The PTA can still contribute by raising money to pay for the monthly payments, etc, but there is no longer that long, long wait for the capital to be accumulated.

What’s more, through the leasing arrangement there’s a second benefit, for all the maintenance of the minibus can be taken on by the leasing company, thus keeping the vehicle fully operational at all times.

Additionally, where school trips are paid for by contributions from parents and the PTA, it is possible to allocate a part of those payments towards the cost of the minibus.

In other cases the minibus can be funded through a small monthly deduction from the school’s allocated income.

Not only will a new minibus help the school to expand education beyond classroom activities but it will also be a statement to prospective parents about the breadth and scope of the school’s vision.

Benchmark Leasing specialises in the supply and maintenance of school minibuses and because of this we are able to offer very competitive prices.

If you are interested in the benefits of a minibus do call us on 01753 859944 or click here to see what we can offer.

When a school has no minibus, or has one but needs a second, there will be a small group of people who will lead the call for a new vehicle.

Often the leadership of such a group will be taken by the sports department who will, quite reasonably, talk about the problems with arranging away sporting fixtures, trips to local swimming pools, and so on.

But inevitably, once a minibus is leased and brought on site, the number of teachers wanting to use the bus will rise greatly.

The point is that for many of us, thinking about what we don’t have is not a priority unless it affects us deeply. On the other had using what we now have access to, is a much easier concept to consider, and something that can get us excited.

In this way department after department that has never thought about a minibus before, will begin to want to use the newly acquired bus – and as a result, and given the near universal agreement about the enhanced power of education outside the classroom, the nature of schooling changes.

English teachers might well want to visit focal points for local writers and arrange trips to see dramatic performances. Those with a strong drive for expanding creative writing may well want to visit a site that will stimulate the students output. Others will want to reveal what it was that inspired writers who have passed this way before.

Maths has a strong affinity with astronomy and engineering, and considering the application of maths in our built environment by looking at the use of maths in constructions is always worthwhile.

Science likewise has many applications in buildings, along with the museums of science and those locations commemorating the way in which the application of science has changed our view of the world. It is indeed difficult to get a full grip on Darwin without a visit to a well planned zoo, just as it is to grasp the concept of the universe without a trip to a planetarium.

Religious Education will naturally take us to places of worship of different religions – which will probably be the only time in which most people get to visit a place of worship for a religion other than that with which they were brought up.

ICT can take students to control centres for anything from the internal environment of tower blocks to traffic signal operations HQs. Plus there are centres like Bletchley Park – and once again science museums.

History naturally has no shortage of locations to visit, nor do geography and geology.

Music involves going to concerts and going to locations that house instruments from other cultures, as well as locations that composers found inspirational, while a minibus for the art department allows us to take students to see paintings, photographs, constructions and installations, not just by nationally known figures but also by regional and local artists.

And so it goes on. Each department can think up places to visit, and once they start doing this, can find that such visits enhances the education that is delivered.

All it requires is the leasing of that extra minibus in the first place, and the demand will be there.

You can find out more about our minibus range on our website.

Alternatively please call us on 01753 859 944 for further information.

I think it’s fair to say that most of us would choose to drive a new school minibus, with no maintenance worries, rather than an old one.

I am pleased to say that both of those choices can be met through having a leased minibus that can come complete with a maintenance contract.

The great benefit of leasing is that the purchase of the bus doesn’t come in one lump from school funds. Rather the bus is paid for as it is used by the school.

Plus you can also opt for full maintenance of the minibus. Thus you have a professional undertake all the standard maintenance and servicing, effectively reducing the onus that is put on the person who is nominated in the school’s transport policy to look after the minibus.

So you get a double benefit. A new minibus which is less likely to have problems and you delegate the responsibility for maintenance to professionals.

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.

If you would like to know more take a look at our website – www.minibusleasing.co.uk/school-minibus.php

Alternatively email us at Minibus@benchmarkleasing.co.uk or call us on 01753 859 944.