Transport we cannot provide
We cannot provide transport for the following:
- journeys to locations other than the home address, such as hospital appointments
- journeys outside normal school start and finish times
- travel between school or home and respite care placements, unless agreed in advance by a school transport officer
Be ready on time
Usually a vehicle transports several pupils. To keep to he timetable, your child need to be ready to join the transport as soon as it arrives. School transport cannot wait for more than a few minutes.
Take your child to the vehicle
Where necessary, we have passenger assistants trained to look after pupils during transport. Passenger assistants are not expected to leave the vehicle to collect or deliver pupils. Parents must take their child to the vehicle.
When your child arrives home
You should make suitable arrangements for your child when they return home. All primary school pupils must be met from the transport by an authorised person.
If there’s no suitable adult available to meet a child who is normally collected, the passenger assistant will place the pupil for safety with the duty social worker in children’s social care.
Children’s social care is located on the fourth floor of the Civic Offices, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth.
Absence from school
If something may affect your child’s journey, tell the passenger assistant as soon as possible.
If your child will not be attending school for a few days, contact the transport provider or passenger assistant as soon as possible. This helps us avoid unnecessary journeys.
Moving house
If you move house, tell the school transport team and the statutory assessment team as soon as possible. Passenger assistants will not collect pupils from a new address without authorisation from school transport officers.
Child seats, harnesses and seat belts
These are provided on all school transport, except public service buses and trains, and should be worn at all times.
We provide suitable child seats and booster seats where needed. A harness may be used if a child seat is not appropriate or possible.
Wheelchairs and buggies
Pupils may only travel in wheelchairs or buggies that are suitable for transport use. We do not provide them. Parents must give details of the type, size and make before transport can be arranged.
Unacceptable behaviour on school transport
Parents and guardians should make sure their child understands how to behave while travelling.
Where a child is unable to travel safely to school, including where the pupil’s behaviour is such that it may threaten the safety of the pupils, driver and passenger assistants, the council reserves the right to suspend or withdraw transport support.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour include:
- refusing to wear a seat belt
- using foul or inappropriate language
- aggressive behaviour towards others
- causing damage to the vehicle