School and college transport guidance for operators        updated 25 September 2020

This guidance follows the DfE’s guidance, which has been developed in line with advice from Public Health England (PHE) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). Implementing the measures in this guidance will reduce the risk to all staff and children.

Drivers are not expected to police instances where pupils are not following these new rules for transport. However, they should report any issues to you or us so that we can take appropriate action.

Transport provided just for school children and college students (dedicated transport)

 Social distancing guidelines will not apply to dedicated school transport. This is because students will not be sharing with members of the general public and will mostly if not always be with the same group of students each day. In addition, PHE advice has said that the overall risk to children and young people from coronavirus (COVID-19) is very low.

Face coverings are not a legal requirement but we have given a very clear message to all students aged 11 and over (high school age and above) that they should wear one and if they don’t, we will be asking schools and Children’s Services to intervene. Younger children, aged under 11, have also been asked to wear one if they are able to do so safely.

Some young people may have an exemption and may show an exemption card to the driver – this should not be challenged, even if they do not have a card to show. Also, whilst some children with special needs will be able to wear a face covering, most will not.

If a young person of any age presents themself for travel and they are not wearing a face covering, the driver should allow them to travel but ask for their name and report it to you/us so that we can take it up with the school and family, as we would with a behaviour incident. You may wish to also ask that child to sit in the front, as a risk management measure.

This is the same for school transport provided by licensed taxis and private hire vehicles - whilst the latest government statement makes it mandatory for face coverings to be worn by all passengers in these vehicles, this does not override the DfE’s guidance for dedicated school transport where it is not mandatory and therefore students should not be refused travel.

Seating arrangements: Wherever possible, you should help students to sit in their year group bubble, or class bubble for younger children.
For larger vehicles, whilst it won’t be an exact science, you could for example, put signs up on the windows to show where different year groups should sit. It is not expected that drivers should enforce this, but we should do everything we can to assist. Schools can help to reinforce this too on the afternoon journey.

 Transport shared with different schools: As with year group bubbles, it is important that you put measures in place to separate children from different schools wherever possible. So, for example, you could have one half of the bus for one school, and the other half for a second school. Signage or driver instruction will be needed for this but once again, it is not expected that drivers enforce, just advise. If you can, leave a row of seats or some space between each school.

 Consistency: This is key for minimising contact with different individuals and so we have asked children to sit in the same seat each day where possible. This is particularly important if they are using rear-facing seats. Transport staff should also be consistent on each route wherever possible.

 Bus passes: Drivers should ensure students validate their pass on the ticket machine on each journey so that we know who has travelled and can trace individuals easily if necessary.

Public transport services

 Normal social distancing for public transport applies, and students have been informed.
But where a significant majority of the route is for school children from the same school, then these children can sit together without social distancing in a specific area of the bus and the guidance above regarding seating arrangements applies, where possible.
An area of the bus should be designated for members of the public where normal social distancing will of course apply.

 Face coverings: We have told students that these are a legal requirement on public transport for those aged 11 and over, and we have asked all younger children to wear one if they are able to do so safely.
Drivers should take their normal course of action but of course be mindful that some young people may have an exemption and may show an exemption card to the driver – this should not be challenged, even if they do not have a card to show.

Key transport corridors: We have agreed relief vehicles on some of the busiest public transport routes that carry school children and students. If you become aware of an issue on a route then please let us know so we can see what we can do.

If the bus gets full: If you get to a stop that has students waiting and your bus is full, please can you put something in place so that the driver can alert you asap so that you can then contact us immediately and we can decide what we can do to help get those young people to school or college.

All transport services

The following is a system of control measures that can help to minimise the spread of Coronavirus. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, it is mandatory to implement measures that are reasonably practicable and effective at reducing the risk. This means we must consider the extent to which measures are reasonably practicable and, where they are, to take these measures.

Minimising contact with individuals who are unwell: We have advised parents that their child should not travel if they, or a member of their household, has symptoms of Coronavirus.
If a child is sent home from school with symptoms, they will be told to self-isolate for 10 days and to get a test. They can then return to the transport service when the 10 days is over or they have a test and the result is negative.

If at any time a child is known to be living with a someone who has symptoms, they will be told to stay home and self-isolate for 14 days. They can then travel again after 14 days if they don’t develop any symptoms themself.

Likewise, a driver or passenger assistant should not work if they, or a member of their household, has symptoms. If they develop symptoms whilst at work, they must go home and get a test and self-isolate for 10 days or until they get a negative test result.

You should not routinely ask to take a child’s temperature before allowing them to board the vehicle.

 Clean hands thoroughly more often than usual: Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an easy virus to kill when it is on skin. This can be done with soap and running water or hand sanitiser – washing hands for at least 20 seconds is advised.
We have asked students to carry hand sanitiser with them and to use it before boarding the vehicle. If you can also have hand sanitiser available on the vehicle, this would be very helpful.
Drivers and passenger assistants should use alcohol hand rub or sanitiser at intervals throughout the journey and should always do so after performing tasks such as helping a child into the vehicle or handling a child’s belongings.

Ensure good respiratory hygiene by promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach: This approach is very important and will be reinforced with students at school. If you can make a covered waste bin or plastic bag available on board your vehicle then that would be very helpful.

Ventilation: It is very important to maximise the ventilation of fresh air (from outside the vehicle) on transport, particularly through opening windows and ceiling vents, where possible.

Cleaning: Coronavirus (COVID-19) is easy to kill on surfaces. Normal cleaning products will do this - specialist cleaning products are not needed. Cleaning of high-touch areas like grab rails and door handles should be undertaken after every trip where possible, and an enhanced clean should be carried out at the end of each day.

Face coverings for transport staff: The DfT’s safer guidance for transport operators still states that it is not mandatory for transport workers to wear face coverings, however public health advice is that transport staff wear a face covering when they are unable to maintain social distancing in passenger facing roles. This is particularly important in smaller vehicles where the driver is in a more enclosed space and may be in closer contact with their passengers.

At the moment we have not made it a condition of any contract, but I would like to strongly request that drivers do wear either a face covering or visor where they do not have a screen around them or any other barrier, or where they are providing assistance to passengers (obviously allowing for any of the listed exemptions).

Additional information for transporting children with special needs

We recognise that transporting children and young people with SEND may require close contact. Where this is the case, other measures in the system of controls should be put in place to reduce risk, for example staff may want to wash or sanitise their hands more frequently.

Face coverings for children: Some children and young people with SEND will not be able to use a face covering properly and should not be expected to do so as this may increase the risk of transmission. Some children may be distressed by wearing a face covering, or by others wearing them. Others may become distressed if they and other people do not wear them. The key is talking to the family and understanding the children you are transporting.

Face coverings for staff: See above section regarding face coverings for drivers.
Passenger assistants should wear a face covering at all times whilst in contact with the children, unless it has been identified as causing distress to a child and agreed with Passenger Transport.

PPE is not normally needed on home to school transport. By PPE we mean equipment such as fluid-resistant surgical face masks, disposable gloves, disposable plastic aprons and eye protection such as a face visor or goggles. However, where this has been identified as necessary through an individual risk assessment, then it should be provided.

Response to any infection

All staff and families are expected to engage with the NHS Test and Trace process.

If anyone starts to display any symptom of Coronavirus then they should book a test https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test and follow government guidance on self-isolation until the result is back. Staff should also inform you as their employer and you should inform us. If the result is positive, then we need to be informed immediately.

If a member of staff has someone in their household who develops symptoms, then they should also follow government guidance on self-isolation.

Drivers, passenger assistants and families should be willing to provide details of anyone they have been in close contact with if they test positive for Coronavirus or if they are asked to by Test and Trace.

 If a child on your transport falls ill while at school and is a suspected case, they will be told by school to stay at home. There is no need for staff to self-isolate unless they themself develop symptoms, they are advised to by the Test and Trace service, or they are advised to by us or school, e.g. if the child has tested positive and it has been decided by Test and Trace staff that the contact in the vehicle requires self-isolation by all.

If a child has been in contact with someone who has symptoms, then there is no need for the child to not travel or to self-isolate unless they are told to by the Test and Trace service or the school.

If we become aware of a positive test for Coronavirus involving a child on your transport, then we will contact you immediately and advise what you and your staff should do.

Routine temperature checking is not a sure way to determine if someone has Coronavirus and is not to be undertaken by transport staff.