Pipers Corner coach guidance

PIPERS CORNER GUIDANCE ON COACH USE

Commitment

Charges for coach travel are payable in advance. The school contracts with the coach companies on an annual basis and likewise, we ask you to commit to using the coach for the full year. If circumstances change for any reason, we require a term’s notice in writing that your child will no longer be using the coach. As an exception to this, if your child partakes in an extra-curricular club or activity after school, we can make minor adjustments at short notice, but these must be made as soon as the journey schedule changes and not in arrears. Please let us know if your child is starting to learn to drive as we can then put “rolling notice” in place for when they may no longer need to take the coach (as a precise date will not be easy to predict).

Fees in lieu of notice

In circumstances where Parents have not given a Term’s Written Notice, Fees in lieu of Notice will be due. Fees in lieu of notice means Fees in full at the rate applicable for the next Term following withdrawal from coach travel.

As an exception to this, if your child participates in an extra-curricular club or activity after school, we can make minor adjustments at short notice. If your child is learning to drive they can be placed on ‘rolling notice’ for when they may no longer need to take the coach.

Students must comply with the Code of Conduct for Coach Travel. If they do not comply with the code, they will be asked to make alternative travel arrangements.

While staff register Prep girls onto coaches every afternoon, travel on the coaches is not supervised by staff (although we do appoint coach prefects for each coach). Therefore, your child should be in Prep before using the school coach services.

Students who travel by coach are encouraged to carry mobile phones (see below) so that they can inform parents directly about delays. However, they are not allowed to carry mobile phones during the school day and should deposit them at the School Office when they arrive each morning and collect them at the end of each day before boarding the coach home.

While specific routes are contracted out to specific operators, at no time can we depend absolutely on any particular driver or coach servicing a specific route – breakdowns, servicing and testing regulations and sickness all mean that coaches and drivers can vary. The vagaries of traffic and road works mean that routes and timing can also change unexpectedly.

Important safety notice: would parents dropping off and collecting students by car at the coach stops please not park in designated bus stops as this prevents the school coaches pulling into them and endangers both the students and other road users. Thank you.

All parents need to ensure that their child is at the stop in good time each morning (preferably 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time shown below) and, if they are meeting their child in the afternoon, that:

• they are at the relevant stop in good time, preferably actually standing at the stop so as to be visible to their child and vice-versa.
• their child has a clear strategy in place should there be any deviation from the normal schedule for whatever reason.
• their child has a fully charged mobile phone so that they can make contact if the normal routine is disrupted for any reason.

The following instructions have been issued to all coach operators:

• If a coach should arrive early at any scheduled stop, on no account should it depart before the correct time.
• If any child expresses concern that their parent or other responsible adult is not waiting for them (or any other concern), then the driver is instructed to stop the coach and ensure that the parent is contacted via the child’s mobile telephone or by calling Kura to agree a suitable solution.

Students must take responsibility for alerting the driver should they not be able to see a parent waiting for them or have any other concern about getting off the coach.

It is very important that all students have the ability and confidence to look after themselves in case of unscheduled events occurring regardless of their age.

The following expectations have been drawn up in consultation with Student Voice:

Students are expected to:

Always carry their Kura coach card to register onto and off the coach.

Be aware that they must not board a coach unless they are booked on it. If it is an ad hoc journey your parents must have contacted Kura at [email protected] or 0203 967 0867.

Be mindful of their own and other’s safety. They must wear seat belts until they get up to get off the coach. National seat belt regulations mean that a failure to do so could lead to a fine up to £500.

Be considerate of others by turning up promptly and registering quickly and quietly so the coaches can leave on time.

Be respectful of the coach environment and must ensure no litter is left behind and so must not eat or drink on the coaches – this includes chewing gum.

Be considerate to others by not shouting, singing, or swearing on the coach or listen to music without headphones.

Be inclusive towards other students. To ensure this no one may save seats and all students have an equal right to sit where they like.

Be respectful of the coach prefects who will be identified by a coach prefect badge.

Be ambassadors for the school and so they are expected to behave as they would at school and be in full school uniform.

Ensure they follow guidance about health precautions.

Students who cannot abide by these expectations will be reported to the Deputy Head (Pastoral) and there will be consequences for their actions. If students cannot abide by this code the final consequence will be that their parents are asked to find other means for them to travel to school.