Unruly pupils on school buses face tough new county curbs

Children and teenagers will be told their actions could lead to expulsion from school and even a criminal prosecution in a move to clamp down on poor conduct.

Other sanctions include the permanent withdrawal of bus passes, meaning parents would have to pay full fare, or the refusal by bus firms to carry offenders at all.

The policy, Promoting Positive Behaviour, has been drawn up by South Yorkshire’s Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), which oversees transport in the county.

Officers from Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham Councils have also been involved in the project, alongside senior staff from South Yorkshire Police.

If the 20-page document is approved later this week, it will be introduced across South Yorkshire with bus drivers encouraged to report incidents immediately,

The guidance has been written in response to new Government legislation, which makes schools answerable for pupils’ behaviour on their way to and from classes.

Officers from SYPTE said the Education and Inspections Act “requires headteachers to determine what measures should be taken to promote self-discipline among pupils.”

It also calls for them to “encourage positive behaviour and respect for others” and the new guidance sets out clear rules over how that should be achieved.

David Young, SYPTE’s director of customer experience, who will present the policy to a meeting on Thursday, said a “cross district approach” had been agreed.

He added: “The Act introduced a requirement on schools to assume responsibility for their pupils’ conduct and promote appropriate standards of behaviour on the journey to and from school.

“The guidance is now ready to be approved and will then be formally launched with each district facilitating the launch arrangements in their own areas.”

Under the policy, bus drivers of both dedicated school services and services which are also used by the public, will be issued with incident report forms.

Poor conduct is split into two categories. High risk includes assault and criminal damage, smoking, bullying and spitting, while medium risk is classed as “general misbehaviour”.

Any incident will be formally reported to the school involved, SYPTE, management of the bus operating company and the council. High risk incidents will also be reported to police.

Any high risk incident will carry the threat of criminal action and the cost of any damage to vehicles or property will be recovered from the offender or their parents.

In all cases, pupils found to be in breach of the code of conduct will face sanctions at school and the loss of their bus pass which allows them to travel free.

The document says: “Repeated misbehaviour could well mean that the conduct of the pupil is transferred to the higher category regardless of the specific incidents involved.

“It should be noted that the exclusion from the use of public transport does not diminish the duty of the parent or carer to secure the pupil’s attendance at school.”

A 10-point code of conduct will be issued to all pupils under the new guidance to ensure that they and their parents are clear on the expectations of headteachers, transport operators, police and councils.

The document adds: “It is a fundamental requirement that each pupil will conduct themselves in a considerate and responsible manner,

“This will enable the driver to carry out their duties avoiding distractions while other passengers enjoy a safe and pleasant journey,.

“Other members of the public have an equal right to use the same service and to enjoy their journey in a quiet and uninterrupted way.”