Scottish Government

3. CHAPTER THREE PUPIL SAFETY AND SECURITY

3.1 Introduction

3.1.1 The journey to school presents a number of potential safety and security issues for pupils and parents. Whilst the previous chapter has addressed issues of safety relating specifically to vehicles and drivers, this chapter is concerned with some of the more 'social' aspects of safety and risk that are important considerations in the development of best practice guidance for travel to school.

3.1.1 The main issues covered by the chapter are:

• potential risks to children from stranger danger;
• bullying and inappropriate behaviour on buses;
• use of attendants/escorts and CCTV on school transport to monitor pupils' behaviour;
• use of seatbelts on school transport; and
• road safety and risk of traffic accidents.

3.2 Understanding the Main Issues

3.2.1 We know from Government Statistics that child pedestrian casualties are rising in number, with most accidents occurring in the afternoon, before or after a child makes their way home from school. We also know that, despite the risks to children from road safety accidents far exceeding those related to stranger danger, parents remain disproportionately worried about potential threats from strangers to their children on the way to and from school ⁷.

3.2.2 In recent years, the media have also highlighted growing concerns with dangers presented to children from fellow pupils, in particular, from those misbehaving on school vehicles and bullies who capitalise on the opportunity to target victims whilst they are 'captured' on school transport.

3.2.3 'Stranger danger' has long been a central component of the Personal, Social and Health Education ( PSHE) curriculum. Teaching responsible behaviour and raising awareness of bullying have also traditionally been undertaken as part of the standard school curriculum, falling into the citizenship and PSHE components of the school day. Progressive approaches have also traditionally been taken with much of the education around stranger danger delivered at an early stage in children's primary education and developed in later years as children increase in independence, including stepping out for the first time to make school journeys without parents.

3.2.4 Educating parents is well documented as being one of the most appropriate, practical and beneficial ways of improving pupil safety. The 2004 research Parental Attitudes to Road Safety Education advocated that a different focus should be used for primary and secondary school children, but that both should develop new resources for road safety education subject to an audit of current material and resources. Several ways of involving parents in road safety education included producing leaflets including a DVD supplement, developing links between campaigns and, for example, the Young Scot magazine promoting travel awareness to teenagers, carrying out workshops and introducing pre-driver training for parents in schools, all setting out road safety strategies.

3.2.5 The Scottish School Travel Advisory Group (2002) research provided recommendations that, if implemented, would provide for good practice guidelines in pupils' safety and security. It concluded that all schools and local authorities should work together to establish a school travel team with adequate time put aside for staff training and teaching resources. Within the team, all schools should prepare a school travel plan and further integrate and develop road safety in the curriculum with particular emphasis on health and the environment. It should be aimed at parents and staff as well as pupils. Information about the availability of public transport and alternative methods of travel such as walking and cycling should be promoted and increased. Local authorities and the police should work together on the appropriate enforcement issues such as speed cameras and CCTV cameras which should be in operation to help increase safety and avoid vandalism. Overall, the report recommended that in order to increase road safety nationally, methods of good practice have to be put in place at a local level, and that policies should be shared between local authorities and schools.

3.3 Findings from the Survey

3.3.1 As part of the survey of local authorities, we asked people to indicate whether a number of school travel and transport issues were considered 'areas of local concern'. Table 3.1 shows the number of authorities who rated each issue as a matter of local concern, and shows that pupil behaviour is currently the top concern.

Table 3.1 Issues of local concern to local authorities

3.3.2 Interestingly, only eight authorities felt that lack of attendants/escorts was an issue, suggesting either that most authorities already have sufficient monitoring systems in place or, alternatively, that this was not considered a suitable solution to behaviour problems.

3.3.3 Eight authorities said that they provided specific training on how to deal with strangers (Dumfries and Galloway; Dundee City; East Ayrshire; East Lothian; Falkirk; Fife; Renfrewshire; and Scottish Borders).

Code of Conduct for Pupil Behaviour

3.3.4 With regard to pupils taking responsibility for their own safe travel to/from schools, it seems that the majority of authorities do provide Codes of Conduct to pupils and that these are regularly updated and disseminated. Table 3.2 shows those authorities that do provide a code (n=26) and those who indicated that they do not (n=4). Although some do not have a separate, specific Code of Conduct, all councils in the SPT region do have guidance printed on their free school application forms.

Table 3.2 Provision of a Pupil Code of Conduct

3.3.5 The way that parents are made aware of the code varies across localities. In some authorities, codes of conduct are developed on an individual basis where the school/travel plan group think it beneficial. These draw inputs from parents, pupils and Road Safety Departments, and require tailoring to the specific circumstances at each school.

3.3.6 Codes of conduct are supplied in a variety of media, for example, through school contracts, as booklets for distribution to pupils and parents, or printed on the free school travel application forms. The message is also reiterated to parents in other communications, such as letters awarding free school transport places and when they receive their season tickets/permits.

3.3.7 Five authorities mentioned that they showed videos to students on the dangers of misbehaving on buses (Argyll and Bute; Fife; Perth and Kinross; Renfrewshire; and Stirling) and two said that they used videos on the dangers of misbehaving on trains.

Use of Attendants and Escorts

3.3.8 In total, 28 authorities provided a response regarding use of attendants/escorts (paid supervisors, teachers, teaching assistants, prefects, monitors, volunteer parents) on mainstream services. The split of responses was even with 15 saying that they did use attendants and 13 who said they did not. Table 3.3 provides a breakdown of responses by authority.

Table 3.3 Use of Attendants and Escorts on Mainstream Services

3.3.9 Table 3.4 shows the type of training provided to attendants/escorts in different authorities. The table excludes training provided for ASN transport runs.

Table 3.4 Training for Attendants/Escorts

3.3.10 Low levels of training appear to be delivered to attendants/escorts. In some cases, specific training is delivered to those who escort pupils with additional support needs and this is often first aid focused.

3.3.11 While driver/attendant training is not part of mainstream provision, most of the SPT authorities do offer the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme ( MiDAS) and Passenger Assistant Training Scheme ( PATS) for their own drivers/attendants and some operator staff.

3.3.12 When asked if training for attendants/escorts improved the quality or perceived quality of service, there was a mixed response. It is perceived to improve pupil behaviour, to reassure parents, ensure child protection and benefit health and safety. That said, many authorities also cited problems associated with the use of attendants/escorts. These included difficulties with recruitment and retention, ambiguities around training provided to staff, problems associated with achieving the right balance of control of pupils, fall-outs between attendants/escorts over what might be deemed appropriate or inappropriate behaviour of pupils, especially in terms of what should or should not be reprimanded. Where parents volunteer to act as supervisors in this role, reservations were raised about whether this created tension among parents of pupils being supervised, who may, for example, fear that their children are being too harshly judged.

3.3.13 In some instances attendants are only used on particular vehicle types (eg double-decker vehicles) unless authorities are notified of a problem. Some believe that CCTV provides a better way to identify problem passengers.

Road Safety and Assessment of Hazards

3.3.14 The majority of authorities (n=24) said that they had, in recent years, made changes to their vehicle access/egress at schools to improve pupils' safety. Table 3.5 provides a summary of responses by authority.

Table 3.5 Changes to Vehicle Access/Egress to Improve Pupils Safety

3.3.15 Similarly, most authorities (n=24) said that they used Road Traffic Regulation Orders to restrict traffic around school at peak times. Table 3.6 (overleaf) shows those authorities that do/do not currently use Orders.

3.3.16 When asked specifically what had improved safety and/or encouraged shift from the car to other forms of travel, a wide range of solutions were identified. Common among these were 20 mph schemes, Safer Routes to Schools Schemes, Cycling, Walking and Safer Street ( CWSS) Schemes, and School Travel Plans.

3.3.17 Traffic engineering has also been utilised to control parking, reduce speeds, improve lighting and access to some schools. Retractable bollards that stop vehicular access to schools at peak times to prevent conflicts with pedestrians and vehicles were also given as examples of practical solutions. Improved access to schools for buses and segregation between pupils and vehicles was also quoted.

Table 3.6 Use of Traffic Regulation Orders

3.4 Parent and Pupil Observations

3.4.1 Most parents who commented on secondary school transport during our consultation did have concerns about children moving around the bus and distracting the driver. Those who spoke about primary school children had fewer concerns. Main issues that were cited include:

3.4.2 Cases of bullying were not common among the pupils consulted for this research. Where cases were cited, however, parent intervention appeared to work in tackling the behaviour.

3.4.3 Responses to bullying included removing their children from the bus or, in extreme cases, moving their children to other schools. At the general level, most parents felt that the solution to bullying was to "nip it in the bud early on", even if this required parent intervention.

3.4.4 Parents felt that escorts were not as useful as cameras in monitoring behaviour, largely because pupils perceived that any disputes regarding behaviour would result in a problem of "their word against the escort's".CCTV camera evidence was viewed by pupils as something which could not be disputed and, therefore, was seen as a greater deterrent to misbehaviour.

3.4.5 The main forms of misbehaviour cited by pupils consulted included:

3.4.6 For the most part, these behaviours were considered "irritating" rather than "frightening".

3.4.7 Pupils were asked about the enforcement of rules regarding seatbelts on school vehicles. Most pupils commented that they had received enforcement messages from their parents and schools generally appear to be stressing the importance of use of belts where fitted.

3.4.8 There was some evidence that girls, more than boys, adhered to instructions regarding seatbelt use. In only a few cases were comments raised about teasing if pupils were seen to be wearing seatbelts.

3.4.9 Pupils in Fife told us that even if the seatbelts work, they rarely wear them as "it's not cool". They preferred to be able to move around on the bus.

"You can't talk to your friends behind you if you can't move".

3.4.10 Although teachers sometimes come on to the school buses to make sure pupils are wearing their seatbelts, the pupils take them off as soon as the teachers leave.

3.4.11 Nevertheless pupils showed an awareness of the dangers of not wearing belts and the strongest message to emerge was that pupils seated at the front of the bus might be injured by those behind in the event that the vehicle threw pupils forward.

3.4.12 Pupils suggested that possible motivations for increasing seatbelt use may be:

3.4.13 The pupils all reported wearing a seatbelt in a car but never on a bus. They felt safer on a bus as they had faith in the driving skills of the driver. They believed that as the bus drivers were trained, they are better drivers than their parents. When asked why they trusted bus drivers, comments included:

"Basically I trust bus drivers more than my Dad, because my Dad's a bit reckless."

"A bus driver's meant to handle loads of people on a bus, people talking to them and everything, if you're just driving in a car with two people, it's different."

3.4.14 Many parents expressed concern about the lack of seatbelts on buses and the absence of a monitor to ensure that the children actually wear them. Some suggested that local authorities should pay for seatbelt provision on all buses as well as monitors on the bus or CCTV to ensure that pupils wear them.

3.4.15 Among older pupils, however, parents recognised that children themselves should be responsible for wearing a seatbelt on the bus and, if caught without using them, should not be allowed to continue to use school transport.

3.4.16 At the general level, parents appear to require greater clarity regarding lines of responsibility for pupils in transit from home to school. For example, taking their child to the bus stop is their responsibility, the bus company is responsible for the child until the bus arrives within the school grounds, where it is met by a teacher, and from that point the school is responsible.

3.5 Local Case Study Examples

Stranger Danger

3.5.1 Whilst eight local authorities identified stranger danger as a core local concern, there is little evidence from the consultation undertaken that schools and local education departments are responding systematically to this potential threat. For the most part, It appears that 'stranger danger' is tackled within core areas of the curriculum, such as PSHE, with some evidence that the police are also playing a part in some areas of providing one off talks to pupils. The dominant message in stranger danger of 'run, yell and tell' appears to be the mainstay of education in this field.

3.5.2 Attitudes expressed by some authorities contacted as part of the consultation suggest that the risk to children from strangers is considered to be relatively small. Many authorities cited low incidence rates as a reason why it does not attract high levels of attention within the curriculum, and there were suggestions that fear of stranger danger was disproportionate to the actual incidence. The role of the media in perpetuating fear of stranger danger was also cited.

3.5.3 An interesting theme to emerge from our consultation is the view that 'fear' of strangers may be having negative impacts on pupil well-being insofar as young people being afraid to ask for help when they need it. One authority stressed that it is equally important to teach children which strangers can be trusted in emergencies and avoid cases of lost children being "unable to ask for help due to a fear of strangers".

3.5.4 An example of good practice was demonstrated by Glasgow City Council who teach children that people in uniform, shop assistants with name badges and women who have children with them are the safest people to approach in an emergency situation.

3.5.5 Glasgow City Council also use the 'Lives and Ladders' educational, interactive board game with primary 4 and 5 pupils. Sessions are delivered by Safety Assistants who play a game where players move around a giant snakes and ladders board answering safety-themed questions. Included in the messages given out by the game is the 'run, yell and tell' message.

Bullying and Inappropriate Behaviour

3.5.6 Bullying is perhaps one of the core areas where the current research failed to find many examples of good practice in the Scottish context. For most authorities, it seems that messages about bullying per se are delivered as part of the standard curriculum; however, there is little evidence that it is linked in any formal ways to school travel and transport guidance or policies.

3.5.7 In the Falkirk Council area, bullying and bad behaviour is addressed by on-bus CCTV which has been installed fairly extensively with Quality of Life funding and which has recently received positive evaluation feedback. Schools have always assisted with investigation and follow up actions. In extreme cases, bus services have been withdrawn temporarily or permanently.

3.5.8 In contrast to the apparent lack of local level policies or guidance on bullying, a number of authorities across Scotland produce pupil codes of conduct which provide guidance for pupils on appropriate behaviours on the journey to and from school. Authorities that produce examples of good practice in relation to pupil codes of conduct include Fife, Perth, Aberdeenshire, East Ayrshire and Edinburgh. A guide is also currently under development in North Lanarkshire. Main messages covered by the codes include:

3.5.9 In the Fife Council area, pupil training is delivered in a holistic manner as part of the school curriculum. This training addresses behaviour on transport as part of general behaviour, personal responsibilities and how people treat each other. As with other authorities, it is covered in citizenship classes rather than being offered as a discrete initiative.

3.5.10 The council uses a combination of training approaches, including:

3.5.11 The videos on the dangers of misbehaving on buses are delivered to primary 7 pupils on the transition between primary and secondary school. They have an event that runs twice a year called 'Safer Fifer', which is organised by the police and also involves other emergency organisations. The initiative explores dangers of misbehaving on a bus and contains a graphic video showing someone throwing a stone through a window that causes an accident in which a pupil is killed.

3.5.12 The community safety partnership in Fife also provides talks by the police, fire rescue service and ambulance service on the subjects of how to get safely to and from school, general vandalism, fires at bonfire times, misbehaving with fireworks and how to behave on public transport.

3.5.13 Fife Council has already achieved the government's target on reducing road casualties by 2010. Details of Fife Council's policies along with advice for parents and pupils regarding appropriate behaviour on school buses and safe travel to from school can be found at the fifedirect website (www.fifedirect.org.uk).

3.5.14 Moray Council also has a clearly defined policy on misbehaviour on school buses. The council's website makes clear its procedures, specifying that "Any pupil who misbehaves may have their pass withdrawn by the driver and handed to the school with a report of the actions. This may result in action taken by the school which can include allocating pupils to specific seats on the bus, exclusion from School Transport or any other punishment deemed appropriate by the school. During any exclusion, the parent assumes full responsibility to transport the child to and from school."

3.5.15 In Aberdeenshire Council, a new pupil code of conduct has just been developed following consultation with parents and pupils undertaken in a Best Value Audit. The code is being published by an independent organisation, free of charge, and is funded by the sale of advertising space within the booklet. The code will be issued to every transported pupil to take home and is split into sections; an introduction, council policy and practice section, a parents' section and a pupils' section. There are also plans for the code to be made available online.

3.5.16 The council's media unit is also in the process of producing a DVD demonstrating how pupils should behave on school transport. It will deal with behaviour prior to boarding, while on public transport and while alighting.

3.5.17 Aberdeenshire has also piloted a reporting initiative through its safe school travel working group which encouraged drivers to complete incident reports and send them to schools for cases of misbehaviour on school transport. A driver survey was also developed by the council to collect views on the new form as it was being developed as well as to canvass views on such things as the Code of Conduct and whether schools should organise liaison/ information sessions for drivers. Subject to a report going to their education committee in the near future, the driver feedback mechanism will be rolled out to every school in the authority area.

3.5.18 Stirling Council has in place a Pupil Acceptable Standards Statement ( PASS) scheme. This sets out the rights and responsibilities of children using school transport services and makes it clear that failure to adhere to the scheme may result in withdrawal of entitlement to transport services. The scheme covers damage to vehicles, use of seatbelts where provided, punctuality issues, responsible care of boarding passes or season tickets, courtesy for fellow passengers, safe storage of school bags and other equipment on vehicles, vandalism, litter dropping, smoking, eating and drinking on vehicles, anti-social behaviour and compliance with driver/escort instructions.

3.5.19 The PASS scheme also explains the council's position with regards to reporting irresponsible behaviour to parents. It also sets out responsibilities of contractors and other staff on school vehicles and alerts pupils and parents to the presence of CCTV on some vehicles to monitor misbehaviour. Children are also encouraged to report difficulties or misbehaviour to their driver or school.

3.5.20 Finally, a number of authorities across Scotland currently use the 'Out of Service' DVD. This DVD is a resource designed to be used in formal and informal education with children and young people aged 10-16 years old. It has been distributed to all primary and secondary schools in Glasgow and in 10 other local authorities. The DVD incorporates general acts of vandalism and vandalism to transport such as brick throwing, spray painting, 'dutch etching' and railway track obstructions.

Monitoring Behaviour

3.5.21 SPT have developed an in house Code of Conduct for Attendants and Escorts which is distributed to all service providers who have school transport contracts. Service operators are responsible for distributing the Code to all attendants and escorts whom they employ.

3.5.22 The Code covers four main areas:

The guide makes clear that "contractors are responsible for taking all reasonable care of the pupils temporarily in their charge" and that "the driver of the vehicle should be the person who decides the appropriate action to take, unless the attendant on that particular vehicle is his superior in the management structure of the company." The code also makes clear that it is operators who "must ensure that drivers and attendants are suitably briefed to cope."

3.5.23 The use of attendants and escorts in the Strathclyde region began in 1996. Attendants are supplied by the operator and are usually part time staff. SPT school transport contracts state that all drivers and attendants must have Standard Disclosure Scotland certificates. There is the minimum age restriction of 18 years old and, at the moment, the maximum age restriction of 70 years old.

3.5.24 Perth & Kinross Council has set up a Transition Partnership that includes staff from Education & Children's Services, the Public Transport Unit, local police and other groups to support children as they move up to secondary schools in Perth City. During 2004, the Transition Partnership established a sub-group with representatives from operators and Tayside Police Road Safety Unit to investigate the issues and work with the community in developing an action plan.

3.5.25 For the Perth High School cluster, the sub-group sent a questionnaire to the parents of pupils who travel on school buses or have a pass to use local buses, and handed out a similar questionnaire to pupils for them to complete during extended assemblies at school. These asked about behavioural issues, individual responsibilities and suggestions for improving safety.

3.5.26 The most commonly mentioned problem in both the parents' and pupils' responses was bullying, followed by other aspects of poor behaviour by the children. Several parents and pupils also mentioned unsafe driving practices.

3.5.27 Both sets of questionnaires identified the need for greater support for the driver to tackle inappropriate behaviour, followed up by disciplinary procedures at school. However, there was confusion over responsibilities for supervision and discipline on school journeys. In particular, many pupils did not know who to report incidents to, and felt that if they did, they would make matters worse for themselves.

3.5.28 The pupils identified CCTV as the best way of increasing surveillance on board and deterring bad behaviour or identifying those concerned who could then be punished. The Public Transport Unit at Perth and Kinross took this forward in 2005 by asking operators to include an option for providing CCTV on certain routes when it re-tendered its school contracts. Some 30 routes throughout Perth & Kinross were selected based on three main criteria:

3.5.29 There was little difference in tender prices and so CCTV was taken up on 29 routes. CCTV was already fitted as standard on many new vehicles, but importantly, operators recognised the potential for deterring graffiti and vandalism and were willing to cover the cost of installing CCTV on other buses.

3.5.30 The Public Transport Unit devised a protocol covering the use of CCTV on buses, downloading and sharing data, and the personnel authorised to view CCTV evidence, in line with the requirements of the Data Protection Act 1998 and CCTV Code of Practice 2001 ⁸. The specification for school buses requires four cameras on single deck and six cameras on double deck vehicles, and clear advertising of the system (via notices issued by the council). Footage can be viewed on a desktop PC in a secure environment by the designated manager, and downloaded onto a disc that can be viewed by the head teacher or nominated deputy at the schools, or by the police.

3.5.31 Operators were asked to indicate their compliance with the protocol by signing an acceptance form. Similar forms were sent to the schools.

3.5.32 The Partnership Unit also worked with the schools to expand on the existing codes of conduct that are issued to parents and pupils, as well as operators, drivers and escorts. Together they determined how pupils engaging in anti-social or unsafe behaviour would be identified and punished.

3.5.33 The CCTV scheme began in September 2006 on the selected tendered routes and on local buses that were already fitted with systems. In the first four months of operation, the Public Transport Unit says that it has received fewer complaints about poor behaviour, and on one particularly difficult route, the cameras appear to have addressed persistent problems of petty vandalism and pupils refusing to sit down.

3.5.34 The Public Transport Unit will continue to review its contracts and introduce further conditions as necessary to continue to improve the service offered. It already judges CCTV to be a success on the evidence of the fall in complaints and level of support it has received from parents. It is working well with the schools involved and is grateful for their willingness to tackle problems that occur outside the school gates.

3.5.35 The scheme is no longer considered to be pilot and CCTV will remain a requirement on the selected contracted routes. There has been further deployment on routes tendered in 2006 and other routes are being considered on an 'as needs' basis when they next come up for tender.

3.5.36 The Transition Partnership is planning to carry out an evaluation in the near future to understand the impacts of CCTV on service-users and other stakeholders.

Seatbelts

3.5.37 Findings from the consultation suggest that most authorities are adopting an approach to seatbelt provision that is strictly in line with legal requirements. There was no evidence from this research that authorities are going beyond basic legal requirements and, indeed, some views were expressed about the possible negative consequences of seatbelt provision as standard on school buses.

3.5.38 As mentioned in Chapter 2, Moray Council has a firm policy on seatbelt provision. The authority is one of the first in the country to specify seatbelts on all school transport vehicles and this has been enshrined in council policy since August 2002.

3.5.39 One school in Moray has recently instigated strict rules on seatbelt wearing on the school buses. Pupils caught by CCTV camera who are not wearing their seatbelt are made to take the service bus for a period of one week. The head teacher makes daily checks to ensure that pupils are wearing their seatbelts when the bus leaves the school grounds. This appears to have encouraged pupils to wear their seatbelts and pupils are generally all found to be sitting down in a seat to travel to and from school as opposed to standing up or moving around the bus.

3.5.40 The new rules on booster seats in cars do not apply to children travelling in coaches and buses and so authorities/operators do not have to supply booster seats. Minibus passengers have been required to use seatbelts for some years, but again legislation does not require operators to provide booster seats for school children. In taxis, the correct child restraint must be used if available. Both Perth and Falkirk Councils have taken the initiative and bulk bought boosters seats on behalf of operators. This has been very popular with parents.

3.5.41 It should be noted that the Department for Transport are aware that there is a gap in statutory provision regarding wearing of seatbelts by children aged 3-13 years travelling on coaches and minibuses. They intend to introduce legislation, after consultation, later this year.

Road Safety and Risk of Traffic Accidents

3.5.42 Safer Routes to School ( SRTS) is a multi-disciplinary school based approach which aims to improve safety and remove barriers to walking and cycling to and from school. The 1999 Good Practice Guidelines outlined the advantages of children walking to school safely and although it stated there were several obstacles to overcome within various different groups, the SRTS encouraged parents and pupils to think about their journey to school and of better, safer and healthier ways to make this journey. Examples of good practice include pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities, new speed limits and traffic management, schemes for accompanying children who walk to school, classroom activities on road and personal safety and better facilities for cyclists at school. These initiatives have impacts on other policy areas such as education, health, roads and transport, the police and the community in general, showing SRTS as a method of good practice that could be taken up by schools and their local community.

3.5.43 Most authorities across Scotland have been involved in the Safer Routes to School initiative and most have reported positive feedback. The research carried out here confirmed that the initiative is considered by authorities as an example of good practice in relation to school road safety education.

3.5.44 Also in relation to pedestrian safety, Kerbcraft appears to offer one of the best examples of good practice currently in existence around the UK. The Kerbcraft Model is designed to teach pedestrian skills to 5-7 year olds by means of practical training at the roadside rather than in the classroom. Each training scheme typically involves a local authority manager, who is responsible for recruiting and training a team of local volunteers to undertake roadside training, in co-operation with local schools. Kerbcraft uses a comprehensive support pack including a manual for co-ordinators, a volunteer training video/ DVD, stickers for children, high visibility clothing for pedestrians, monitoring forms and certificates for volunteers who take part in the scheme.

3.5.45 In Scotland, a number of authorities have participated in Kebrcraft, all reporting positive feedback. These are Aberdeen City, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire, Inverclyde, City of Edinburgh, East Ayrshire and Glasgow City. In some cases, the success of the scheme has enabled authorities to secure long term funding and, even where funding for the scheme has been discontinued, the consultation suggests that this scheme has been influential in helping authorities to introduce and continue to involve pedestrian training in the curriculum.

3.5.46 The Kerbcraft website provides further details for authorities who are interested in getting involved ( http://www.kerbcraft.org/)

3.5.47 Finally, Glasgow City Council also organise 'safety strolls' which are guided walks exploring safe routes to school. Safety assistants lead the class on a tour of the streets near their school discussing how to avoid or deal with hazards such as crossing the road, building sites, unsafe short cuts, strangers, etc. Depending on the area in which the school is located, hazards may include secluded areas where children may be in danger from bullies or strangers as well as more visible hazards such as roads, railways, discarded needles and other safety risks.

Pick-Up/Drop-Off Assessments in West Dunbartonshire

3.5.48 In light of the Scottish Executive guidance, West Dunbartonshire Council commissioned MVA Consultancy to undertake research into the methods which should be used to undertake engineering assessments of school bus pick-up/drop-off ( PUDO) points and give consideration to the hazards associated with such points.

3.5.49 The study team developed a pro-forma and methodology for the assessment of risks associated with PUDO points and are about to start the process of assessing all stops in West Dunbartonshire. The unique methodology developed makes it possible to assess all types of PUDO; rural or urban, formal or informal. In completing the pro-forma, assessors take into account facilities at the PUDO and potential hazards before recommending possible remedial measures.

3.5.50 This project is the first of its kind in Scotland and a number of tools may soon be developed to allow PUDOs to be accurately and efficiently assessed in other local authority areas across the country. These may include a training and user manual which can properly train assessors on how to complete the pro-forma and carry out on-site assessments with a strong emphasis on safety. The use of data loggers may be incorporated to reduce cost, and the location of PUDOs may be mapped using a GIS database to be cross-referenced with STATS19 accident data. The assessments will make it possible for authorities to identify which PUDOs have the potential to cause an accident and allow them to put in place remedial measures.

3.6 Lessons Learnt from Elsewhere

3.6.1 To complement local level examples of good practice, there is much guidance currently in existence at the generic level in Scotland and the rest of the UK which might be a useful start point for the development of Education Authority school transport policies.

3.6.2 Bullying online (http://www.bullying.co.uk/) is a national resource which provides advice for children and young people on bullying, including bullying that takes place on the bus and walk to school. The site advises pupils to:

3.6.3 The site also advises parents about the importance of making complaints to schools in the event of bullying that occurs on the way to/from school as well as making complaints directly to the transport operators (where appropriate). Possible solutions, it suggests, may include removal of travel passes for bullies to help protect the victim.

3.6.4 With regards stranger danger, Leicester City Council has co-funded the introduction of real-time passenger information with local bus operators. With IT terminals within schools, pupils can wait in the safety of the school grounds until their bus approaches and then walk to the bus stop.

3.6.5 A school in Wales has taken a particularly firm line on bad behaviour (such as running about and throwing stones on school buses) that has dramatically reduced complaints from both parents and the operator. Concerned that pupils' behaviour was presenting safety risk and reflecting poorly on the school, Emrys ap Iwan secondary school in Conwy appointed a teacher to take control of school transport.

3.6.6 The teacher has led the development of a framework for the correct use of school buses and punishment for any form of bad behaviour. Pupils sign up to a code of behaviour when they apply for school transport. When there are problems, drivers complete an incident report form and send this directly to the school and copy it to Denbighshire County Council's Passenger Transport Group. The teacher contacts the parents/guardians to discuss the matter and also allows the pupils to explain their actions.

3.6.7 The course of action against pupils is shown in the panel overleaf; the school has the final decision:

"We have been deliberately hard on pupils from the start. We want to send the message that throwing objects, smoking, bullying etc are not acceptable and this is getting through to the children. We can always tone it down later."

3.6.8 Four pupils have been banned in one term; a further five have received warning letters. Once pupils are banned and their pass withdrawn, parents are responsible for ensuring that their child attends school, regardless of the grounds on which they qualify for school transport.

3.6.9 Essex County Council has a holistic programme (entitled RESPECT - it's Up2U) for working with schools, operators, drivers, parents and pupils. It accepts that not all schools see transport as part of their remit, but feels that more are now interpreting their duty of care to include behaviour outside the school gates, particularly as they want to attract parents from beyond the catchment area.

3.6.10 The Passenger Transport Co-ordination Team liaises with each interested school on historic problems and identifies a member of staff who becomes responsible for transport issues and the main point of contact for drivers to report incidents. The council has paid operators to install CCTV and got parents to sign up to its use. This includes giving permission for footage of any incidents to be shared with the school and any relevant third parties, such as parents of other children involved.

3.6.11 In the summer term the council sends two staff to operators' premises to talk to drivers about child protection, their responsibilities, ways of dealing with situations and how to report incidents. At all times they stress that the drivers will have the support of their employer and the authority in correctly tackling problems.

3.6.12 There are numerous activities with pupils including:

3.6.13 Pupils are also asked to nominate the 'bus driver of the year' which encourages them to think through the difficulties that drivers have to face. The council says that this has been a great way of highlighting the value of drivers amongst pupils and the drivers themselves.

3.6.14 The changes in the three years that Respect has been running have been remarkable. The council says it receives substantially fewer complaints about problems on school buses from parents. Drivers report that the environment on board is noticeably calmer with fewer pupils getting out of their seat and running around, and one teacher has calculated that he has saved 12 hours a week by no longer having to deal with so many school transport issues.

3.7 Issues for the Future

3.7.1 Perceptions of stranger danger and bullying appear to be much worse than the actual risk. Parents need to have confidence that their children know how to handle potentially dangerous situations, otherwise their fear may result in more car use. This compounds issues relating to congestion and road safety is counterproductive in achieving healthier, sustainable travel.

3.7.2 There may be room for building bullying into existing codes of conduct for pupils, drivers, attendants and escorts. Messages are currently hidden in wider school agendas and the dangers of bullying on route to and from school are not clear. Neither is the likely punishment for bullying or other forms of bad behaviour on board. There may also be a need for greater clarification regarding responsibilities for challenging bullying that occurs outwith school grounds.

3.7.3 Misunderstandings regarding responsibilities for different parts of the school journey appear to be leaving gaps in coverage among schools, operators and parents. We believe that responsibilities need to be made more explicit to parents. For example, rather than just issuing a code of conduct, authorities should get the parents to sign up to it to ensure that they have read it.

3.7.4 In the past, many schools have been reluctant to take ownership of school transport issues; however, this appears to be changing with growing emphasis on their duty of care towards young people and the competition from other schools that has resulted from parents having more choice in decisions about where they send their children to school.