School return at risk over lack of school buses
Ministers have privately warned of a shortage of 6,000 public buses needed to get children to school in England.
With some students returning to the classroom in the next few weeks for the autumn term, ministers have urged coach companies to fill the gap.
Low passenger numbers during the pandemic have led some bus companies, particularly in rural areas, to reduce services, while social distancing requirements on public transport mean that there will be lower capacity on such services.
Fears that many of the 750,000 children who travel to school by public buses will not be able to make it to classrooms were raised at a meeting chaired by Transport Minister Charlotte Vere.
According to the Confederation of Passenger Transport, there are enough coaches in the UK to deal with demand, but nobody knows where shortages might hit. Councils are putting on extra children-only public buses, but admit that might not be enough and are adopting a wait-and-see approach.
Read moreLatest News
29/04/2026 - 10:03
A study from the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), conducted by the UCL Institute for Education, examined the impact of student grouping in maths.
28/04/2026 - 09:56
A new survey by the British Council has revealed that more than two thirds (67%) of primary school age children say they would like to spend more time at school learning a language.
28/04/2026 - 09:38
A survey by school leaders’ union NAHT has found that 51% of its members had buildings or areas that were out of use or not fit for purpose.
27/04/2026 - 09:45
Forty-four per cent of education professionals are unfamiliar with the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, otherwise known as Martyn’s Law, according to new research.
24/04/2026 - 12:32
A survey by Save My Exams has found that 40% of students are regularly disrupted by noise at home.
