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  3. / How to start a Walking School Bus

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How to start a Walking School Bus

A Walking School Bus is a school bus powered not by an engine but by legs. Children don’t sit inside this ‘bus’ – they walk in a group to school, with an adult ‘driver’ in the front and an adult ‘conductor’ at the rear. The walkers are the bus. At the bottom of this page are links to download the WSB participation certificate, participation pledge and a parent interest survey. 

This is how the bus works:

  • The bus travels along a set route to or from school, picking up or dropping off children along the way at designated ‘bus stops’. Bus stops can be meeting points along the route or each child’s front gate.
  • The service is free. All primary school age children are welcome to join the bus, even if their parents aren’t able to be drivers.
  • The size of the bus depends on the number of accompanying adults: 8–12 children with two adults is common. There are a maximum of 10 children for every adult on each bus.
  • The bus can go as seldom or as often as volunteers want to ‘drive’ it and parents and children want to use it. Volunteers agree on a schedule/timetable.
  • The bus operates rain, hail or shine. Volunteers make decisions about cancelling the bus in adverse weather conditions.
  • Safety on the bus is of high importance. The route therefore is thoroughly checked for traffic hazards, and children and adults often wear bright vests to be easily seen.
  • The Walking School Bus travels the safest and most convenient route for its passengers. Routes can vary in length but are usually a maximum of 30 minutes or around 2km. You can use the 'Map Safe Routes to School' activity to help choose the route.

The benefits of a walking school bus

A Walking School Bus doesn’t just benefit children or schools. It has benefits for the wider community as well. A Walking School Bus offers positive and healthy travel choices to our children and builds the skills, health and experiences of people in our community.

Legal stuff

The Department of Transport does not provide personal liability insurance for any teacher, parent or other volunteer participating in a Walking School Bus. Such persons are advised to consult their own insurer to determine if their existing insurance policies provide coverage for participating in a Walking School Bus and, if not, consider whether to obtain a policy of insurance covering their participation in a Walking School Bus.

Downloads and links:

Walking School Bus - How to get started guide

Summary:

The Walking School Bus is a fun way for local children to walk to school together regularly - thanks to adult volunteers, usually parents, who take turns to walk with the group.

It’s great for social time, exercise, community connections, road safety awareness, building kids towards their independence and perfect for busy parents that struggle to find the time to walk every day.

Download this how to guide for more information.


Download
Walking School Bus - Parent interest survey

Summary:

Use this form to send out to parents to seek volunteers to help run a Walking School Bus. A volunteer can be a parent, grandparent, aunty, uncle or a community member interested in helping children get to school.  

This is an interactive PDF, so you can send it out electronically and parents can simply fill it out using Adobe Acrobat or Apple preview, then email it back.


Download
Walking School Bus - Participation pledge form

Summary:

Send this interactive form out to parents to gain their pledge and their children's pledge to participate in the Walking school Bus.


Download
Walking School Bus certificate

Summary:

Reward the students, parents and volunteers that take part in such an important activity with their very own certificate!

This is an interactive form, so it's easy to fill out, then you can print it out (but the blue fields dont show up).



Download
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