Pupil Conduct Guidelines
When children travel to school on school transport, they are expected to adopt an acceptable standard of conduct. Conduct on school buses is the responsibility of the individual pupils and their parents.
Occasionally, pupil's actions on the school bus can cause detriment to other pupils and can compromise the safety of those pupils travelling. In this case, the council will take action in terms of this procedure to prevent further detriment to others travelling and to ensure safety.
Transport providers may also take action independent of this procedure in response to criminal damage to their property or violent incidents against their staff, which may involve a report to the police.
A three-stage procedure is adopted as follows:
Stage one
A pupil identified as causing detriment to other pupils travelling will receive a warning letter from the school's senior management team, and he or she may have their pass withdrawn for a period not exceeding one week. The school's management team or the Public Transport Unit will assess the circumstances of any incident when determining if a short ban is warranted under stage one.
Stage two
A pupil identified as causing detriment to other pupils travelling a second time, and following a warning letter in stage one, may have his or her bus pass withdrawn for a period not exceeding four weeks. The length of any travel ban will depend on the nature and circumstances of the incident and will be determined by West Lothian Council's Senior Transport Officer following consultation with the school's senior management team.
Stage three
A pupil identified as causing detriment to other pupils travelling a third time, irrespective of the nature and circumstances of the incident, may have his or her bus pass withdrawn for a period exceeding four weeks or for the remainder of the school term, whichever is the greater. The council's Senior Transport Officer will determine the length of the ban following consultation with the school's senior management team. If the safety of other pupils or road users is seriously compromised, a pupil may have his or her bus pass permanently withdrawn. In these circumstances a ban may be invoked without reference to the three-stage procedure. The council's Senior Transport Officer, in consultation with the school's senior management team, will determine the length of a travel ban.
