ATL endorses the Code and recommends that all schools and colleges follow it and make a copy available to staff. Any member who drives a minibus or is asked to do so should read the Code.

Driving a minibus should always be a voluntary activity, unless minibus driving is noted as a specific requirement in the advertisement for a post. 

In addition, no teacher/lecturer should drive a minibus unless trained to do so. If the school or college does not have access to a training course, RoSPA runs training courses in centres throughout the country. 

A teacher/lecturer should never drive a minibus when s/he feels too tired or unwell to do so safely – the safety of passengers and other road users is paramount. ATL would regard it as unreasonable for a teacher/lecturer who said s/he was too tired to drive a minibus safely to be instructed to do so, and would defend that teacher/lecturer vigorously if s/he were to refuse. 

A minibus driver should never be expected to drive and ensure passengers remain wellbehaved and strapped into their seats throughout the journey at the same time. At least one other adult should be on board, unless the journey is very short indeed. Ideally, the other adult should be also a trained minibus driver. 

ATL recommends that there should always be two competent drivers in a minibus for anything other than a very short journey. 

Also, it should become normal practice for drivers to have a mobile telephone for use in emergencies. 

ATL will support any member who refuses to drive or accompany a minibus which breaches legal or best practice requirements. 

Teacher/lecturers who wish to volunteer to drive school/college minibuses should be aware that they are required to pass an additional test and to comply with new health standards if they passed their motor vehicle driving test after 1 January 1997. 

This is the result of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Licences) Regulations 1996, which apply to those who drive:

• minibuses with nine to 16 passenger seats
• medium-sized vehicles or minibuses with trailers heavier than 750 kg. These Regulations also specify that those applying for licences to drive minibuses and medium-sized vehicles must have eyesight tests. For more information about licences and tests, contact The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on 0870 240 0009, e-mail drivers.dvla@gtnet.gov.uk or refer to the Driving a minibus leaflet, available from the DVLA website.       

Minibus safety: a code of practice  (RS GEN 146), published by RoSPA, is available from the RoSPA website. Alternatively, call 0121 248 2000. 

Help and advice

For more detailed advice, please refer to ATL's publication Taking students off-site.

For individual queries, please contact ATL's London office, e-mail the helpdesk, or contact your branch secretary. You may also wish to call the out-of-office-hours helpline.

If you need confidential support and advice, don't forget you can also call ATL's stress, crisis or legal helplines.