School transport is a statutory service for children who are entitled to transport to and from school, by law. This is because of the distance they live from the school in their catchment area, or because they would be unable to access education otherwise, due to disability or other specific needs.

In some authorities a designated school transport department delivers the service. In others, the service is maintained by a transport department, which looks after all areas of the authority’s transport services, including public transport, social services, and youth and community transport.

Vehicles and their drivers are normally contracted from private bus/coach operators, though some local authorities run small fleets of buses.

School transport officers play a crucial role in ensuring the delivery of a safe, efficient transport service for school children.

Work Environment

School transport officers work in a team. Generally their work is either focused on pupils in mainstream schools or those who have additional educational needs. In larger authorities, officers may cover a designated area of the authority as field officers. School transport officers are usually office based, but field officers may spend up to two days a week out of the office.

Most work a flexi-time system based around 37 hours a week, 7.45 - 5.30pm. However, in some (mostly rural) authorities, when working in the field, officers may travel for up to 90 minutes to reach their area.

Daily Activities

School transport officers carry out a wide range of duties. These may differ from council to council, but will include some or all of the following:

• Forward planning - at the beginning of the transport ’season’ (February to May), officers sift through thousands of applications to ensure applicants are entitled to the service. By the end of this process they have a rough idea of the numbers involved and the network of routes they need to put in place. Applications continue to arrive through July and August by which time they finalize the routes ready for the school term in September.
• Daily tasks - to ensure that a suitable, reliable transport network operates safely and efficiently, officers deal with the day-to-day work of arranging transport for new applicants or children who move, or whose needs change. This involves making alterations to existing routes or setting up new routes as necessary or arranging public service tickets or petrol allowances. They also may need to find cover for vehicle breakdowns, deal with incidents and complaints, and very occasionally, deal with accidents - making sure everyone is safe and accounted for.
• Working ‘in the field’ can involve visits to schools, vehicle operators’ depots, riding on school buses, dealing with parents at school open evenings, and liaising with various other authorities - for example, the police, social services and the health authority.
• Administrative duties - officers develop publicity materials related to school transport, they identify sources of funding, research and submit bids for financial support from external sources, and monitor the effectiveness of new initiatives.

Beyond these tasks, officers deal with correspondence by email and post, spend a good deal of their time on the telephone, and attend meetings as required. Officers liaise with a wide range of people, including: children, parents, teachers, transport contractors, social workers and councillors.

Skills & Interests

School transport officers need to be:

• good communicators with excellent written and verbal skills
• approachable, persuasive individuals, able to negotiate with people from a wide range of backgrounds
• mature in attitude, with commitment and enthusiasm for the work
• well organised with strong administrative/planning skills and the ability to use computers.

A driving license is normally required.

Entry Requirements

No particular academic qualifications are specified. However, officers are expected to have a good educational background, for example, at least four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3). New entrants are from a wide range of backgrounds. Some hold HNC/HND awards or are graduates (various disciplines).

• Entry to an HNC/HND is normally with four GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), plus one A level/two highers or equivalent.
• Entry to a degree course is normally with five GCSEs/S grades (A-C/1-3), with two A levels/three highers, or equivalent.
• Others hold relevant qualifications/experience in secretarial, administrative or management posts.

School transport officers can work towards relevant NVQs/SVQs. These include:

• Management, level 3 and 4 - provided under a Management Learning Contract supervised by Transfed.
• Transport Technical Support, level 3.
• Transport Planning, levels 4 and 5.
• Road Safety, levels 3 and 4 - provided by the Institution of Highways and Transportation.

Degree courses in transport subjects are available at the following centres (check prospectuses to make sure the course content is relevant to your career choice). Aston University, Liverpool John Moores University, Napier University, Swansea Institute, University of Loughborough, University of Plymouth and University of Ulster.

Estimated salary range

£17,220 - £20,364

Please note that salary information is a guide only and there may be local agreements in place. For further information about salaries for particular positions, please contact your local council directly.

Future prospects & opportunities

With experience, school transport officers can progress to more senior management roles. They may also work in other local authority or private sector transport sections, for example, dealing with hospital or public transport. Alternatively they may use their skills and experience in other council departments, for example, education, social services, highways, environment or planning.

Related Occupations