everything curriculum | September 2019


Working in partnership


Is technology the solution?


The principal challenge of the safeguarding of students on board school buses comes from the remote nature of their operation. Generally staffed only by one driver, the adult: pupil ratio on most school buses far exceeds that observed anywhere else in the education sector. There is a strong moral and common sense argument that the driver can play no part in monitoring or managing passenger behaviour, and thus school buses are, in effect, unstaffed. New technology allows office–based staff at schools, local authorities and bus operators to monitor vehicle locations in real time, and also see as each individual student boards and alights from every vehicle. The same information can be made available on an individual basis to parents, allowing them to monitor their child’s journey to and from school.


On a day–to–day basis, this technology is invaluable when faced with a bus that has not turned up. At present, one can only phone the bus operator and, assuming that the phone is answered, the typical response is something along the lines of “It’s 10 minutes away, it will be with you soon”. With new tracking technology, no operator interaction is required, and instant location updates are available; Uber–style mapping allows you to watch your bus move towards you.


As useful as that functionality is however, it is when an incident occurs that the app really comes into its own. Instant knowledge of who has boarded and alighted from a specific coach route allows for much better management of myriad incidents. By identifying which students were on the vehicle at the relevant time, schools can quickly pinpoint the likely whereabouts of a missing pupil, identify potential culprits and victims of bullying, and know which parents need to receive that phone call following a serious road traffic collision – helping to at least ensure that information is delivered accurately, and distress is not caused unnecessarily.


How can YPO help your school?


YPO is delighted to launch a suite of technology to deliver all of the above benefits to schools, parents and pupils, including our very first app. We’re now offering schools the opportunity to gain real time visibility over their entire school transport network, enhancing the safeguarding of their pupils on the journey to and from school.


Provided in partnership with specialist school transport technology firm Vectare, schools gain access to a parent app, driver app and school transport website,


including a journey planner, online booking system and powerful analytics and reporting tools. The system integrates with CAPITA SIMS, for easy parent and pupil verification, and includes RFID technology to enable easy registration of pupils as they get on and off their bus.


The parent app, accessible only via a secure login, allows parents to track their child’s bus in real time, and get alert messages when their child boards or alights, and in the event of disruption. The driver app, which is also password protected, allows drivers to register pupils electronically, and also functions as a revenue protection device, enabling the logging of additional passengers who are not booked to travel. These two apps connect in real time via an extensive database system, giving parents, schools and transport operators instant and total visibility over their home to school transport arrangements.


Reduced administration, enhanced customer service and a significant improvement in safeguarding of school bus passengers – get the YPO school transport app today to unlock all of these benefits.


To find out more contact the YPO team on fleet@ypo.co.uk


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