Home to school transport from 8 March

With the full re-opening of schools from Monday, 8 March, 2021 all home to school transport arrangements will revert to their pre-lockdown arrangements, as they were at the end of term in December 2020.

This means that:

If your child has not attended since December
They have been attending but travelling on a different school run this term, they will return to their December 2020 arrangement, unless you have been advised otherwise

If any of the below apply please let the education transport team know by emailing schooltransport@nelincs.gov.uk or phoning 01472 326291 (option 2). Please leave a message if necessary.

Your child will not be returning to school from 8 March 2021
Your child will be returning to school but you wish to make your own transport arrangements and claim expenses (mileage only)
You have been making your own transport arrangements this term and wish to carry on

Important information

Taking children’s temperature and Covid-19 symptoms

It is not the responsibility of education transport providers or staff to take children’s temperatures before getting on the transport. Parents/carers must ensure that children or young people do not board home to school transport if they, or a member of their household, has symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) or has tested positive for coronavirus. They must isolate for the required period and not attend or travel to school until completion of the isolation period.

School bubbles

Where a person in a child’s class/bubble test positive, all members of that child’s class/school bubble will be required to isolate for the required number of days in accordance with school/Government guidelines.

If a child or young person develops symptoms whilst at school or their place of education, they will be sent home. They must not travel on home to school transport. The school or place of education should contact the parent or carer who should make arrangements for the child or young person’s journey home.

The feasibility of transporting children within their class/school bubble was investigated during the early stages of the first lockdown period (March 2020) but it was determined and agreed that logistically this would not be possible even for the very small numbers that were travelling at the time.

Subsequent advice from Public Health and Government guidance deemed that as dedicated home to school transport arrangements carry the same group of children or young people on a regular basis, they do not mix with the general public on those journeys, which helps limit the number of other people with whom they come into contact and in effect therefore the children are within their own transport bubble on the journeys to/from school.