Safety audit means school bus ‘chaperones’ will stay until February

The ‘chaperones’ on buses to primary schools will be kept on until a health and safety audit is carried out.

Children at Ferncumbe Primary School in Hatton last week wrote to Warwickshire County Council to protest about its plans to axe the service as part of cuts.

Speaking at the authority’s meeting on Tuesday, Cllr John Whitehouse (Lib Dem, Kenilworth Abbey) said there were still “very major” worries about whether school buses would lose supervision.

Council leader Cllr Alan Farnell (Con, Nuneaton Weddington) said the authority was reconsidering decisions regarding two schools.

Cllr Heather Timms (Con, Earl Craven), who is responsible for schools policy, said a health a safety audit was being carried out by a director in the Children’s Service department, and that the chaperones would continue until February half-term 2012.