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Concern over sudden end to rural school's bus service

Luke SprouleNorth east reporter, BBC News NI
BBC Leanne Smyth, a woman with shoulder-length, straight blonde hair, stands in a classroom smiling at the camera. She is wearing a navy t-shirt and a lanyard with a green strap. There is a colourful educational poster on the wall beside her featuring images of large pencil tops with punctuation marks. There is a rainbow-coloured blind on the window behind her. BBC
Principal Leanne Smyth said her heart goes out to the parents and children affected

The principal of a rural primary school has said some parents are wondering how to get their children to school after its bus service was withdrawn just days before the new term started.

The Education Authority (EA) said it had replaced the bus with a taxi after it determined only six children from Dunseverick Primary School needed home-to-school transport.

But principal Leanne Smyth said the figures did not take into account children starting the school for the new academic year who needed the service - meaning the true figure was much higher.

The EA said if demand increased, it would "review transport options to ensure arrangements continue to meet the needs of eligible pupils".

Smyth said she was particularly frustrated that she was only told about the change days before term started.

"My heart goes out to the parents who are now in a situation where they can't even tell their children who is taking them to school," she said.

"I'm really, really anxious and really concerned, a lot of people pick our school because they have the yellow bus service to bring them to and from school."

The principal said she felt let down by the lack of communication from the EA.

She said she first heard the news from the bus driver and was only contacted by the EA on Thursday.

"Our closest town is Bushmills, about six miles away, we have quite a wide catchment area and a lot of our parents are working parents," she said.

"There's no safe route for the children if they had to walk."

Smyth said the EA had not taken into account children who were starting this year and had not yet officially applied for transport.

She said delaying an application was common as parents often did not want children in reception or Primary 1 to get the bus until they had settled into school and said the EA would have had a better idea of the figures if it had contacted her directly.

'Responsibility to ensure value for money'

Two yellow and white Education Authority buses parked at a depot.
The school's bus service is being replaced by a taxi

An EA spokesperson said school transport routes were reviewed every year in relation to the demand from pupils and the cost of the services.

"There are currently six eligible pupils confirmed for this route, with one outstanding application (received 26 August) still to be processed," it said.

"EA has responsibility to ensure value for money access across all services and therefore tendered for an eight-seater vehicle for this route."

As well as committing to review provision if demand increased, the EA also addressed complaints over the timing of the change.

It said it had encouraged primary school parents "to apply for transport assistance in advance of the new school year" in its regular communications.

"Parents/carers of new P1 pupils had their places confirmed on 23 March 2026 and were able to apply for transport assistance shortly after that date," it added.

Rural road safety concerns

Lauren Pearson, a woman with grey hair tied back from her face, smiles at the camera while standing in a classroom. She is wearing dark-framed glasses and a multicoloured fleece jacket. There is a an educational poster on the wall beside her featuring a tree labelled with different mathematical terms.
Lauren Pearson said getting the school bus should be a "rite of passage" for her daughter

Lauren Pearson, whose daughter Thea started P1 this week, said she was "really disappointed" to find out the bus was being replaced by a taxi.

It means there is now no space for her daughter.

"My daughter was really looking forward to it, it's a bit of a rite of passage," she said.

"There's no option to walk, we don't have the footpaths and the roads are just too remote.

"I work for myself, so it means I'm going to have to add in the additional time.

"It's just really sad".

Smyth said that in any given year there was an average of about 10-15 children who would use home-to-school transport but claimed this had not been taken into account by the EA.

'No warning, no discussion'

Cherith McConaghy, a woman with fair hair tied back from her face, smiles at the camera while sitting in a classroom, She is wearing an olive green short sleeved top and a gold necklace.
Cherith McConaghy said the roads in the area are too dangerous for children to walk to school

Cherith McConaghy's son Caleb already attends the school and her daughter Faith is due to start reception in November.

There is now no space for her to travel to school on EA transport.

"We only found out at short notice that the bus had been pulled, there was no warning, no discussion or anything," she said.

"It's just really frustrating and annoying.

"I think it's very fortunate for people that live close to a school or in a city and can walk to school, but we are rural, it's not safe, it's very busy coastal roads.

"Even if my children were in P7 and we lived within a mile I still wouldn't let them walk on the roads.

"I feel rural schools are just being overlooked."