Penketh High School cuts firm's bus routes in favour of rival over punctuality issues

Fairbrothers' Pound 2 Town service has been transporting pupils to and from the school, on Heath Road, for around 15 years but head teacher Ben Dunne has introduced major changes this term.

Springfield will now provide three routes for students – these being the only ones agreed with a commercial provider.

Penketh's website says each of the routes will begin and end safely in the school lay-by directly outside school grounds.

It is 'advising' pupils to only use Springfield despite the other routes run by 'different providers' at the site.

Mr Dunne met with David Fairbrother, who runs the Pound 2 Town service, in June to inform him of the school's intentions following concerns from Ofsted.

He said: "My primary duty on behalf of all my pupils and their parents is to ensure that every child in this school is safe, happy and achieves well.

"It is not acceptable in my view for any child to miss school, be left standing at a bus stop or be late to school because of competition between different bus providers on the same route.

"My understanding is that this situation initially arose following the deregulation of the bus routes some years back.

"Last year too many pupils at the school were late or absent because of this situation – Ofsted quite rightly have also raised this as an issue and we are actively addressing it as a school, something my parents would quite rightly expect.

"I refuse to accept a situation that I am told I can do nothing about."

Following the meeting he believes staff at Fairbrothers were given 'ample time' to deregister routes and prepare for the loss of business.

But Mr Fairbrother has hit out at the head teacher, who has been in the role since 2013, and accused him of speaking to him 'like a child' during discussions.

"The changes are very bizarre and I just can't understand why he has done it," he said.

"We have been here doing routes here for 15 years but never had a problem.

"There are now concerns over health and safety – all we want is to find the safest way to drop off and pick up pupils.

"Neither company will make money by both of us being here.

"We get hit by traffic sometimes but that is something which affects everyone and we can't do anything about it."

Fairbrothers attended the school in the past week but Mr Dunne believes drivers may have been parking illegally on private property.

He also confirmed there has been no change in the £1 fare and stressed this will remain the same.

"I do remain unapologetic about recognising that children only get one chance and a single day missed at school beyond a families' control is one day too many," added Mr Dunne.