Safe school bus behaviour resources

The Step Up Leadership  Project: Your Behaviour, Our Reputation is an education resource that encourages leadership skills in junior high school students while also teaching the importance of appropriate bus behaviour to ensure a safe journey for students, other passengers and the bus driver.

The program has supporting resources including a video available for teachers to download and use in the classroom. The program is targeted at junior high school students in Years 7–9.

School participation in the program is voluntary.

Step Up Leadership Project: Your Behaviour, Our Reputation resources

The leadership project includes 10 lessons available for use in the classroom, as well as other supporting resources for teachers to use such as a video, posters and activity sheets.

High school students who participated in the pilot program created an educational video Step Up: Your Behaviour, Our Reputation which addresses bus behaviour issues. The video demonstrates positive behaviour on buses and is part of the teachers’ education resources.

Key lesson themes

The leadership project focuses on:

  • leadership skills among junior high school students
  • students ‘stepping up’ and  taking responsibility for their actions
  • the slogan Step Up: Your Behaviour, Our Reputation
  • responsible bus travel behaviour
  • the importance of safe travel
  • supporting students to develop a school based action plan to promote positive behaviour and student leadership.

Resources to download

You can  download the Step Up Leadership Project: Your Behaviour,  Our Reputation resource in the following formats:

Both formats include the following resources for the classroom:

  • Lesson plans 1–10
  • Promotional materials  including posters
  • Teacher notes
  • Activity sheets for students.

A video is available to download below, however please note that it must be shown in conjunction with using the other resources  in order to deliver an effective teaching message.

Download: FLV, 54MB | MP4, 44MB | WebM, 34MB| MP4 (with audio description), 44MB

Headlines and news articles are displayed which show examples of negative behaviour on school buses.

A student on a school bus sits quietly while observing students, yelling, fighting, pushing and moving around the bus in an unsafe way.

The bus driver looks back at the students—he is angry and upset at the behaviour on the bus.

The student holds up a sign that says Step Up For Positive Behaviour. Students notice the sign and begin to settle down.

Other students hold up signs including advice such as:

  • Step up—respect the rules
  • Step up —for the safety of others
  • Step up—for a safe journey home
  • Step up—for your safety
  • Step up—show your manners
  • Step up—show respect
  • Step up—show leadership
  • Step up—for our friends
  • Step up—for our generation
  • Step up—for our future
  • Step up—for your rights.

The rest of the ride continues quietly and safely.

Safe Travel of School Students pilot program

The Safe Travel of School Students pilot program was conducted during terms 1 to 3 in 2013.  The design of the pilot program was to educate students about safe bus behaviour and reduce school students’ inappropriate behaviour when travelling on buses.

Junior high school students from 5 high schools on the Gold Coast participated in the pilot program. Principals,  teachers and students from these schools were involved in the development of the video and the accompanying leadership project resource.

The program was supported through activities such as:

  • messages in forums, posters and school magazines
  • presentations at school assemblies
  • leadership day for junior secondary students
  • education for bus drivers on the code of conduct for students
  • on-board bus spot checks of student tickets/travel passes
  • school programs and correspondence.

The Department of Education and Department of Transport and Main Roads worked together during the pilot program.