Minibus Driver

**About The Role**:
Dorset Studio School is a land based school, operating over two sites on the Kingston Maurward Estate and Poundbury.

We are looking for a flexible, friendly and courteous minibus driver to drive our school minibus, transporting students to work experience from our Poundbury Site to Kingston Maurward college three afternoons a week. There sill also be other opportunities for additional hours driving pupils and staff to various curricular events happening externally across the academic year. We expect our minibus driver to transport pupils in a safe, proper and timely manner to school ensuring their welfare is paramount at all times.

**Key Accountabilities**
- To ensure all children are escorted and delivered safely to school on time in line with all Health & Safety and Safeguarding policies and procedures.
- To drive the school mini-bus with utmost care and attention at all times in line with the requirements of the Highway Code.
- To ensure all children are secured safely and seated in line with the law before the vehicle moves.
- To understand your responsibility for safeguarding the well-being of the children who are passengers on the service.
- To be thoroughly reliable and punctual at all times and to use initiative and communicate clearly with the school if traffic problems prevent punctuality
- To ensure a daily safety inspection is made of the vehicle before use Essential Requirements for the Role:

- Current holder of a valid clean driving licence (you do not require category D1)
- At least 2 years' driving experience due to insurance requirements
- Able to demonstrate the ability to interact appropriately with young children and able to adjust communication style
- 'Outstanding Customer service' skills - pleasant and co-operative at all times
- Be able to uphold all health and safety and safeguarding procedures at all times Be courteous, caring and cheerful with our young passengers

**Further Information**:
The pro rata salary shown is based on the number of hours and weeks worked and includes appropriate paid annual leave and bank holiday entitlements.

The salary quoted is the annual salary for the position at the time of advert. The salary will be paid in equal monthly instalments and will be adjusted at the start of employment and again if leaving part way through the school year to ensure the correct salary is received for the work completed in an academic year.

This role is UK based and your Right to Work will need to be established as part of the appointment process.

**About Us**:
The Dorset Studio School is a thriving 11-16 secondary school situated within the superb facilities and exceptional teaching environment of the Kingston Maurward estate. Our reputation for knowing and supporting students is second to none.

We have recently opened a second, KS4 site on the beautiful Poundbury development within the county town of Dorchester. We are a relatively young school, uniquely placed to offer a ‘twenty first century’ education to those young people wishing to pursue employment in the Land Based, or indeed other sectors.

Our students may typically aspire to careers related to Equine, Veterinary Science, Environmental Science, Agriculture or Travel for example; though in practice may progress on to a host of other Level 3 pathways or careers. Recognised by OFSTED as a ‘Good’ school in September 2017, the report noted that our ‘teachers motivate pupils to learn by giving them interesting lessons and providing the right support when they need it.’ We ‘set ambitious targets and expectations for our students’ with, ‘the most able pupils achieving well.’ The school’s ‘work to promote personal development and welfare is outstanding.’

All students at our school follow a demanding academic curriculum with the majority working towards nine GCSE qualifications. This is complemented with an incrementally phased work experience commitment allowing the students to develop both the soft and technical employability skills that they will need to be able to flourish in a competitive market. Our staff is extremely dedicated, caring, professional and innovative; committed to ensuring excellence for our students.

Studio Schools champion academic excellence alongside the development of a student employability profile. Our learners leave us with an impressive blend of skills and knowledge, perhaps evidenced by destinations and employment rates significantly above national averages for other schools.