21 October 2025
Schuman Hall, Europa School UK

Committee Members Present:

Marianne Bergeron (Communications Officer)
Claudia Spadoni (Treasurer)
Bota Godwin (Secretary)

Committee Helper:

Waldemar Schlackow

Guest Speakers:
Lynn Wood (Europa School UK)
Jon Alcantara (Culham Bus Club)

Members / Unique users:

47 families:  4 (3 kids), 28 (2 kids), 15 (1 kid)

Quorum Confirmed (5% of full-time equivalent users present plus two other officers [there was no chairperson in the committee anymore])

---

2024 AGM Minutes Confirmed and Approved as Accurate (No objections)

---

Treasurer’s Report:

Claudia presented the financial report, highlighting:

• Bus costs from Charlton increased by 25% compared to previous year
• £10,000 released from reserves to subsidize increased costs
• BLOC operated at a deficit this year
• Additional expenses included Vectare system setup costs (approximately £3,000)
• Further subsidies required for autumn term to keep costs manageable
• Current financial model is not sustainable without reducing costs, increasing contributions, or finding alternative providers

Financial Report Approved (No objections)

---

Background on Current Situation:

Waldemar provided comprehensive overview of challenges with Charlton Services:

Historical Context:

• BLOC worked with Charlton for many years under Penny’s management
• 2024 transition when Penny scaled down led to deteriorating service quality
• Bus capacity reduced, affecting route planning and member access, bus 14 didn’t run over 60 times

Current Year Issues (2024-2025):

• Multiple missed bus services leaving children stranded
• Buses arriving 30+ minutes late without adequate notice
• Poor communication regarding delays and cancellations
• Inconsistent use of Vectare app for tracking

Safeguarding Concerns:

• Children dropped at incorrect stops, left unsupervised
• Children left on buses unattended
• Lack of proper registration and tracking
• Drivers not following agreed routes or procedures

Survey Results:

• Significant majority dissatisfied with Charlton Services
• Strong support for moving at least one route to alternative provider
• Members willing to consider higher costs if service quality improved

Committee has been in ongoing negotiations with Charlton with mixed results.

---

School View (Lynn Wood):

Lynn Wood addressed the meeting on behalf of Europa School UK:

Appreciation:

• Expressed gratitude for vital service BLOC and CBC provide
• Acknowledged many families depend on these services
• Recognized volunteer efforts of committee members

School’s Role:

• School provides supervision for bus arrivals/departures
• School staff address behavioral issues when reported
• Committed to working collaboratively with bus clubs for student safety
• Emphasized importance of clear communication channels

Succession Planning and Merger Support:

• Noted long-serving volunteers have children approaching graduation
• Expressed concern about continuity if volunteer committees cannot be sustained
• Strongly supported proposed merger into Europa School Bus Club (ESBC)
• School would take more active role by appointing transport managers
• Unified structure would provide better resilience and professional management

Lynn concluded by reiterating the school’s commitment to supporting the structure that best serves families and ensures safe, reliable transport.

---

Service Provider: Possible Ways Forward:

Committee outlined three options:

Option 1: Continue with Charlton Services

• Pros: Established relationship, familiar routes, potentially lower costs
• Cons: Ongoing reliability and safeguarding concerns, poor communication
• Would require: Strict adherence to new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with clear performance standards

Option 2: Transition One or More Routes to Alternative Providers

• Pros: Improved reliability, better safeguarding, professional service standards
• Cons: Likely slight cost increase, transition logistics
• Would require: Careful route planning and phased implementation

Option 3: 3 routes Transition to New Provider(s)

• Pros: Consistent service across all routes, unified management, fresh start
• Cons: Cost increase, managing 2 providers 
• Would require: Substantial planning and financial reserves

Option 4: Full routes Transition to New Provider(s)

• Pros: Consistent service across all routes, unified management, fresh start
• Cons: Significant cost increase (36%), major operational change, transition risk
• Would require: Substantial planning and financial reserves

Vectare Managed Service:

Committee presented Vectare Tech+ managed service as key component:

• Handles day-to-day operations including registration, booking, billing, communications
• Real-time bus tracking and digital ticketing via mobile app
• Live pupil registration with automatic alerts
• Dedicated parent support hotline (06:00-22:00 daily): 0115 777 3035
• Incident and disruption handling, including alternative transport coordination
• Route planning, optimization, and operator liaison
• Enhanced safeguarding through secure travel records

Vectare managed service essential for proposed ESBC structure and would significantly reduce volunteer burden.

---

Q&A and Discussion:

Extended discussion allowed members to raise questions:

Financial implications of switching providers?
Alternative providers typically charge 35-40% more than Charlton. However, improved reliability may reduce hidden costs. Committee exploring options to minimize increases.

How will safeguarding be improved?
Vectare system provides real-time tracking and registration. Proposed MoU includes strict safeguarding requirements, mandatory DBS checks, and immediate incident reporting.

What if Charlton improves?
The Committee remains open to working with Charlton if they demonstrate consistent adherence to service standards. Performance will be monitored closely.

Why merge BLOC and CBC?
Unified structure provides better resilience, professional management through Vectare, school involvement in governance, and ensures continuity as volunteer committees face succession challenges.

Will the merger happen immediately?
Members will vote on three options: immediate merger (January 2026), deferred merger (when the operations are stable), or no merger. Committee recommends deferred approach.

Communication improvements?
Vectare app provides instant notifications. The MoU requires providers to report delays >10 minutes immediately and use WhatsApp announcement groups for direct parent updates.

Route changes going forward?
Proposed constitutional changes streamline the process while maintaining member consultation. Major changes affecting multiple routes still require member input, but the committee can make operational decisions more efficiently.

Members expressed general support for proposed changes while emphasizing importance of maintaining service quality and keeping costs manageable.

---

Europa School Bus Club (ESBC):

Committee presented proposal to establish ESBC as unified organisation:

Background and Rationale:

• BLOC operated successfully for 30+ years; CBC since 2012
• Both clubs face similar challenges: volunteer succession, operational complexity, provider management
• Unified structure would provide better resilience and sustainability

ESBC Structure:

• Single organization overseeing all Europa School transport routes
• School-appointed transport managers (volunteers) to oversee operations
• Professional operational management through Vectare managed service
• Unified booking, payment, and communication systems
• Greater school involvement in transport provision and decision-making

Transition Plan – Three Voting Options:

Option 1: Immediate merger into ESBC from January 2026

Option 2: Deferred merger, after transitional BLOC committee deems operations sufficiently stable. BLOC continues operating under the current structure. The committee works to stabilize service provision. Merger proceeds when the committee determines operations reliable. If the merger does not occur before next school year, a normal AGM will be held.

Option 3: No merger at this time

BLOC Dormancy and Dissolution:

Once ESBC launched (if approved):

• BLOC enters dormant state following committee enactment
• If not reactivated within 3 years of dormancy, automatically dissolves
• All remaining BLOC funds transfer to ESBC
• Transferred funds invested in savings account and ringfenced as emergency reserve for transport continuity

Benefits of ESBC:

• Simplified administration and improved communication
• Professional operational support reducing volunteer burden
• Enhanced technology for booking, payments, tracking, and safeguarding
• Greater resilience during disruptions
• School involvement ensuring alignment with educational mission
• Long-term sustainability beyond individual volunteer tenures

---

Merged Bus Club CBC Case (Jon Alcantara):

Jon Alcantara presented CBC history and perspective:

CBC History:

• Established 2012 to serve families south of Europa School
• Initially operated independently
• Grown to serve significant portion of school community

2023 Crisis: Heyfordian Bus Company Collapse:

• Sudden loss of bus service left many families without transport
• Emergency scramble to find alternative providers
• Highlighted vulnerability of fragmented bus club structures
• Demonstrated need for better contingency planning and resilience

Advocacy for Whole School System:

• Decisions should benefit entire school community, not just individual routes or clubs
• Fragmented structures can lead to unintended consequences affecting other routes
• Whole-school system provides better coordination and crisis management
• Unified governance ensures equitable treatment and shared resources

CBC Support for ESBC:

• CBC supportive of ESBC merger proposal
• Believes unified structure will prevent future crises like 2023 Hefordian collapse
• Emphasizes importance of school involvement in transport governance
• Committed to working collaboratively with BLOC during transition

Jon concluded by emphasizing transport is essential infrastructure for the school community and should be managed with the same care and professionalism as other critical services.

---

Discussion:

Following Jon’s presentation, members engaged in further discussion:

Concern: Loss of BLOC identity and autonomy
Response: ESBC would preserve legacy and values of both BLOC and CBC while providing better structure. Former BLOC members would have representation in ESBC governance.

Concern: Timing of merger given current instability
Response: This is why Option 2 (deferred merger) is recommended. Stability should be achieved before transitioning to ESBC.

Concern: Financial implications and cost sharing between BLOC and CBC routes
Response: ESBC would maintain the founding principle of equal contributions across all routes. Cost sharing would be equitable.

Concern: School involvement in decision-making
Response: School involvement ensures alignment with educational mission and provides institutional support. Transport managers would still be volunteers, but with school backing.

Concern: What if ESBC doesn’t work out?
Response: Dormancy clause allows BLOC to be reactivated within 3 year if needed. This provides a safety net during transition.

Overall sentiment: Members expressed cautious support for ESBC concept, with strong preference for a members’ vote before dormancy is triggered to ensure current issues resolved first. It was agreed that the members’ vote would be a requirement in the amended constitution.

---

Voting:

BLOC Constitutional Changes:

i. Vectare Tech+ Integration
Formal recognition of Vectare managed service and integration into BLOC operations.
Vote Result: APPROVED by 45 votes in favor, 2 votes against

ii. Route Change Processes
Streamlined route change consultation process:

• New routes requiring additional buses: Consultation with entire membership required
• Major route changes (>2 stops): Consultation with impacted routes, committee decision after feedback
• Consultation timeline: 7 days initial feedback, 3 days final feedback, then committee vote
• Removes requirement for 2/3 membership vote; committee makes final decision after consultation

Vote Result: APPROVED by 41 votes in favor, 6 votes against

iii. BLOC Dormancy Clauses
Addition of Section 9 (Dormancy) to constitution:

• BLOC may enter dormancy by committee resolution
• During dormancy: No meetings, elections, or active operations required
• Dormancy continues until committee resurrects BLOC or unified bus club ceases to exist
• If dormant for 1 year without resurrection: Automatic dissolution
• Upon automatic dissolution: All funds transfer to ESBC as ringfenced emergency reserve

Vote Result: APPROVED by 43 votes in favor, 3 votes against, 1 abstentions

Additional Constitutional Changes:

• Committee size reduced from 5 to 3 officers
• Registrar and Communications Officer roles removed as separate positions
• Duties may be delegated among the 3 officers as needed
• Quorum for AGM/EGM: Chairperson and at least one other officer
• Voting at AGM/EGM: Only members in attendance (online or in person) may vote
• Conflict of interest declaration requirements for committee members
• Enhanced financial management: At least two members must have access to bank accounts

Vote Result: APPROVED by 42 votes in favor, 5 votes against, [Z] abstention

---

---

Committee Elections:

The following committee members were elected:

Chairperson: Waldemar Schlackow  

Treasurer: Claudia Spadoni

Secretary: Bota Godwin

Newly elected committee take office 22.10.2025  and serve until next AGM. Transition of responsibilities from outgoing committee must be completed within one calendar month.

---

Any Other Business:

Memorandum of Understanding with Service Providers:

Committee presented draft MoU to be used with all bus service providers:

Key provisions:

• Service provision: Buses arrive by 08:00, depart at 15:55, following school calendar
• Notice requirements: 7 days for permanent changes, 48 hours for temporary changes, immediate notification for delays >10 minutes
• Safeguarding: All drivers must have current DBS clearance, mandatory use of Vectare app for registration
• Cancellation policy: No charge if provider cancels; full charge if ESBC/BLOC cancels with <48 hours notice
• Commercial terms: Annual pricing fixed by end of Summer Half Term; mid-year increases require 4 weeks notice
• Termination: Either party may terminate with one term’s notice; ESBC may source alternative if provider fails to deliver reliable service for >1 week
• Insurance: Provider must maintain £10 million public liability coverage
• Communication: Clear escalation contacts, use of Vectare app and WhatsApp announcement groups for parent updates

MoU will be presented to Charlton Services and any alternative providers. Adherence to MoU will be a condition of continued partnership.

Public Liability Insurance for BLOC:

Question raised about whether BLOC should obtain its own public liability insurance.

The committee will investigate costs and necessity. MoU requires providers to maintain insurance, but BLOC may benefit from additional coverage. To be explored and reported at the next committee meeting.

Monitoring Charlton Performance:

Committee committed to closely monitoring Charlton’s performance against MoU standards:

• Weekly performance reviews tracking delays, cancellations, and incidents
• Monthly reports to be shared with members
• Escalation process if standards not met
• Decision point in [timeframe] to determine whether to transition routes to alternative providers

Communication Improvements:

Members requested better communication from the committee. Committee committed to:

• Monthly newsletters
• Transparent reporting of financial status
• Clear channels for members to raise concerns or provide feedback
• Open-door policy for member inquiries

Merger Discussion Meeting:

For members interested in more details about ESBC merger, separate informational meeting will be scheduled in [timeframe] to discuss:

• Detailed governance structure of ESBC
• Financial implications and cost-sharing models
• Transition timeline and logistics
• Role of school-appointed transport managers
• Integration of Vectare managed service

---

Next AGM: October 2026 (unless BLOC enters dormancy following ESBC merger)

---

SIGNED BY

__________________________________ __________________________________

Bota Godwin                                                        Claudia Spadoni

BLOC Secretary                                                   BLOC Treasurer

Dear All,

We are very happy to announce that BLOC registrations for the coming year are now open, despite the issues and turbulence we have experienced in the last weeks, which we will explain in detail below.

Please create an account on https://bloc.vectare.co.uk to sign up your children to BLOC. After creating the account you can create your children as passengers within that account. Finally you can then book your journeys. Please note that if you are on pupil premium you will need to email info@blocbus.org after creating the passengers, as we can then classify them accordingly to adjust the charges.

Journeys can be booked as before and bookings are now open for full-time and part-time users. People on split arrangements can book full-time and part-time journeys across multiple routes.

Direct Debits are still in the process of being configured and you will receive an email once that has happened to set up your Direct Debit.

Please note that despite our best efforts the system is new, so if you spot any issues please let us know at info@blocbus.org .

Update on Bus Transport at Europa School

As the vast majority of you are aware, BLOC has faced a number of issues lately, none of which are of our own making. BLOC has faced an entire year with below standard bus service and now that school has ended, we are faced with something resembling a hostile takeover. The BLOC committee has been working flat out trying to resolve these issues so that everyone may register their children on the buses and enjoy what is left of their summer. We thank you for your continued patience while we sort these out.

As you know, Jon Alcantara, who runs Culham Bus Club, recently added BLOC routes to his bus programme. He did this without consulting BLOC, and in so doing caused a huge amount of panic and confusion for all of us. His reasons for doing this, though not particularly clear and transparent, seem to be motivated by the need to provide students with a reliable service (which is reasonable) and save Charlton Buses from collapse (which is not our responsibility, but given the circumstances, understandable). Bus service in Oxford is not cheap, as we found out for ourselves when we explored other options for BLOC. Charlton Buses remains one of the only viable options, but only if they can provide the service we require, and unfortunately this has fallen short recently and particularly in the last year on bus 14. We understand that Jon’s hasty announcement was spurred in part by the fact that his children will leave Europa in the coming years, and he wants  to make sure that by the time he walks away from Bus Club, bus provision will be in safe hands. That said, we also believe that his decision was also made based on a fair amount of misinformation. 

Regardless of his motivations and approach, Jon’s plans do highlight a number of issues that make sense. Most of us can agree (I hope) that it makes more sense for a single entity to run the entire programme for Europa. The school made it clear that it endorses this approach, in particular if they accept to take on some small level of involvement.

It is with this spirit of collaboration (not to mention the need to quell the hysteria) that BLOC met with Bus Club in order to arrive at an amenable solution. Prior to our meeting, BLOC drafted a set of the following proposals:

1. Vectare Management

Jon had assumed that BLOC was not interested in Vectare. In fact, prior to his announcement on July 11^th, BLOC had already signed up to Vectare (https://bloc.vectare.co.uk). However, unlike Jon’s proposal, we believe that management of the bus system should not rest solely with Vectare and Charlton. We believe that it is essential to maintain some form of school and parent representation to handle day-to-day issues, complaints, and specific requests. This ensures that we retain a direct link to the school community and do not delegate full control to private or for-profit companies that may not be responsive to individual concerns. 

Therefore, we propose to include school and parent representatives in a small governing body to provide oversight on safeguarding and due diligence matters and we hope to work with the PTA on this. This arrangement would maintain an essential connection with the school community while allowing Vectare to handle the operational aspects efficiently. 

2. Merger of BLOC and Bus Club
We support the merger of the BLOC and Bus Club operations, as it presents a logical step towards the unified and streamlined management of the school’s transport services. This merger will also address the leadership gap in Bus Club following Jon’s departure. However, the merger should not be a simple absorption of one group into the other, but rather the creation of a new, collaborative entity.
The proposal of what the entity could look like will be presented at the AGM following the consultation with all stakeholders.

3. Transition Period
We propose to implement this merger and launch the unified system over the next school year. This allows sufficient time for preparation and proper planning. There is not enough time to complete all necessary steps before the upcoming school year. 

We also believe that there may be some apprehension on behalf of many parents regarding Jon’s motives for a single entity and the approach he took to achieve his goal. We believe that the transition will allow Jon the opportunity to set the record straight and allow him sufficient time to withdraw from the bus management, as he intends to do. He acknowledges that his bulldozing approach was poorly thought out, and he recognises that many parents need to be reassured.
During the transition period, both BLOC and Bus Club will continue running their current routes. BLOC will proceed with the immediate adoption of Vectare, as the system is ready to go. For this to happen, Jon has agreed to withdraw his Vectare proposal and allow BLOC to operate its routes independently. Throughout this year, preparations will be made to dissolve both Bus Club and BLOC in accordance with their respective constitutions.

4. BLOC’s Reserves
BLOC’s financial reserves, which are considerably greater than Bus Club’s, will be partially used to subsidize the 2025/2026 fees. We are currently looking into this in order to meet Jon’s substantially lower fees. These have naturally attracted peoples’ attention, but were based on inexact usage numbers and the removal of one bus, which would have left some people without a seat. The decision on how to use the rest of BLOC’s reserves will be made by BLOC’s users at the AGM. These reserves, for example, could be used to pay for bus fees or be transferred to the new entity. 

5. Routes and Providers
We support Charlton as the main bus provider, as this will allow us to keep bus prices to a minimum. The school is also very keen to maintain prices at a level affordable for all, as higher fees will automatically price some families out of the bus service. However, we strongly advocate for maintaining Route 14. The school’s student population is growing, and Routes 2 and 11 are already at capacity. We must also respond to parents’ concerns about long journey times, especially for those living at the end of the current routes.

BLOC had voted to pass Route 14 onto Grayline. Unfortunately, the events of the past week have complicated matters tremendously. By taking on Grayline, the fees increased substantially, especially in comparison with those offered by Bus Club. After careful consideration and assurances from Penny that she will maintain current prices until January 2026 and that she will take a far more proactive role in the running of all buses, we have decided to not offer Route 14 to Grayline. However, we have informed Penny that if by half-term, she demonstrates that she is unable to deliver, she will lose that route.

As a result of Jon’s Bus Club offer, we recognise that many parents have been attracted to some of the changes made to his actual routes. We are open to discussions about these changes, but a vote must be completed as we need to have the whole route’s approval. We may also have to incorporate additional Bus Club stops into our routes.

6. Fees
Costs will be shared equally among all users, regardless of route or distance from the school. There will be no differentiation in fees based on individual bus stops.

7. Our Approach
We reject the business-first model proposed by Jon. This is not a commercial venture. This is a vital service for the children at Europa School. We are committed to a non-profit, community-led structure that puts the users’ needs at the forefront, while ensuring reliable, safe, and affordable transport for all.

We also wish to remind everyone that we are working hard with Vectare to get the system up and running. It is possible now to open an account. For those worried about being charged twice (by BLOC and Bus Club), Jon will be removing his conflicting routes, but parents can also cancel the direct debit with their bank. 

Please note that no changes to BLOC will be implemented before a proper consultation with all users, and this will happen at the AGM in September/October. There are still many details that need to be discussed and agreed upon with Jon and the school. Many of these will be discussed in September, after all parties have had time to rest and enjoy the remainder of their summer. This applies in particular to what is left of the BLOC committee. As you can imagine, this has been an incredibly stressful period for us and we need to switch off to be able to start working on this again in September. 

Thank you for your continued patience, we wish you all a terrific summer.

Kind Regards,

BLOC Committee

Claudia Spadoni

Bota Godwin

Marianne Bergeron

Dear All,

I hope that you are all well and looking forward to the upcoming summer holidays.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their patience regarding the issues we have had with the bus service this year, particularly with Bus 14. For those of you who attended the EGM last week or who read the minutes and viewed the video, significant changes are taking place, and it looks like summer will be a busy period for the committee so that the appropriate changes are implemented in September. For those who wish to view the video, please follow the link:

https://zoom.us/rec/share/jnp8AVK0Q68-OJ6Nw6fXLerTKIlf0szxxjtW4WdJwo1Zu_CfnmAYceBDwermgHE7.KxWe4w2IK-K6wQwK?startTime=1751569560000
Passcode: SV7Np^22

We are working to set up the new Vectare system for registration, which should be ready soon. Once that is in place, we’ll open registration for the 2025-2026 school year. We will keep you posted about this, the vote results and any other useful information.

I have included the bus arrivals and departures below.

AGM 2025/2026
The AGM will be held in September or October next school year. The date will be confirmed in the last few weeks of August. Only members who have paid their invoice in full are eligible to vote at the AGM. Those who have not paid may still attend.

Summer Holidays
Finally, we would like to remind you that, although we will be working to resolve the bus issues during the summer, the BLOC committee will have limited time to respond to queries over the summer holidays, but will aim to reply to most queries before the start of term.

We wish everybody a wonderful summer and look forward to seeing you all next year.

The BLOC Committee

Bus Arrivals and Departures

Bus 1
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h54	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
28/04/2025	7h58	By 15h55
	8h12	By 15h55
	8h03	16h16
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
06/05/2025	7h56	By 15h55
	8h05	15h57
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
12/05/2025	8h19	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h53	16h04
	8h09	15h59
	7h55	16h12
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
02/06//2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h56	16h06
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
09/06/2025	7h52	16h10
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
16/06/2025	8h33	By 15h55
	8h25	By 15h55
	8h28	16h01
	8h09	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
23/06/2025	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h54	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55

Bus 2
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	15h59
	7h51	By 15h55
28/04/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
06/05/2025	7h52	By 15h55
	8h03	15h51
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
12/05/2025	8h11	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h50	16h04
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	16h08
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
02/06/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
09/06/2025	7h54	16h16
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
16/06/2025	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
23/06/2025	7h51	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h59	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55

Bus 3
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h50	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
28/04/2025	7h48	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
06/05/2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h51	15h57
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h52	16h26
12/05/2025	8h00	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h53	16h04
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
02/06/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h53	15h58
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
09/06/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
16/06/2025	8h14	By 15h55
	8h07	By 15h55
	7h57	16h08
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
23/06/2025	7h47	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h13	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h50	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55

Bus 4
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h51	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
28/04/2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
06/05/2025	7h52	By 15h55
	7h51	15h57
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
12/05/2025	8h00	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h54	16h04
	8h22	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
02/06/2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h50	16h02
09/06/2025	7h51	16h10
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	16h14
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
16/06/2025	8h09	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	8h06	By 15h55
23/06/2025	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55

Bus 11
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
28/04/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h54	16h05
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
06/05/2025	7h47	By 15h55
	8h04	16h00
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
12/05/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h55	16h00
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h50	16h04
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
02/06/2025	7h47	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
09/06//2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
16/06/2025	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
23/06/2025	8h26	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h50	By 15h55
	8h49	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h56	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55

Bus 14
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
22/04/2025	7h45	16h01
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h44	15h58
28/04/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h48	16h00
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h44	By 15h55
	7h46	16h05
06/05/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	N/A	16h00
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
12/05/2025	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
19/05/2025	7h46	16h04
	7h45	N/A
	7h43	N/A
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h48	16h03
02/06/2025	N/A	By 15h55
	N/A	N/A
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h47	15h59
09/06/2025	N/A	N/A
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h51	N/A
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
16/06/2025	N/A	By 15h55
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	By 15h55
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
23/06/2025	7h55	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h43	16h04
	7h45	By 15h55
30/06/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
07/07/2025	7h49	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55

Dear All,

I hope this newsletter finds you all well and that you are looking forward to the upcoming school holiday. Hopefully the nice weather we have been experiencing will last throughout.

It should come as no surprise to you that this term has been a very challenging one for both BLOC Bus users (in particular Bus 14) and the committee, and we want to reassure you that we are working very hard to resolve these issues. As Charlton Buses has been unable to provide us with a reliable service across the board, we are currently in talks with alternative bus companies to take over Route 14 as well as making enquiries regarding the possibility of replacing Charlton Buses altogether. We are also working to secure more reliable service for our children by creating a proper contract with our bus provider that includes appropriate penalties for service failures. We have already received offers to help from parents with experience, which we greatly appreciate; if anyone else with similar expertise wishes to lend a hand, please do get in touch.

BUS ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES (Please see below)

EMAIL REQUESTS AND QUESTIONS FOR THE COMMITTEE

As I mentioned in previous newsletters, please note that when sending us an email, it may take us up to one week to reply to individual emails.

REQUESTS FOR AD-HOC SEATS

Ad-hoc seats may be requested via Whatsapp or email.  However, as mentioned above, please make sure that you get in touch with us early enough so that we have the opportunity to reply in time.

S5 AND S7 STUDENTS

Although invoices have already gone out, we would like to remind parents whose children are in S5 and S7 to cancel their seats if they are not going to use the bus after May half term. As a reminder, one month’s notice must be given before the removal of a user from the BLOC Bus Service, which means that all cancellations must be received no later than 30th April. In case of late cancellations, the full invoiced amount will be due. Please send an email to treasurer@blocbus.org for invoice amendment and cancellation notice. 

GENERAL BEHAVIOUR

We have not received many comments regarding children’s behaviour, which is great, but we have received some complaints about children leaving the buses in a filthy condition. Please remind your children that eating on the bus is not permitted. Drinking is allowed, especially as the weather is warming up, but children must remember to take their empty bottles with them as they get off the bus. Ideally, children should be drinking from their own water bottles.

We have also received concerns about children running around the bus while it is moving. Children must remain seated with the seatbelts fastened while the bus is in motion.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

This is just a reminder of who is on the committee:

Chair: Zohra Jenkinson

Registrar: Pierre Purseigle

Treasurer: Claudia Spadoni

Secretary: Bota Godwin

Communications Officer: Marianne Bergeron

We wish you all a wonderful holiday,

Marianne 

BUS ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

Bus 1
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
13/01/2025	8h13	By 15h55
	7h48	16h40
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
20/01/2025	7h57	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
27/01/2025	7h58	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	8h07	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
03/02/2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	8h07	By 15h55
	8h17	By 15h55
10/02/2025	8h25	By 15h55
	8h14	By 15h55
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
24/02/2025	7h59	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
03/03/2025	8h14	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	8h20	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
10/03/2025	8h04	16h10
	8h00	16h08
	7h58	16h15
	8h07	16h19
	7h56	16h16
17/03/2025	8h03	By 15h55
	8h08	By 15h55
	8h10	N/A
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
24/03/2025	7h53	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
31/03/2025	7h52	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55

Bus 2
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h48	15h56
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	16h12
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h57	16h17
	7h52	16h02
	7h47	16h16
	7h57	By 15h55
	8h07	By 15h55
	7h52	16h06
	7h53	15h58
	8h47	16h10
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	8h30	16h14
	8h23	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	8h46	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h05	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h54	16h03
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55

Bus 3
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	15h57
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h49	16h25
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h49	15h58
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h51	15h59
	8h10	By 15h55
	8h27	By 15h55
	8h17	By 15h55
	8h08	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	8h03	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h49	16h11
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	8h01	By 15h55
	8h01	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h53	16h00
	7h51	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55

Bus 4
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	8h00	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h58	15h57
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h15	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	8h03	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	8h16	By 15h55
	8h25	By 15h55
	8h20	By 15h55
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	8h19	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55

Bus 11
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	8h00	By 15h55
	8h05	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h35	16h16
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	8h21	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h59	16h06
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h51	15h56
	7h53	16h07
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	8h01	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
	7h44	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	8h01	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55

Bus 14
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h47	16h13
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h58	16h05
	8h11	By 15h55
	7h57	15h56
	7h45	16h13
	8h33	By 15h55
	8h13	16h01
	7h55	16h04
	N/A	16h11
	7h49	16h08
	7h48	16h06
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h49	15h58
	7h49	16h08
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h48	16h19
	7h55	16h15
	7h50	16h08
	7h49	16h14
	7h47	15h57
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	7h48	circa 16h00
	7h45	N/A
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	N/A	N/A
	7h45	16h27
	N/A	16h04
	7h44	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55

Dear BLOC Bus Families,

We hope this message finds you well. Following yesterday’s productive meeting with our bus company, we wanted to reach out about the recent route changes and share our plan moving forward.

First, we need to acknowledge that we didn’t handle last week’s changes as well as we should have. The lack of proper consultation and clear communication wasn’t our finest moment, and for that, we sincerely apologize. However, every challenge presents an opportunity to improve, and that’s exactly what we’re doing now.

We are facing significant challenges with driver shortages, which has impacted our ability to maintain reliable service across all six routes. This proposal to temporarily reduce to five routes aims to ensure more consistent and dependable service for all families.

Why We Are Proposing These Changes

It’s important to note that this change is intended to be temporary for the remainder of this academic year only. We have already agreed with the bus company that Bus 14 will return next academic year, as Europa School is expanding and we anticipate increased demand.

An alternative option could be to contract another company to run route 14, but this would significantly impact costs for all users.

Consultation and temporary arrangements

According to our constitution, any major route changes can only be implemented following a proper consultation process. During the consultation period, the bus service will run as follows: 

• This week (ending March 7th): We will continue with the current arrangement (five buses) as implemented last week
• March 10th-21st: We will temporarily return to the original service (six buses)

Consultation Process as Outlined in Our Constitution

Our constitution states:

2d. Any major route changes, involving more than two stops changing from one route to another route, shall only be made following the completion of a consultation process involving the routes concerned, and then two thirds of those members impacted voting in favour.

2e. All consultation processes for route changes shall follow the following format:
i. BLOC committee to propose a solution to concerns and publish to respective groups
ii. Respective Users will be given 7 days to consider proposals and provide feedback
iii. BLOC Committee to consider feedback and accordingly revise proposals in the best interest of the users impacted
iv. BLOC committee to publish updated proposals and allow a further 3 days for final feedback
v. BLOC committee will hold a vote in accordance with requirements

Official Consultation Timeline

1. Please submit your feedback to info@blocbus.org by 11:59 PM on Monday, March 10th.
2. The committee will review all feedback and may revise the proposal based on your input.
3. A virtual meeting for all parents on the affected routes will be held on March 20th at 7:30 PM – meeting link is here.
4. At this meeting, we will present any revised proposal and hold a vote.

Proposed Route Details

Please note these are proposed timetables that are subject to change based on your feedback.

Proposed Bus 11

Morning Pickup	Location	Afternoon Drop-off
07:00	Marston, St Nicholas Church	17:00
07:02	Marston, St Nicholas Sch Stop	16:58
07:06	Marston Rd, Crotch Crescent	16:42
07:10	Marston Rd, Edgeway Rd/Ferry rd PM	16:40
07:15	Cowley Rd, Manzil Way	16:30
07:17	Cowley Rd, Magdalen Rd	16:28
07:19	Cowley Rd, Shelly Rd	16:24
07:21	Cowley Rd, Marsh Rd	16:22
07:23	Cowley, The Swan PH	16:19
–	Cowley, Barns Rd, Templars Square	16:16
07:25	Sandy Lane West	–
–	Littlemore Shops	16:13
07:52	Europa School	15:55

Proposed Bus 2

Morning Pickup	Location	Afternoon Drop-off
07:00	Headington, Bayswater Road	–
07:03	Headington, Gladstone Rd	16:55
07:06	Windmill Rd, NOC	16:50
07:10	Morrell Av, Divinity Rd	16:44
07:12	Morrell Av, East Av	16:43
07:15	Iffley Rd, Henley St	16:32
07:17	Iffley Rd, Magdalen Rd	16:30
07:19	Iffley Rd, Howard St	16:28
07:22	Iffley Turn	16:25
07:24	Rose Hill Parade	16:22
07:26	Littlemore Shops	–
–	Littlemore, Dudgeon Drive	16:16
07:30	Littlemore, Hospital	16:15
07:32	Sandford, Rock Farm Ln	16:10
07:52	Europa School	15:55

You can find the current bus schedule here.

We’re committed to maintaining open dialogue throughout this process and finding solutions that work for everyone. Thank you for your patience and engagement as we work through these changes together.

Best regards,

BLOC Bus Committee

Dear All,

Happy New Year! I hope you are all rested and had a wonderful holiday season. 

I realise that the autumn term was very stressful for some bus users, and for that, I, on behalf of the committee, apologise wholeheartedly for this. In some instances, the weather and traffic were to blame, but these do not account for some of the more serious issues that we encountered, particularly at the start of the school year. The committee has been in constant contact with Charlton Buses regarding these issues and so far this term, things have been running far more smoothly. Communication between both the committee and Charlton Buses, while still a work-in-progress, has improved dramatically since last year. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for paying their autumn and winter invoices in full and on time.

Please be aware of the following important points:

• We must hold an election for a new registrar and further information will be provided here below; and
• CONCERNING BUSES 1 AND 14, Upon further discussion with Charlton Buses, Bus 14’s Banbury Road/ Upland Park Road (07.00) and Banbury Road/Hamilton Road (07.01) stops will be serviced by Bus 1. Some of you may have already noted this change.

BUS ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES (Please see chart at the bottom of the Newsletter)

We have created spreadsheets of the buses’ arrivals and departures, which will hopefully reassure some of you that the bus company is making an effort to provide the service we are paying for. I understand that many of you also use GPS tags for your children and whilst they are helpful, in particular when the trackers are not working, they do not necessarily pinpoint the precise location the children/bus, therefore giving the impression that the bus has left the school late, when in fact, the bus is navigating the traffic along Thame Lane. The trackers we use do pinpoint the locations (when working properly). Please also be aware that you can click on the green bus icon, and it will tell you at what time the tracker was last refreshed. 

GENERAL BEHAVIOUR

As always, we have received a number of reports whereby children have refused to use their seatbelts, some have been caught running around the bus while it is moving, and there have been some issues concerning anti-social behaviour. Please know that this is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. Should repeat offenders refuse to abide by the rules, we will have no choice but to take action. Eating on the bus is also not allowed.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS

This is just a reminder of who is on the committee:

Chair: Zohra Jenkinson

Registrar: TBD

Treasurer: Claudia Spadoni

Secretary: Bota Godwin

Thank you, 

Marianne Bergeron

BLOC Communications Officer

IMPORTANT BUSINESS

Dear BLOC Members,

It has been brought to our attention that we are at risk of violating Section 4 Part O of the BLOCBUS constitution, that states that where there is a vacant space on the committee, an election shall be held. We have now lost a committee member. We have informally filled the position, but have not yet had the required formal election.

Following the AGM meeting in September, Mathilde Akar, who has served as registrar since Autumn 2023, announced that she had to stand down due to work commitments and could no longer dedicate enough time to complete her duties. She has, however, remained in post assisting us in fulfilling her duties. As it happened, we turned to Pierre Purseigle, who stood for the position of Chairman, that ultimately went to Zohra. Happily, he agreed to help, and has since caught up to speed with the data management, spreadsheets, and online systems. Please see his short biography below. 

We are now in a position to hold an official election in accordance with the Constitution. Should you wish to stand in the election, please send your bios to the usual BLOC address.   The deadline is 10 days on Monday 27 January.  

Thank you

Zohra Jenkinson
BLOC Chair

PIERRE PURSEIGLE’S BIOGRAPHY

My name is Pierre Purseigle. I teach history at the University of Warwick and my son Eli is in S3 (French). Our family came back to Oxford last January after over 5 years in Brussels. We did so to allow Eli to return to Europa School where he had been in the Spanish stream since reception.
I know how important the service Bloc provides is for parents, pupils, and to the wider school community. I had responded to a call for volunteers before the last election, unsure of the role I could play, but keen to help out in any capacity. I was therefore happy to work as interim registrar after Mathilde had to stand down. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mathilde and other committee members for the help and support that they provided during the hand-over period. Sincere thanks are also due to parents for their patience as I am still learning the ropes!

BUS ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES

Bus 1
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	8h28	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	8h01	Left between 15h55 and 15h58
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
11/11/2024	7h58	15h57
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
18/11/2024	8h19	15h57
	8h04	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h15	By 15h55
25/11/2024	7h55	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	8h22	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
02/12/2024	7h56	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	8h18	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
09/12/2024	7h52	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
16/12/2024	7h58	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55

Bus 2
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	7h53	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	8h06	15h59
	8h07	By 15h55
	8h03	16h07
	7h45	By 15h55
11/11/2024	7h57	15h57
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
18/11/2024	7h51	By 15h55
	7h59	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	8h19	16h25
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	8h12	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	8h00	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55

Bus 3
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	7h51	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h54	Left between 15h55 and 15h58
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h52	16h00
	7h52	16h06
11/11/2024	7h52	15h57
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
18/11/2024	7h51	By 15h55
	7h56	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h53	16h38
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	8h04	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55

Bus 4
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	7h54	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h54	Left between 15h55 and 15h58
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
11/11/2024	8h01	16h06
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
18/11/2024	7h51	By 15h55
	7h56	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h59	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	8h21	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	8h24	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55

Bus 11
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	8h17	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h59	Left between 15h55 and 15h58
	8h01	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h45	16h06
11/11/2024	7h57	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h46	By 15h55
18/11/2024	7h47	By 15h55
	7h56	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h55	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	7h49	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	8h12	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h51	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	8h06	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h58	By 15h55
	7h57	By 15h55
	7h56	By 15h55
	8h02	By 15h55
	8h01	By 15h55
	7h52	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55
	7h53	By 15h55

Bus 14
Week Commencing	Time of Arrival at School	Time of Departure in the afternoon
04/11/2024	7h50	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h56	Left between 15h55 and 15h58
	8h33	By 15h55
	7h50	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
11/11/2024	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h54	By 15h55
	7h48	By 15h55
	7h45	By 15h55
18/11/2024	7h45	By 15h55
	7h51	Left between 15h55 and 15h59
	7h53	16h38
	8h05	By 15h55
	8h03	By 15h55
	8h18	By 15h55
	8h15	By 15h55
	8h00	16h13
	7h45	By 15h55
	N/A	16h07
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	7h47	By 15h55
	8h03	By 15h55
	7h45	15h59
	N/A	By 15h55
	N/A	By 15h55
	N/A	16h08
	N/A	16h03
	N/A	16h08
	7h45	By 15h55
	7h45	15h56
	7h46	By 15h55

Important: New mandatory ticket process for Wednesday lunchtime buses below

Dear Senior School Parents,

Hope that the New Year is going well. I am writing with an update on the Wednesday Lunchtime service.

As part of BLOC Bus’s routine usage checks, a roster was taken on Wednesday 11^th January 2023 (the first Wednesday of the term) to ascertain the capacity levels. This was undertaken given the School’s sudden change in the S1 timetable, which created a potential increase in demand.

1. Capacity levels on the bus were sufficient for all BLOC users to get a seat
2. 26 pupils who were not registered with BLOC tried to board the bus

If the unregistered pupils had boarded, this would have caused seating capacity issues. Some of the offenders stated that they usually travelled with friends who were registered – which is not permitted. Other students gave false names, using the names of registered users. Most of the offending pupils were in S3 and S5.

To ensure that our registered users (and only our registered users) have a seat available, BLOC bus and the school have introduced a new ticket process to ride the Wednesday Lunchtime buses. This was also publicised in last Friday’s school newsletter:

Wednesday Lunchtime Bus Ticket Process

This applies to Wednesday lunchtime buses only.

1. The senior school students registered with BLOC Bus, as Full-time or Part-time PM users, need to collect a ticket from Christie Van As during the first break on each Wednesday (between 9:50 -10:10).
   
   Tickets can ONLY be collected during the first break on a Wednesday.
   
2. Christie will check names against a list of registered users, which she has received from the BLOC bus committee.
   
3. The ticket is pre-determined and based on the bus stop they are registered to use, there will be no ability to switch buses.
   
4. The students will have to give the ticket to the bus driver who will let them on.
   
5. There will be no riding without a ticket.

Given that we now have more registered Senior pupils eligible to use the bus (following the school timetable change), tickets will be issued on a first-come basis.

BLOC takes no responsibility for pupils not collecting a ticket and if any pupil is found to be abusing the process, they will be denied future usage.

Botley Road Closure: Bus 1&3 March 2023

The Wednesday lunchtime Bus 1 & 3 service cannot operate when the Botley road closes.

We do not yet know when the Botley Road will close, but sometime after half term in March 2023 looks likely.

BLOC will give as much notice as possible, but this is dependent on the information received from the council.

If you use this service, please start to make your plans for the cancellation of Bus 1 & 3 Wednesday lunchtime service. There will be no option to take the other Bus (2,4,11 & 14) as demand will exceed the number of seats.

Andre Moriarty (Registrar) and Jamie Downing (Chair)