Walking School Bus

Please note: Our Walking School Bus is currently not operating. We are on the lookout for a superstar guardian to take over the running of the bus. This entails working closely with Travelwise Teacher at school and co-ordinating the bus drivers. Email admin@riverhead.school.nz if this sounds like you!

Using the Walking School Bus

A Walking School bus is just like the school bus except children walk home from school under the supervision of adult volunteers (often parents), who act as the Walking School Bus driver. Children are dropped at stops along a planned route to a waiting adult. Along the way they learn how to safely negotiate  the road as well as socialise and share stories with friends. 

Our wonderful and popular Walking School Bus used to operate every afternoon (leaving school no later than 2.40pm). There is no cost to enrol your child on this service and it is a great way to keep your child safe and provide them with a bit of exercise as well!

The former bus route was a walk to the tennis courts.  If requested by you, children may leave the bus prior to reaching Edward St. e.g. Kauri Gum Store, Duke St, King St, Maude St, Albert St, Queen St, Arthur St, Great North Rd. Please Note there are NO pick-ups from the Four Square unless your child lives in either Maude St or Albert St.

Please fill in consent form below if you wish your child to use this service, or contact Ruth in the office admin@riverhead.school.nz

We were among the first schools in West Auckland to establish a Walking School Bus route and as a result, we are now one of the longest serving schools in the Rodney area. This, along with other road safety activities, has helped us achieve our Gold Status since 2013. 

We hold fun "Walk to School" days for the whole school, where everyone meets at a certain point and then walk to school as a big group. The children are invited to dress up in funny costumes. 

We also utilise Student Leaders to help Junior children participate in road safety activities. These activities need to continue and develop further, for us to keep our Gold status. 

Walking on Wet Weather Days

Children do not melt in the rain. With a little planning, a walk home in the rain can be a lot of fun. The same goes for walking to school. Gumboots and raincoats work a treat and can be fun to wear. A Walking School Bus driver does have the authority to cancel the bus if the weather is too extreme, but this is a rare occurence.