Hastings school lodges complaint with coach firm after video shows driver swearing at children

The pupils had boarded a coach back to Hastings on July 11 following a school trip to the Science Museum in London when the incident is alleged to have taken place.

Ark Academy said it had been concerned to receive complaints from pupils, staff and parents and issued a statement to say: “On July 11, a group of students boarded a chartered coach to return to school from a trip to a London museum. The school was disappointed to receive complaints from staff, students and parents about the conduct of the coach driver.

"We have lodged a formal complaint with the coach company, who have assured us that they are investigating the matter. We expect the highest standards of conduct from third party providers and from our students and will take swift and appropriate action where this is not the case.”

Since then the BBC has reported that Hailsham based Wise Coaches has said the driver no longer worked for the company as of the day after the incident. A spokesperson for the firm said: “We deeply regret and in no way condone the conduct of our driver towards disruptive pupils on the coach journey.”

Parent Gill Lane, whose daughter was onboard the coach on 11 July, told the BBC there were seven teachers on the coach at the time of the incident.

She said: “The teachers' job is to keep our children safe and to manage them on the coach and on this occasion, they failed. It was my daughter’s first school trip due to the pandemic and I believe it will probably be her last as she doesn’t want to go again.”