‘The Northern House School Academy Trust is made up of five schools across England. At our Oxford school we had a minibus that was over 12 years old and had many issues. A minibus is vital to the school for daily pick ups and drop offs, as well as school trips, so it has to be reliable.
We heard about Castle Minibus from the school’s headteacher, who had received good feedback about them. After reading testimonials on their website we were confident in purchasing from the company. They have various services, including leasing and rentals, as well as the option to buy outright.
We chose to buy a used minibus rather than hire. The minibus was to be a long-term vehicle, serving for five to six years and covering 20,000 miles a year, which meant buying was better value in the long run.
The minibus was funded through the academy’s capital scheme, which all the schools in the trust contribute to each year. This funds the most needed items in the trust. As the minibus was crucial in getting pupils to school, it was considered a high priority.
In December we purchased a 3.5-tonne minibus, which can be driven on a standard licence. It has a 63 plate and had done 18,500 miles. It came with full checks and service history and has proven to be a steady, reliable vehicle that has been great for general day-to-day use as well as educational trips.’
Pardeep Dhami, financial controller, Northern House Academy Trust
- Castle Minibus enables schools to safely and easily invest in a used minibus. Other services include its part-exchange minibus rehoming scheme, leasing, long and short-term rentals and minibus driver training courses. Visit castleminibus.co.uk to find out more.
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