Every parent’s worst nightmare as young boy is left alone in a locked bus by after school care service

By MATT JONES FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 07:14 BST, 18 June 2025 | Updated: 07:53 BST, 18 June 2025

A young boy has been left alone on a locked bus at a depot after falling asleep while on the way to after-school care, leaving parents alarmed at how such a mistake could happen. 

The primary school boy was among the students driven from Lake Windemere School in Adelaide’s north for after-school care at the campus of nearby Riverdale Primary School on June 13.

He was not noticed as the children were let off the bus, which was then driven back to its depot and locked. 

The boy was eventually found by staff from Happy Haven Out of School Hours Care about 4.50pm. 

One mum said the incident ‘confirms all your worst fears’ as a parent. 

‘I have a young son here… we choose not to use it [the bus] out of fear of things like that,’ she told The Advertiser. 

‘It’s concerning for me being a working mum because you need to rely on after school care at times but I didn’t want my son on the bus for that particular reason.’

Lake Windemere principal Michelle Lennox-Pavlovich wrote a letter to all parents about the incident. 

The student from Lake Windemere School (pictured) was left alone on a locked bus last week

Lake Windemere principal Michelle Lennox-Pavlovich (pictured) told parents about the mix-up

Principal Lennox-Pavlovich said an investigation was taking place in a letter home to parents

‘The provider of the Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) service that is run at Riverdale Primary School has written to parents about a matter that arose on Friday when, during the afternoon transportation run from Lake Windemere, one of the children was not escorted off the bus and into the service as required,’ she wrote.

‘The service provider has advised that the child was located safe and well inside the locked bus. The matter, which is being investigated, has been reported to both the Department for Education and the Education Standards Board.’

Established in 2015, Happy Haven OSHC is a family-owned company which provides care to children from 3,500 families at more than 45 schools. 

A Happy Haven OSHC spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia the incident was ‘deeply concerning and does not reflect the high standards we uphold’.

‘For over six years, Happy Haven OSHC has safely transported between 20 to 70 children twice daily at this service without incident. While this appears to be an isolated event, we are treating it with the utmost seriousness,’ they said.

‘Preliminary findings indicate that established procedures including headcounts, sign-in/out protocols, and visual bus checks were not followed. 

‘We are working to understand not only what failed, but why, and what changes are needed to prevent a recurrence.’

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Lake Windemere School for comment. 

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Every parent’s worst nightmare as young boy is left alone in a locked bus by after school care service

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