Headteacher praises children after school bus crashes into ditch in Sussex

Schoolchildren from The Academy Selsey were left with minor injuries when a double-decker bus ended up stuck at roughly 45 degrees on the side of the road.

The driver of the Stagecoach bus was also injured in the incident in Sidlesham, near Chichester, on Monday.

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The Academy Selsey headteacher Jo Ford confirmed pupils from the school were travelling on the bus at the time of the accident.

“We are extremely proud at the calm maturity shown by our students. We have also been made aware of older students ensuring that the younger students were safely off the bus before leaving themselves,” she said.

“Although some pupils received minor injuries, fortunately, no pupils were seriously injured. We will be providing additional support to pupils and their families as required"

“We are extremely grateful to the parents and by-passers who helped safely evacuate our students, following the accident.”

Schoolchildren were left with minor injuries when a double-decker bus crashed in Sidlesham, near Chichester

A number of people suffered minor injuries, but nobody required hospital treatment, a South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said.

Stagecoach South, the operator of the service, said they are giving police their “full support” as the incident is investigated.

The bus remained in the ditch for a number of hours after the crash.

Schoolchildren were left with minor injuries when a double-decker bus crashed in Sidlesham, near Chichester

A spokesman for Sussex Police said: “All occupants of the bus, which includes a number of schoolchildren and the driver, have been safely evacuated.

“The driver was treated at the scene by the ambulance service for minor injuries and a number of children are understood to have suffered minor injuries.

“The road has been closed in both directions and inquiries are ongoing into the full circumstances of the incident.”