Council spending on SEND school transport to skyrocket

New research from the Local Government Association (LGA) shows spending is expected to reach almost £2bn this financial year.

Published today (July 2^nd) at the Local Government Association’s Annual Conference, the research saw Isos Partnership examine councils spending on home to school transport. Experts found the majority of expenditure was for children under the age of 16 and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

To give context, researchers discovered the total spent on SEND school transport in 2023/24 was £1,733,513,195. While this number is high, the figure is expected to rise to around £1.97bn in 2025/26, representing approximately a 200% increase on the amount spent in 2015/16.

According to the report, key factors behind the rapid financial spike include a rise in children with education and health plans; more children having to attend school that is further from their home and changes in complexity of need. For example, some young people may require individual transport arrangements.

‘The rapidly rising need for home to school transport from children and young people in SEND is yet another reminder of the huge pressures on the SEND system,’ Cllr Arroj Shah, chair of the LGA’s children and young people board, said. ‘It is also wrong that children are increasingly having to travel long distances to get to school because of a lack of provision near to their home. This has to change.’

On the subject of change, the news comes as council and education leaders gather in Liverpool to discuss how the SEND system can be reformed ahead of the government’s white paper, which is due to be published in autumn.

‘We urge the government white paper to deliver the comprehensive reforms the SEND system needs, so that it is more inclusive and improves educational attainment for children,’ Cllr Shah added. ‘This should also include putting councils on a stable financial footing by writing off councils’ high needs deficits, which are projected to reach £5bn next year.’

Some of the report’s major findings include:

• Councils have seen a 40% increase over the last five years in children and young people with SEND aged under 16 needing home to school transport.
• Nine in 10 councils, who provided survey responses, thought spending on SEND home to school transport would increase, while only 12% were confident they would be able to balance their books.
• The average one-way trip to school for pupils with SEND is nine miles.

The report can be accessed in full here.

Photo by Elijah Ekdahl via UnSplash 

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