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English councils spending twice as much on Send pupil transport as fixing roads English councils seeking more help to pay for rise in Send transport costs
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Exclusive: Costs particularly acute in more rural areas, where many children with special needs have to use taxisExclusive: Costs particularly acute in more rural areas, where many children with special needs have to use taxis
Councils in England are spending on average twice as much on school transport for children with special educational needs than on maintaining their road networks, a Guardian investigation has found. Councils in England urgently need more money to help them pay for school transport for children with special needs.
Many councils have said their obligations under the wider special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system are financially unsustainable, with the rapid increase in pupil transport costs becoming a particular burden. Many councils have told the Guardian that their obligations under the wider special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system are financially unsustainable, with the rapid increase in pupil transport costs becoming a particular issue.
Of 43 councils that replied to a Guardian request for data, all but eight were spending more on Send pupils’ transport than on their so-called revenue roads budget, which is used for maintenance rather than capital improvements. Sources in councils and education said transporting the children was essential, but that the system, which was set up about a decade ago, had expanded beyond its original intention.
On average, the amount spent on transport was slightly over twice as much, and in some cases notably more. One council, Wakefield, spends seven times as much on Send transport than road maintenance, with the ratio for several others being four or five to one. With no extra funding to support these services, some councils are now spending as much on transporting children as they are filling potholes.
By law, councils must provide transport to Send pupils if they live more than a set distance from their nearest suitable school, with the great majority of these travelling by taxi rather than by bus. According to the County Councils Network, the number of students travelling has increased by a quarter since 2019 alone, with 31,000 going by taxi. By law, councils must provide transport to Send pupils if they live more than a set distance from their nearest suitable school, with the great majority of them travelling by taxi rather than buses.
This creates enormous costs, particularly in larger and more spread-out areas. Norfolk spent more than £40m on Send pupils’ transport in the last financial year, with Hertfordshire spending £37m and three counties, Lincolnshire, Staffordshire and West Sussex, spending around £28m each. The number of children travelling has risen by a quarter since 2019, with 31,000 going by taxi, according to the County Councils Network.
Councils say the rapid growth of the bill is in part the product of more and more parents securing an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which provides them with extra help and, in some cases, education in a non-mainstream school. This creates enormous costs, particularly in larger and more spread-out areas.
“EHCPs were meant to make the system less adversarial but it’s done the opposite,” one council source said. “People often fight very hard to get what they see as a golden ticket. It creates a tension between parents and carers acting perfectly rationally versus councils with a very finite pot of resources.” The government is hoping its efforts to reverse some of thiswill help bring more Send pupils into their local schools, reducing the transport bills.
Another commonly cited issue is the school reforms introduced by the Conservative education secretary Michael Gove in 2014 – at about the same time the Send system was being revamped – under which schools are judged primarily on exam and test results, making them less likely to be inclusive. To support vulnerable children, Ofsted’s new grading system takes inclusion into consideration.
The Labour government is hoping its efforts to reverse some of this, with new Ofsted grades being based in part on inclusion, will help bring more Send pupils into their local schools, reducing the transport bills. But with the wider Send system in chaos – MPs routinely say that it is one of the most common reasons for constituents to contact them – many councils believe that this will also require more resources, which they are unlikely to receive.
But with the wider Send system in chaos – MPs routinely say that it is one of the most common reasons for constituents to contact them – many councils believe that this will also require more resources. “The only way to deal with this is to put money into mainstream schools along with very clear accountability about what they should provide for Send pupils,” a council source said. “But you can’t just tell them to provide for Send pupils – you have to fund this and have the workforce for it.”
Another said: “There has been a change. Before the election there was a lot of buck-passing, and now the Department for Education is treating it seriously. But there is always a risk it ends up in the ‘too difficult’ pile.”
Of 43 councils that replied to a Guardian request for data, all but eight were spending more on Send pupils’ transport than on their revenue roads budget, which is used for maintenance rather than capital improvements.
On average, the amount spent on transport was slightly over twice as much, and in some cases notably more. One council, Wakefield, spends seven times as much on Send transport than road maintenance, and the ratio for several others is four or five to one.
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“The only way to deal with this is to put money into mainstream schools along with very clear accountability about what they should provide for Send pupils,” another council source said. “But you can’t just tell them to provide for Send pupils – you have to fund this and have the workforce for it.” Norfolk spent more than £40m on Send pupils’ transport in the last financial year.
A third said: “There has been a change. Before the election there was a lot of buck-passing, and now the Department for Education is treating it seriously. But there is always a risk it ends up in the ‘too difficult’ pile.” Councils say the rapid growth of their bills is in part the product of more parents securing an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which provides them with extra help and, in some cases, the option of education in a non-mainstream school.
“EHCPs were meant to make the system less adversarial but it’s done the opposite,” one council source said. “It creates a tension between parents and carers acting perfectly rationally versus councils with a very finite pot of resources.”
Another commonly cited issue is the school reforms introduced by the Conservative education secretary Michael Gove in 2014 – at about the same time the Send system was being revamped – under which schools are judged primarily on exam and test results and similar metrics, making them less likely to be inclusive.
A DfE spokesperson said: “The Send system we’ve inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools and unsustainable strain on local government finances.”A DfE spokesperson said: “The Send system we’ve inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools and unsustainable strain on local government finances.”
Efforts to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools had involved £740m in capital funding this year, they added, with more significant reforms to be announced soon. Efforts to improve inclusivity in mainstream schools have involved £740m in capital funding this year, they added, with more significant reforms due to be announced soon.