Councils spend £415m more than budgeted on home to school transport – watchdog
Why the cost of home to school transport is spiraling out of control
- Councils in England overspent by £415 million on home-to-school transport in the latest available data, according to a National Audit Office report.
- Total spending on this service rose by 70 per cent to £2.3 billion between 2015/16 and 2023/24, with almost half of local authorities reporting annual overspends of 20 per cent or more.
- The significant increase is primarily driven by a 106 per cent rise in transport costs for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (Send), compared to a 9 per cent rise for those without Send.
- On average, transporting a child with Send cost £8,116 in 2023/24, substantially higher than the £1,526 for other pupils, with the DfE projecting total costs could exceed £3 billion by 2029/30.
- Industry bodies and politicians are calling for the Government's upcoming Schools white paper and Send reforms to address these unsustainable expenditure rises and ensure vital services are maintained.