Councils in England are steadily shouldering ever-larger bills for school transport, particularly for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

According to the Local Government Association (LGA), local authority spending on home-to-school transport for SEND pupils was about £1.73 billion in 2023-24 and is projected to hit nearly £2 billion in 2025-26.  On average, this works out to around £8,900 per SEND pupil per year, compared with roughly £3,100 for a mainstream pupil requiring transport.

A key driver of these costs is that councils have a statutory duty to provide free transport for under-16s who cannot reasonably walk to a “suitable” school and specifically for many SEND pupils who meet eligibility criteria.  The increase reflects a rise in the number of pupils with EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans), a shortage of nearby suitable specialist school places (meaning longer journeys), and growing use of taxis/private hire rather than standard buses.

For mainstream transport (non-SEND) the picture is relatively stable, with much lower per-pupil costs and slower growth; however, it still contributes to overall transport expenditure.

In short: the cost burden for councils is significant and rising. The scale of SEND transport expenditure is a particular concern for the sustainability of local authority budgets, prompting calls for system reform to better manage demand and costs.