Councils spend £415m more than budgeted on home to school transport – watchdog

Councils spend £415m more than budgeted on home to school transport – watchdog

The NAO spoke to 10 councils that had withdrawn or restricted free or subsidised transport for some young people

ADCS Response to National Audit Office Report on Home to School Transport

ADCS is a membership organisation. Our members hold leadership roles in children’s services departments in local authorities in England.

NAO transport report agrees with Contact that loophole in the law for 16 – 19 disabled learners puts them at risk of cuts

The National Audit Office (NAO) has today published its report examining the reasons why home to school transport is one of the fastest growing areas of spending for local authorities in England. The report, which cites Contact’s school transport research throughout, concludes that SEND reforms must address school transport pressures, prioritise families’ needs and protect school transport for those that rely on it so that all children can acces…

Consider impact of spiralling home to school transport costs in SEND reforms, urges NAO

Spending has risen by 70% between 2015/16 and 2023/24, leading councils to spend £415m more than they had budgeted in 2023/24. In a new The post Consider impact of spiralling home to school transport costs in SEND reforms, urges NAO appeared first on Room151.

NAO: SEND reforms must tackle £2.3bn school transport squeeze

The NAO has warned that reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system must address growing pressures on home-to-school transport.

Councils in England spent £415million more than budgeted on home to school transport in the 2023-24 financial year.

The National Audit Office says almost half reported annual overspends of 20% or more. It’s thought increased spending on buses and taxis for young people with special educational needs and disabilities is behind the rise. Ministers say they’re working on a system that’s ‘rooted in inclusion’. Accessibility issues go beyond school transport, though. MP Dr Ben Spencer’s called the repeated lift failures at Weybridge station a ‘disgrace’, highlight…