Pupils with Special Needs ‘Have to Travel Further to School for Suitable Place’
- A new Local Government Association report reveals children with special educational needs must travel longer distances for school due to lack of local provision.
- The shortage stems from oversubscribed special schools, insufficient mainstream support, and increasing numbers needing special education placements.
- Councils report a 40% rise over five years in under-16s requiring school transport, with average one-way trips of nine miles, and some counties at 22.8 miles.
- Department for Education data show 92% of 3,275 students recommended for special class places have been allocated spots for September 2025, while £740 million is invested to create more SEND places.
- The limited local places and rising transport costs—forecast to reach £1.97 billion in 2025-26—highlight urgent need for structural reforms to improve provision and financial sustainability.
19 Articles
19 Articles

Pupils with special needs ‘have to travel further to school for suitable place’
Spending by councils on transporting children with Send to schools is predicted to increase to around £1.97 billion in 2025/26, a report suggests.
NEWS: £1.7M Assistive Tech Pilot to Support SEND Students
As reported by Open Access Government, thousands of children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are set to benefit from keep reading The post NEWS: £1.7M Assistive Tech Pilot to Support SEND Students first appeared on Edexec.
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 2nd) 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)…
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