Councils spend £415m more than budgeted on home to school transport – watchdog
- Councils in England overspent by £415 million on home to school transport in 2023/24, as reported by the National Audit Office .
- Nearly half of local authorities experienced overspends of 20% or more on transport services for students, according to the NAO.
- Total spending on home to school transport reached £2.3 billion, marking a 70% increase since 2015/16, the NAO stated.
- Councils have been advised by figures from the Department for Education that spending could exceed £3 billion by 2029/30 if current trends continue.
13 Articles
13 Articles
Rising costs put SEND home to school transport under pressure, warns NAO
The National Audit Office (NAO) warns that home to school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities has become one of the fastest-growing cost pressures for councils in England The NAO has revealed that home to school transport for children with SEND is facing mounting pressure, with spending rising significantly amid driver shortages, longer journeys, and growing numbers of pupils with EHCPs. The watchdog warns that…
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.
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