Home-to-school and SEND transport – a mounting crisis for local authorities 

Over the past decade, the conditions around home-to-school transport have shifted dramatically. Demand has soared, operational pressures have intensified, and the once-manageable offer of free transport for eligible pupils – particularly those with SEND – has become financially unsustainable for many councils. 

The data is stark. Since 2015, the number of children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans has risen by 166%, from 240,000 to 639,000. Over the same period, total spending on home-to-school transport has increased by 70% in real terms, with SEND transport costs rising by 106%, compared with 9% for mainstream transport. In 2023–24 alone, local authorities overspent planned budgets by £415 million. The per-pupil cost difference is striking: transporting a SEND pupil now averages £8,116 per year, compared with £1,526 for a mainstream pupil.

These numbers are not merely budget pressures; they reflect a system outpacing both financial resources and operator capacity. 

Why the pressures are growing 

Broader demographic and policy changes are key drivers. Improved diagnostics and stronger inclusion policies have rightly identified more children who need support—but transport responsibilities have expanded faster than funding or delivery models can absorb. When a child’s nearest suitable school is beyond a reasonable distance, councils must provide transport free-of-charge. For many SEND pupils, this means bespoke taxi or minibus provision, particularly in rural and semi-rural areas where bus services have dwindled—driving up costs and complexity.

Paths to immediate savings and smarter delivery 

Controlling costs: Authorities can improve route efficiency by maximising vehicle occupancy and using technology to cut unnecessary mileage. Dynamic purchasing systems can sharpen market competition, while larger, longer-term contracts help secure economies of scale. Councils can also keep vehicles productively used throughout the day by integrating transport for education, social care, and health. Beyond logistics, there is a strategic question: are there more accessible, effective SEND provision models that reduce transport demand at source? 

Planning and oversight: There is wide variation between councils in planning and data quality. Better coordination and shared data between education teams, schools, transport planners, and providers can improve visibility of service quality, compliance, vehicles, and safeguarding. Collaboration across boundaries – where pupils attend specialist schools outside their home authority – can unlock efficiencies and reduce duplication. 

Provider capacity: Recruitment and retention of drivers and passenger assistants remain a pinch point, exacerbated by low pay, irregular hours, and the demands of supporting complex needs. Professionalising these roles through enhanced training, clearer career pathways, and improved conditions can stabilise the workforce. Demand-responsive services and community transport partnerships can flex capacity and extend reach where conventional routes are impractical. 

System reform must accompany local fixes 

Without broader SEND system reform, transport pressures will continue to escalate. Transport teams are managing the immediate consequences of placement decisions made by education teams; unless those decisions reflect realistic travel patterns and local capacity, costs will keep spiralling. 

Local authorities cannot resolve this alone, and operators cannot simply scale up on demand. What is needed is a coordinated, system-wide approach that aligns school placement, provision location, and transport realities – underpinned by robust, consistent monitoring to ensure quality and value for money.  

SYSTRA projects 

SYSTRA has worked on a number of home-to-school and SEND transport commissions recently.  

SYSTRA is assisting a local authority to implement a software system to better track and audit journeys made by SEND pupils to and from school and colleges. The aim is to ensure that the local authority only pay operators for journeys that are actually made by pupils, although additional benefits expected are increased safeguarding measures, improved overall efficiency in managing home-to-school transport and better integration with existing transport management systems used by the council. 

We have carried out a review of home –to-school and SEND transport for a large county council focusing on issues such as how services are purchased and dynamic purchasing, monitoring the quality of service provision, considering “one school one provider” solutions, departmental structure, resources and communication. 

We have assisted a London Borough in considering how children can access school via public transport including highlighting which options would provide the best return on investment and the best experience for pupils, their families, or carers supporting the support the council’s ambition for a cleaner, greener, safer borough. 

In Denmark we have developed an app that encourages and rewards young people for traveling to school in an environmentally friendly way encouraging more pupils to walk, cycle or use public transport. 

If you would like to discuss how SYSTRA could help deal with your home-to-school and SEND transport issues please contact us via this form.