The government needs to resolve “unanswered questions” about how its SEND reforms will affect home-to-school transport costs, according to a report.
The parliamentary public accounts committee has asked ministers to explain how their plans for the future SEND landscape will reduce the costs of transporting pupils to schools, expected to reach £3 billion by 2030.
In its report, the committee said that even if reforms announced in the Schools White Paper are successful, it is “likely to be some time” before they translate into transport savings.
New funding arrangements, which include the government’s promise to write off 90% of historic high needs deficits, would not cover transport costs, the committee said.
A chronic and severe problem
Rachel Gilmour MP, a member of the public accounts committee, said “a problem this chronic and severe demands a response that does not leave any unanswered questions for children and families”.
Gilmour, the Liberal Democrat MP for Tiverton and Minehead added: “Unfortunately, our inquiry has identified a number of glaring ones for home-to-school transport – a problematic system for parents on which government spends multiple billions a year not covered by government’s recent announcements.”
MPs also claimed the Department for Education (DfE) “does not understand” how access to transport is affecting attendance and doesn’t “yet have the data it needs to oversee transport effectively”.
The report calls for better local transport options and integrated education and transport planning, especially in rural areas.
A DfE spokesperson said action had already been taken ahead of the reforms, including introducing a new national data collection for councils to benchmark spending.
The department was also “creating a bespoke funding formula to direct money where it is needed most, and working with to give councils better tools to improve routes serving schools.
“Taken together we are confident these measures will address the concerns the committee has raised.”
