Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson (Image: Getty)
A school is facing intense scrutiny after the revelation that Buckinghamshire Council spends a dizzying £949.62 per day transporting a pupil with special educational needs (SEN) 59 miles to a boarding school twice weekly in a specialist medical vehicle. The figure, the highest daily SEN transport cost reported among over 100 councils, has ignited public outrage and prompted calls for urgent reform of the “broken” system.
The cost of transporting SEN pupils has surged, doubling over the past decade to £2.3 billion annually, consuming nearly 5% of council tax revenues in England. Some councils allocate £1 in every £10 of their education budgets to ferrying pupils, with children undertaking round trips of up to 368 miles—equivalent to Watford to Edinburgh—in taxis and ambulances. In East Sussex, one pupil’s daily 25-mile commute cost £160,000 last year, far exceeding the £8,210 the Government spends on a mainstream pupil’s annual education.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: Getty)
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, speaking ahead of her Labour Party conference address on Monday, described the SEN system as “broken.” She pledged to ensure “every child the chance to attend a good local school which meets their needs.”
Ms Phillipson highlighted £740 million in Government funding to create 10,000 new specialist school places and enhance teacher training, emphasising collaboration with parents and experts to reform SEN provision and reduce long journeys.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, addressing the issue on Sunday, admitted: “The special educational needs system doesn’t work well for most people.”
While stressing he does not aim to “take away rights,” his call for reform has sparked concerns among parents and charities, who fear reduced support following Labour’s recent welfare reform U-turn.
Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice (Image: Getty)
Freedom of Information data, obtained by The Telegraph from over 100 councils, highlights the crisis’s scale.
Nottinghamshire’s SEN transport users rose from 1,700 in 2022 to 4,000 this year; Norfolk’s climbed from 3,875 to 4,602.
A record 639,000 children now hold Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs), up 11% in a year, driven by needs like autism, speech difficulties, and mental health conditions such as ADHD.
This has increased reliance on private transport, with some pupils requiring escorts or ambulances from providers like Amvale Medical Transport, which received £3.8 million from Lincolnshire County Council last year.
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Councils must fund transport for children under eight living over two miles from school, or older children over three miles, but rising complex needs have driven up private vehicle use.
Reform’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, said: “The Send taxi transport system is costing councils many tens of millions and is another scandal of abuse and rip-off that must be addressed. It is not fair on taxpayers and other parents.”
The financial burden is pushing councils toward bankruptcy. Bristol City Council, for example, contracts E-zec Medical for SEN transport but withheld cost details.
The Government’s planned SEN provision overhaul aims to ease these pressures, but Labour faces internal backlash, with MPs and advocacy groups warning that changes could harm vulnerable children.
Ms Phillipson reaffirmed her commitment: “Children with SEND are among the most vulnerable.
“It’s unacceptable that the broken system forces such long journeys.
“We’re working to ensure their needs are met locally.”
With 1.3 million additional pupils receiving non-EHCP SEN support and EHCP numbers soaring, the debate over funding and fairness intensifies. Councils, families, and taxpayers remain caught in a system struggling to balance cost and care.
