Croydon Council is grappling with the increasing costs associated with transporting children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) to and from school. A recent meeting of the Scrutiny Children & Young People Sub-Committee addressed the growing demand and explored potential savings.

The SEND Transport Update presented to the sub-committee highlighted significant national increases in both Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) and SEND home-to-school transport demand. Croydon is experiencing a similar trend, with a 30% increase in both EHCPs and students requiring transport between 2023 and 2025.

Line chart showing the number of students with an EHCP and the number of students on transport from 2015/2016 to 2024/2025.
Line chart showing the number of students with an EHCP and the number of students on transport from 2015/2016 to 2024/2025.

The council is exploring several avenues to manage these rising costs, including:

  • In-borough SEND placements: Placing more students within Croydon schools reduces the need for long-distance transport.
  • Enhanced Learning Provisions (ELPs): The council has been actively developing inclusive practices in mainstream schools. There are currently 17 ELPs active across primary and secondary schools, with 6 new ELPs opened in 2024/25 and 7 more proposed for 2025/26.
  • Optimising transport arrangements: Working in partnership with schools to analyse student needs and provide specific support to make shared transport successful. This support can include analysing student needs to make shared transport successful.

One example cited in the SEND Transport Update report demonstrated the potential for significant savings. School 2 worked with the council to analyse student needs and provide specific support to make shared transport successful, resulting in cost reductions from £251,525 for 2024/2025 to £171,638 for 2025/2026, a saving of £80,000.

The CYPE Transformation Update also touched on the SEND transport issue as part of the council's broader efforts to stabilise and improve children's services. The update highlighted that the Children, Young People and Education (CYPE) element of the stabilisation plan focuses on the challenge of Home to School Transport for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).