86% rise in Buckinghamshire children with education, health and care plans

Between 2015 and 2023, the number of youngsters in Buckinghamshire with an EHCP increased by 86 per cent, while the county’s school population rose by 10 per cent over the same period.

The cabinet member for transport Steve Broadbent provided the data during last week’s meeting of the finance and resources select committee.

He said: “That is significant because many of those – not all – will require transport.”

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide free-of-charge arrangements for school travel to eligible children of statutory school age (five to 16 years).

Bucks Council provides school transport assistance for approximately 7,470 children and young people, including 5,000 students in mainstream schools, 1,870 at special needs schools and 600 students who receive personal transport budgets.

In addition to eligible students, the council transports approximately 340 non-eligible ‘spare seats’ students on its school buses – paid-for school bus transport.

Home to school transport is one of the four largest areas of the council’s budget, along with temporary accommodation for homeless people and adult and children’s social care.

The council has a home to school transport programme to improve the situation, which includes looking at special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) eligibility, reviewing unsafe walking routes and better use of school and college non-attendance data.

More information on school transport routes in the county can be found online.