Newcastle City Council set to cut free home to school transport for post-16 SEND pupils

Free home to school transport for post-16 pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Newcastle is set to be scrapped.

Council bosses are expected to sign off on plans next week to abolish the offer for older school and college students in the city. The local authority, which says it is facing more than £30 million of cost pressures in the next financial year, said the scheme was “no longer affordable”.

If approved by the council’s Labour cabinet next week, the home to school transport service will end for any new post-16 students with SEND in September 2025 – despite concerns over increasing the financial burden on families and that some pupils’ complex needs mean they cannot travel independently. Existing post-16 students will continue to receive the support until their studies end.

Meanwhile, neighbouring North Tyneside Council is poised to make similar changes. Proposals that will go to its cabinet next Monday include introducing a £672-per-year charge for post-16 pupils to access its home to school travel. North Tyneside Council said it was “experiencing unprecedented pressure on social care services and are set to make difficult decisions to spend funding where it is most needed”.

Newcastle City Council had previously suggested introducing a £650 charge for users in order to retain its post-16 offer during a public consultation which was launched this summer. However, it now says that increasing strains on its budgets mean that such an option is “no longer considered to be financially viable”.

As of October 2024, Newcastle City Council was providing transport assistance to 193 post-16 learners and the service is expected to cost £1.6 million in 2024/25. A report ahead of next week’s cabinet meeting outlines that, of 102 people who took part in the consultation, “many respondents express opposition to the proposed changes, with several stating that their children cannot travel independently due to their special needs”. It also highlights concerns over the changes impact on students’ routines and mental health.

Coun Lesley Storey, Labour’s cabinet member for children and families in Newcastle, said: “As with many local authorities, we face increasing financial pressures, requiring us to make tens of millions of pounds in savings. It is not a legal obligation for local authorities to provide transport for post-16 SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) students, but we have made every effort to fund this service for as long as possible.

“However, due to the scale of budget constraints, we have had to make the very difficult decision to consult to discontinue this provision for new post-16 SEND students from September 2025 onwards. Importantly, students currently receiving post-16 SEND transport support will continue to do so until they complete their post-16 education.

“This proposed decision follows extensive consultation during last year's budget planning and additional engagement with young people, families and professionals over the summer. We recognise the impact this change may have on affected families, and we remain committed to supporting all children and young people in reaching their full potential.

“We are continuing to expand our independent travel training programme, which has been widely praised by young people and their parents/carers. We are also doing everything we can to work with those potentially affected to ensure they are aware of the additional support available to support post-16 SEND students, and how this can be used to support them with their travel arrangements.”

In North Tyneside, a series of changes to its home to school SEND transport policies include:

• Introducing a £672 charge per academic year towards the cost of post-16 travel assistance;
• No longer reimbursing 50% of travel costs of pupils attending mainstream education;
• Only providing travel at the start and end of the school day, no longer accommodating pupils on part-time timetables; and
• Removing funded bus passes for those travelling to faith schools on the grounds of religion.

The council said its home to school transport service was facing a £3.5 million deficit and that the changes would save £1.2 million over the next four years.

Coun Steven Phillips, Labour’s cabinet member for inclusion, employment and skills, added: “We know this is a vital service for many families and we need to protect our service for the most vulnerable children. Support will continue to be on offer as we’ll continue to assess children and young people’s circumstances individually, and we’ll be promoting independence and learning and development through our successful independent travel training offer.”

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