Council spend £1.5m on transporting SEND pupils to out-of-borough placements

Tameside council spent more than £1.5m sending children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to out of borough facilities, last year.

According to recent data taken from a Freedom of Information request (FOI), the authority spent £1,589,155 in 2023/24 on education placements outside of the area. The largest cost in this relates to transporting the children to and from their specialist schools.

This figure has more than doubled since 2019/20 when it cost the local authority £605,166, according to the FOI submitted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. 

The council explained the cost increase relates to rising prices of transporting children as well as the increased number of youngsters on Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in Tameside.

As of May 25 this year, approximately 209 pupils were being transported to education settings outside the borough on 119 routes, council data has revealed. In a bid to reduce costs, the local authority is planning to increase SEND capacity in the area by creating specialist units within their mainstream schools.

Earlier this year, town hall bosses ring-fenced £1.5m for the adaptations required in order for the SEND units to open in September 2025.

A spokesperson for Tameside Council said: “The cost of transporting children and young people to out-of-borough educational settings has risen significantly, alongside an increase in the number of routes being provided.

“This reflects the growing number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) in Tameside and the corresponding demand for specialist education provision.

“Tameside Council is actively working with partners across Greater Manchester to review and improve transport route planning and procurement. At the same time, efforts are underway to expand in-borough specialist school capacity and develop additional resource base placements. 

“This is part of the Council’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that children and young people receive the specialist support they need as close to home as possible, within their local school or community.”

Here is a breakdown of the increasing cost of Tameside Council spending on out-of-borough SEND placements:

• 2019/20: £605,166 
• 2020/21: £784,398
• 2021/22: £878,905
• 2022/23: £1,151,121
• 2023/24: £1,589,155