(UK) Birmingham: "Council spent £51million [$69M] on SEND transport in just one year"
- The end of childhood
- Jan 19
- 2 min read
Jan 19, 2026, Birmingham Live: Special needs kids 'trapped in failing system' - as city spends £51m on transport
Families of children with special educational needs are "trapped in a failing system", the boss of an online school said, as a study claimed Birmingham Council spent £51million [$69M] on SEND transport in just one year.
The sum, for 2024-25, was the fourth highest in the country, although the authority said no-one should be surprised at the scale of its commitment given it was Europe's largest local authority.
The report was conducted by research company Green Shoots Market and commissioned by online school Minerva Virtual Academy [MVA].
Over five years, SEND transportation costs increased by around £25.1 million {$38M] for Birmingham City Council.
Hugh Viney, MVA CEO, said: “This report gives a voice to families trapped in a failing system and exposes the gruelling reality of SEND transport.
"For thousands of children, the daily journey to school is a source of chronic anxiety, sensory overload and deteriorating mental health, leaving them exhausted before learning even begins. . . .
The number of pupils with SEND increased by 44 per cent nationally over nine years, while spending on transporting them to school rose by 204 per cent.
Home-to-school transport for pupils with SEND now accounts for 4.9 per cent of all local authority education spending, up from two per cent a decade ago.
Mr Viney continued: "The report raises serious questions about how councils are spending public money, particularly around competition, procurement and value for money.
“Instead of funnelling vast sums into taxi services, including council-owned subsidiaries, we should be asking why alternative models of education for children who are out of school or struggling in mainstream settings are so often overlooked."
A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said: “By virtue of our size, as the largest local authority in Europe, it is not surprising we support more SEND pupils with home to school transport than other councils.
“An increase in demand for this support has been seen across all local authorities, not just in Birmingham, as more students qualify for home to school transport – a service more families rely on. . . .
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