A revised proposal for methods of transport to schools for children with special education needs has been made following complaints from parents and Governors alike
Parent Governor and Deputy Chair of the board of Governors at Lydgate Junior School, Emily Griffiths inquired as to why it is that the special needs SEN funding falls short in mainstream schools during the Education, Children and Families Policy Committee meeting that took place on Wednesday the 7th May 2025.
SEN funding means that Sheffield City Council pay the special school to cover the cost of support the child needs and children with special educational needs are placed in a mainstream school receive a top up.
This has to fit in the guidelines of the EHCP (Education, Health, and Care Plan), which is a legal document for children and young people aged 0 to 25. It outlines their educational, health, and social care needs, the support they require, and how this support should be provided in school or other settings.
However, Emily Griffiths said: “Schools do not receive adequate funding to support the childs needs outlined in the EHCP.”
The council, chaired by Cllr Dawn Dale, discussed the previous proposals that had been given on what could be done to improve the situation but found many ideas to be “impractical and financially burdensome” and revealed a new revised proposal.
The revised proposal will affect the personal travel budgets (PTB) for people with changes such as; PTBs being introduced as an optional choice for existing Post-16 students and Year 11 students accessing SEN, families being provided with more detailed information about PTBs when applying and students who do not currently access SEN given the opportunity to access alternative transport options.
The scheme also proposes to make changes such as the expansion of independent travel training and increasing fees for young people for taxi and minibus provision.
Gaynor Stevenson, a parent of a child with special needs who attended and spoke at the meeting, said: “I can understand for a lot of parents it’s quite scary. I would like to see more parental involvement, more consultation with parents.”
The council also announced that they are in the early stages of discussion with the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) for funding to recruit 12 Travel Training and Assessment Officers for a two-year period.
