Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information his Department holds on the average distance children with SEND have to travel to attend their setting.

The information requested is not readily available and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Most pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) attend mainstream education (54% of pupils with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) and 89% of pupils with an EHCP or SEND support).

Local authorities must provide free home to school transport for children of compulsory school age who attend their nearest suitable school and would be unable to walk there because it is beyond walking distance (2 miles for children under 8 and 3 miles for children aged 8 and over). They must also provide this if it is because of their SEND, or because the nature of the route means it would be unsafe to do so.

Where a child has an EHCP, the school named in the plan will normally be their nearest suitable school for transport purposes.