Special Educational Needs and Disabilities transport services

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act to request the following information from the Transportation Department and / or Education Department.

Could you please provide me with the amount that was spent on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities transport services over the current academic year (2022 – 2023) and the list of 5 largest providers of these services by volume (the number of schoolchildren delivered) and spend. If this information is not available for the full academic year, please provide for any period within the year that is available. The bigger part of the year this information covers, the better. Could you please include the name of the provider, the number of schoolchildren delivered by each of the providers, and the amount spent on each of the providers. Please also indicate which time period which this information covers.

Because transport details change on a daily basis we have, therefore, we have had to provide a snapshot of data:

• * * The data provided is a snapshot taken on 16th March 2023 showing the annual value of ongoing contracts held, and the number of passengers being transported at that time.
• * * The details provided include Education Entitled passengers with an identified Special Educational Need or Disability and/or attending a specialist educational setting.
• * * Public transport and rail routes are not included.

The total spend for Specialist transport for the 22/23 financial year was: £25,095,802.00