Date set for meeting to probe 'recurring crisis' of school transport chaos in Central Bedfordshire
The date has been set for an extraordinary scrutiny meeting to probe into the "recurring crisis" of home to school transport for children with special needs.
Problems including “school transport arrangements not being in place, difficulties contacting the service, safeguarding concerns and poor communication” are to be analysed at the Central Bedfordshire Council meeting next month.
The issues for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across the district have been labelled “a recurring crisis at the start of every academic year” by the Central Bedfordshire SEND action group.
The council’s director of children’s services Amana Gordon apologised for the impact this upheaval had on children, young people and families.
Parents were promised a chance to have their say at a special meeting of CBC’s sustainable communities overview and scrutiny committee, to be held at its Priory House headquarters in Chicksands, on Thursday, November 26, at 1.30pm.
The special needs action panel parent carer forum (SNAP PCF) said on social media that “Raising concerns is only part of the work, as we need to make sure parent carers’ experiences reach the people who can make changes.”
Its ‘Central Bedfordshire SEND transport: summer 2026’ report brought together the issues parents and carers had shared, with many being “similar to concerns SNAP PCF raised with CBC in September 2025”. It also suggested practical recommendations and offering to work together.
SNAP PCF met with the Amana Gordon, director of children’s services, to discuss the report.
And in response, wrote SNAP PCF, Ms Gordon said: “We welcome SNAP PCF’s report and value the important role they play in representing parent carers and helping us improve families’ experience of home-to-school transport. We recognise that some families experienced disruption and uncertainty, and we are sorry for the impact this had on children, young people and their families.
"We are committed to listening, learning and working alongside SNAP and parent carers to co-produce improvements that make services more reliable, responsive and centred on families’ experiences.”
PCF director Kirsty Green has been invited to attend the extraordinary scrutiny committee meeting in her role as a co-opted member of CBC’s SEND overview and scrutiny sub-committee.
Conservative Dunstable West councillor Nigel Young, who chairs the sustainable communities scrutiny committee, said at its September meeting: “We’ll emerge with a recommendation that hopefully will prevent this happening in future years.”
More details of the PCF’s SEND transport report are available online.