Education Other than at School (EOTAS)

EOTAS (Education Other Than at School) means that a child or young person is not on the roll of a school or post 16 institution and their education or special educational provision may be provided at home or another setting which is not a registered educational setting.

EOTAS is made possible by section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. Under section 61, local authorities have the power to agree for a child or young person with SEND being educated somewhere other than a school or post-16 institution, but only where the authority is satisfied that “…it would be inappropriate for the provision to be made in a school or post-16 institution”

Examples of EOTAS are

• Online learning
• Home tuition
• Hospital schooling
• Specific therapies including, speech and language therapy, sensory OT, Play therapy, physiotherapy
• Any other provision that the local authority may commission to support progress towards outcomes or detailed as special educational proviso as detailed in section F of an EHC plan detailed in the EHC plan or e.g., Animal Therapy, Music

A child or young person can only be designated as EOTAS by a local authority through an EHC needs assessment, and EHC reassessment or an EHCP annual review. And where through this process they have determined that there is evidence to suggest that it is necessary  for a child or young person to receive their education and special educational provision  through an EOTAS package

EOTAS is not the same as elective home education. If you choose to home educate, parents are responsible for making their own suitable arrangements for the child’s educational (including any special educational) provision. Therefore, if you have an EHCP, the Local Authority does not have a duty to provide the provision detailed in Section F.