Education Other Than in School/College (EOTIS/C)

Education Other Than at School/College (EOTIS/C) is an education provision to meet specific needs of pupils who are unable to attend school.

Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 outlines EOTIS/C. The legislation states that local authorities may make special educational provision available outside of an education setting should the authority be satisfied that it would be inappropriate for it to be made within a school/college and following consent with parents/carers and young people.

Pupils may be absent from school for a variety of reasons; this may include factors related to physical, mental or emotional health, exclusion, or other reasons specific to the circumstances of the child or young person. Often this will be on a temporary basis as children or young people look to return to an education setting.

EOTIS/C is different from Elective Home Education (EHE) where a parent has chosen to educate their child at home.  This means that the responsibility to secure the provision within an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) no longer sits

Local authorities have the power to consent to a child or young person with SEN being educated somewhere other than a school or post 16 education 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 EOTIS/C

EOTIS/C can include a range of methods of delivering provision, including

  • online tuition
  • home tuition
  • attendance at other education centres
  • therapies such as speech and language that are classed as educational provision

How the Local Authority (LA) decide the EOTIS/C may be appropriate

  1. The LA must decide that it is necessary to make special educational provision that is not in a school, post 16 setting or early years setting
  2. The LA must be satisfied through an evidence base that a school, post 16 institution or early years setting would be inappropriate for the child or young person
  3. The LA must consult with the parent or young person about their intentions

EOTIS/C documents