Education other than at School (EOTAS)
EOTAS is an education provision to meet specific needs of pupils who cannot attend a mainstream or special school. In law, local authorities are responsible for providing these services.
Pupils can be out of school for a variety of health reasons or following exclusion from school for example mental health issues that would affect their ability to attend a school, or that the school settings they have attended are not able to meet their needs.
They can also be used when a child or Young Person finds themselves in between settings as a short-term method of ensuring that the provision in their EHC Plan is being delivered.
EOTAS is different from Elective Home education (EHE) where a parent has actively chosen to educate their child at home.
EOTAS operates under section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. 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 EOTAS
EOTAS can include a range of methods of providing tuition such as -
- 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 EOTAS is appropriate
- 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
- 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
- The LA must consult with the parent or young person about their intentions