We're asking for views on how we support children who are educated outside a school or college.
We've launched a new consultation on Education Otherwise Than At School, known as EOTAS, as part of our wider plan to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Here's what it means.
What is EOTAS?
EOTAS is when a local authority arranges a child's special educational provision somewhere other than a school or college - for example at home, or through a mix of different providers - because a school or college setting isn't right for their needs. It's set out as part of a child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
EOTAS is different from alternative provision, which local authorities arrange for children who can't attend school because of illness, exclusion, or other reasons. Schools can also arrange alternative provision to support a child's behaviour.
The consultation also covers:
- support for children who can't attend school and require alternative provision because of health needs
- how schools and local authorities use accredited online education providers for alternative provision
No decisions have been made. We want to hear from parents, carers, children and young people before anything changes.
How does this fit with the government's other SEND consultations?
Families and professionals told us throughout our wider SEND reform consultation, which closed in May, that EOTAS needed specific attention. We know the needs of this cohort are complex, and we want to understand how we can best meet those needs. That's why we're consulting on it separately, so the views of families can directly shape how it works in the future.
We're also currently consulting on upfront funding for SEND in mainstream schools. All the responses to these consultations will be considered together.
We've had thousands of responses to our wider SEND reform consultation and held over 200 engagement events with young people, parents and professionals. We'll keep working closely with everyone with a stake in the system to get this right.
What would happen to children and young people who currently receive EOTAS?
We know many families whose children currently receive EOTAS have been through a difficult journey - often involving placement breakdowns, long periods without the right support, and having to fight hard to get where they are now.
Stability is our priority for these families.
- Children and young people of secondary school age and above who are already receiving EOTAS when any new system comes in would be able to continue with their existing arrangements.
- For the smaller number of children in early years or primary school who receive EOTAS, we want a proper, supported process to consider what's best for them as they approach the end of primary school, with families involved throughout. That could mean continuing with EOTAS as part of a new Specialist Provision Package, or a carefully supported transition. No child would simply be moved without their individual needs being considered.
Nothing is changing now. Any changes would come into effect from 2029/30 at the earliest, and only if approved by Parliament.
What are the main proposals?
Earlier support: We want to spot and respond to children's needs earlier, so fewer children experience placement breakdowns or long periods out of education. Some children will still need EOTAS, and we want to make sure it's there for them when it's needed.
Better quality provision: EOTAS would remain available for children with the most complex needs who are eligible for a Specialist Provision Package and an EHCP, and where a school or college setting isn't right for them. We want all EOTAS provision to be safe, high quality, with regular touchpoints, and focused on helping children make progress and achieve their goals.
Clearer responsibility and accountability: We're consulting on how oversight of EOTAS should work in future. Under the proposals, every child receiving EOTAS would be connected to a named school or further education college responsible for managing the arrangements and working with families. In many cases, this would be a specialist setting that hasn't previously supported the child - not one where earlier difficulties or a placement breakdown happened.
We also want to make sure families can raise concerns and challenge decisions, and we're asking for views on the best way to do this. Any decision about whether a child moves to a school or college in future would be made individually, with families involved throughout, and only where it's genuinely right for that child.
Higher standards for providers: We're asking whether organisations delivering EOTAS should have to meet national quality standards, and how that should be checked.
Supporting children with health needs: We're looking at how schools, local authorities and health services can work better together when a child can't attend school because of physical or mental health needs, including how to:
- provide support earlier
- reduce delays in accessing help
- keep children connected to learning during periods of absence
- support a return to school where that's the right option
Using online education safely: We're also looking at how schools and local authorities use accredited online providers for alternative provision, including how to keep children connected to a school wherever possible, with clear expectations about when online provision is appropriate and for how long.
Have your say
No decisions have been made. We're consulting because we want to hear the views of parents, carers, schools and local authorities before deciding whether to take these proposals forward.
The consultation is open until [DATE].
You can respond online at SEND reform: education otherwise than at school.