Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) Consultation Launched
The EOTAS consultation focuses on how children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can be better supported when education is provided outside a school or further education setting. It also examines arrangements for children receiving alternative provision due to health needs and the use of accredited online education providers. The consultation highlights the significant growth in EOTAS arrangements, with around 16,000 children and young people currently receiving education through these arrangements, representing a 90% increase over the past four years. Many of these learners have complex needs, including social, emotional and mental health needs, or autism.
A key proposal is that, from 2029/30, EOTAS would continue to be available for children and young people with the most complex needs who require an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and a Specialist Provision Package. The DfE is seeking views on how EOTAS should be commissioned, managed and quality assured in the future, including whether responsibility should sit primarily with schools and further education providers or be shared with local authorities. The consultation also considers how children already receiving EOTAS support should be protected during the transition to a reformed SEND system. The Government proposes maintaining existing arrangements for most secondary-age and post-16 learners while exploring opportunities for younger children to access other forms of provision where appropriate.
Another significant area of focus is support for children whose health needs prevent them from attending school. The DfE is seeking feedback on how schools, local authorities and health services can work together more effectively to provide timely interventions, reduce periods of absence and improve reintegration into education. Additionally, it examines the growing use of accredited online education providers in alternative provision. Questions include whether placements should be time-limited and whether pupils should remain on the roll of a school while receiving online education.
Education leaders, teachers, SEND professionals, governors, academy trusts, local authority officers, alternative provision providers, health professionals and sector organisations are all encouraged to contribute. Parents, carers, children and young people with experience of EOTAS or alternative provision are also invited to respond. The Department for Education has stated that consultation responses will help shape future legislation through the proposed Education for All Bill, with reforms expected to take effect from 2029/30. The Government’s response to the consultation is expected to be published in autumn 2026.
Responses should be submitted through the DfE consultation portal before the deadline of 11.59pm on Friday 18 September 2026.
