Bespoke EOTAS Packages
Education Built Around the Individual.
Flexible, holistic and carefully coordinated education packages for children and young people whose special educational provision cannot appropriately be delivered within a school or post-16 setting.
Working alongside Local Authorities, families and the wider professional network, we bring together personalised education and specialist support shaped around the learner’s EHCP, individual needs and aspirations for the future.
A Personalised Education Beyond the Traditional Setting
Education Otherwise Than At School, commonly known as EOTAS, is an arrangement made by a Local Authority for a child or young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan when it would be inappropriate for their special educational provision to be delivered within a school or post-16 institution.
An EOTAS package brings together the education and specialist provision identified within the learner’s EHCP. Rather than expecting the child or young person to fit within an existing placement or predetermined programme, provision is carefully coordinated around their individual needs, circumstances, strengths and aspirations.
Support may be delivered at home, within suitable community environments or across a combination of locations and providers. Each package should have clear educational purpose, defined outcomes and appropriate arrangements for monitoring and review.
EOTAS, Alternative Provision and Home Education Are Not the Same
EOTAS is special educational provision arranged by a Local Authority under Section 61 and recorded within an EHCP because provision in a school or post-16 institution would be inappropriate.
Alternative Provision is education arranged for children of compulsory school age who would not otherwise receive suitable education. For example because of exclusion, illness or another reason. EOTAS is not itself a form of Alternative Provision, although an EOTAS package may involve services delivered by non-school providers.
Elective Home Education is a choice made by a parent to take responsibility for arranging their child’s education. It is legally distinct from a Local Authority-arranged EOTAS package.
When a Traditional Educational Setting Cannot Appropriately Meet Need
EOTAS may be considered where evidence indicates that it would be inappropriate for the special educational provision required by a child or young person to be made within any school or post-16 institution.
This may involve a complex combination of circumstances, such as:
- Significant sensory, communication or regulation needs
- Physical or mental health needs affecting access to a setting
- Severe anxiety or distress associated with school attendance
- Complex SEND requiring a highly individualised arrangement
- Previous placements repeatedly being unable to meet identified need
- A need for education and specialist provision to be delivered across carefully selected environments
- Circumstances in which attendance at a school or post-16 setting would prevent the learner from accessing meaningful education
Every child and young person’s circumstances must be considered individually. The decision to arrange EOTAS rests with the Local Authority following consultation with the parent or young person and consideration of the available professional evidence.
EOTAS should not be presented as a solution simply because an appropriate school place is unavailable. The legal question is whether it would be inappropriate for the relevant special educational provision to be delivered in a school or post-16 institution—not merely whether securing a placement is difficult.
A Complete and Coordinated Educational Pathway
An effective EOTAS package is not simply a small number of tuition hours delivered outside school.
It should provide a purposeful and coordinated programme that reflects the learner’s education, special educational needs, wellbeing, development and preparation for the future. Depending on the provision specified in the EHCP, this may involve input from several professionals working towards shared outcomes.
At SEND Inclusion Support, we help bring these elements together into a coherent package. We consider not only what support is delivered, but how each element connects, how progress will be understood and how the learner can experience consistency across their wider programme.
Our aim is to create an education package that feels joined-up, achievable and genuinely meaningful to the child or young person.
Designed Around Needs, Strengths and Aspirations
No two EOTAS packages should look exactly the same.
Each package should reflect the child or young person’s age, ability, special educational needs, starting point, interests and aspirations, alongside the special educational provision and outcomes set out within their EHCP.
We work with Local Authorities, families and involved professionals to help translate these requirements into a practical and coordinated programme. This includes considering:
- What provision the learner requires
- Which professionals are appropriately qualified to deliver it
- How and where each element will take place
- The pace and structure at which support can be accessed
- How the different elements of the package will connect
- How progress towards agreed outcomes will be monitored
- How the learner’s views, interests and aspirations will inform delivery
Where we are commissioned to deliver only part of a wider EOTAS package, we work collaboratively with the other professionals and providers involved so that our contribution remains connected to the learner’s overall provision and outcomes.
Bringing the Right Provision
Around the Learner
The content of an EOTAS package is determined by the learner’s EHCP and the arrangements agreed by the Local Authority.
Depending on the individual, a coordinated package could include:
- Personalised teaching across core or wider curriculum areas
- Functional skills and everyday learning
- PSHE and personal development
- Nurture mentoring and support for educational engagement
- Preparation for qualifications or accredited learning
- Communication and interaction support
- Sensory and emotional regulation activities
- Community-based learning and supported access
- Life skills and development of independence
- Preparation for adulthood
- Careers exploration and vocational learning
- Support for social development and meaningful participation
- Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy or other specialist provision
- Carefully planned online learning where appropriate
- Preparation for a future transition or educational placement
SEND Inclusion Support can help coordinate the wider programme and directly deliver agreed elements through appropriately matched Nurture Teachers, Nurture Mentors and other suitable professionals.
Where specialist therapeutic or clinical provision is required, this must be delivered by appropriately qualified practitioners in accordance with the learner’s EHCP and commissioned arrangements.
Turning Agreed Provision into Meaningful Practice
The EHCP provides the foundation for an EOTAS package.
We consider the learner’s identified needs, special educational provision and intended outcomes when shaping the elements we have been commissioned to support. These inform personalised planning, practitioner matching, session delivery and progress monitoring.
In particular, we consider:
- The learner’s special educational needs identified in Section B
- The outcomes recorded in Section E
- The special educational provision specified in Section F
- Relevant health or social care provision connected to the package
- The child or young person’s views, interests and aspirations
- Any identified risks, professional recommendations and accessibility requirements
Clear responsibilities should be agreed at the outset so that families, providers and professionals understand who is delivering each element of provision and how it contributes to the overall EHCP.
We provide regular evidence of engagement and progress relating to the elements we deliver, supporting wider review of the package and the learner’s EHCP.
From Initial Discussion to Coordinated Delivery
1. Initial Consultation
We speak with the Local Authority, family or involved professional to understand the learner’s circumstances, current position and the support being explored. An initial conversation does not determine whether EOTAS will be agreed. That decision rests with the Local Authority through the relevant statutory process.
2. Understanding the EHCP and Wider Evidence
Once appropriately authorised, we review the learner’s EHCP and relevant professional information to understand their needs, required provision, intended outcomes and any known risks.
3. Package Design and Responsibilities
We help identify how the commissioned elements could operate in practice, including appropriate professionals, environments, activities, hours and methods of delivery. Responsibilities are clarified wherever the package involves multiple providers.
4. Thoughtful Practitioner Matching
We identify professionals whose qualifications, experience, location and personal approach align with the learner and the provision they have been commissioned to deliver.
5. Coordinated Delivery
Support begins at an appropriate and achievable pace. We maintain communication with the family, commissioner and relevant professionals, helping the different elements of the programme remain connected.
6. Monitoring, Review and Development
Engagement, progress and suitability are monitored against agreed objectives and relevant EHCP outcomes. Our delivery can be adapted in consultation with the commissioner as the learner’s needs and circumstances develop.
Shared Outcomes. Clear Responsibilities. Consistent Support.
An EOTAS package may bring together several professionals, providers and services. Without careful coordination, the learner can experience these as a collection of disconnected interventions rather than one coherent education.
We work collaboratively with:
- Children and young people
- Parents and carers
- Local Authority SEND teams
- Education professionals
- Nurture Teachers and Nurture Mentors
- Health and social care professionals
- Therapists and specialist practitioners
- Careers, vocational and community organisations
- Other commissioned education providers
Our role is agreed according to each commission. This may involve directly delivering specific elements, coordinating professionals provided through our network, or contributing to a wider package overseen by the Local Authority.
Through shared objectives, regular communication and clear reporting, we help create greater consistency around the child or young person.
The Right Provision in the Right Environment
EOTAS is not defined by one location. Provision can take place across a carefully planned combination of environments selected according to the learner’s needs and the purpose of each activity.
Depending on the agreed package, support may be delivered:
- In the learner’s home
- In libraries or suitable community venues
- Through community-based learning
- Within vocational or practical environments
- In specialist facilities
- Through appropriately selected online provision
- Across a combination of locations and providers
Every environment must be considered in relation to safeguarding, accessibility, suitability and individual risk. Locations and activities are agreed with the commissioner and reviewed as the package develops.
Where appropriate, the learner can be gradually supported to access new environments, build independence and participate more confidently within their community.
Monitoring, Reporting and Quality Assurance
Every element of an EOTAS package should have a clear purpose and a meaningful relationship with the learner’s EHCP.
For the provision we deliver, progress may be monitored across areas such as:
- Attendance, participation and engagement
- Progress towards relevant EHCP outcomes
- Academic development and identified learning priorities
- Communication and interaction
- Confidence, wellbeing and self-advocacy
- Emotional regulation and readiness to learn
- Independence and practical life skills
- Community access and social participation
- Preparation for qualifications, adulthood or future destinations
- Readiness for any agreed transition
Commissioners receive weekly progress information relating to agreed objectives. We communicate emerging concerns promptly and contribute evidence to reviews of the learner’s package and EHCP.
Our delivery is supported by safeguarding procedures, safer recruitment, practitioner compliance, appropriate risk assessment and ongoing oversight from SEND Inclusion Support.
Building Towards a Meaningful and Sustainable Life
An EOTAS package should support more than immediate access to education. It should also help the child or young person build the knowledge, confidence and skills they need for their future.
Depending on their age, needs and aspirations, this may include:
- Developing communication and self-advocacy
- Building independence at home and in the community
- Forming positive relationships
- Exploring interests and future possibilities
- Developing functional literacy and numeracy
- Preparing for qualifications or further learning
- Accessing vocational experiences
- Understanding travel, money and everyday responsibilities
- Preparing for further education, training or employment
- Supporting physical and emotional wellbeing
- Planning a carefully supported transition where appropriate
A return to school or college may be appropriate and achievable for some learners, but it should not be presented as the only measure of success. We work towards the outcomes and future pathway identified for the individual.
Meaningful Progress Starts with the Individual
Our approach to EOTAS builds upon our experience of delivering personalised, relationship-led education for children and young people with complex barriers to learning.
Across our provision, we have seen how consistent relationships, thoughtful practitioner matching and education shaped around the individual can strengthen engagement, confidence and readiness for the future.
As our EOTAS service develops, we are committed to evidencing impact transparently through learner progress, family and professional feedback, and progress towards the outcomes identified within each EHCP.
Parent of G
EOTAS Student
“Andrea is incredibly kind and patient with G. She plans lessons and activities around his interests, works at the right level and understands how to respond when he becomes dysregulated. Her sessions combine educational games with structured tasks, and she is always flexible and well prepared.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Who decides whether EOTAS is appropriate?
The Local Authority makes the decision under Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014. It must consider the individual circumstances and whether it would be inappropriate for the learner’s special educational provision to be made in a school or post-16 institution.
SEND Inclusion Support cannot approve EOTAS, but we can discuss potential delivery arrangements and help shape or deliver commissioned elements once the appropriate process is underway.
Does a learner need an EHCP?
Yes. Section 61 EOTAS concerns special educational provision for a child or young person with an EHCP.
Other forms of education outside school exist, including Alternative Provision and education arranged because of illness or another reason, but these are legally distinct from EOTAS.
Is EOTAS the same as home tuition?
No. Provision may include teaching delivered at home, but a well-designed EOTAS package can incorporate education, mentoring, specialist input, life skills, community-based learning and preparation for adulthood across several suitable environments.
Is EOTAS a form of Alternative Provision?
No. They are distinct legal arrangements. EOTAS is special educational provision arranged under Section 61 and specified through an EHCP. Alternative Provision is generally arranged under different legal duties for children of compulsory school age who would otherwise not receive suitable education.
Can SEND Inclusion Support provide the entire package?
This depends on what the learner requires and what we are appropriately equipped and commissioned to deliver.
We can provide and coordinate a range of educational and mentoring support. Where an EHCP specifies therapy or another regulated specialist provision, suitably qualified professionals must deliver it. We can work alongside those professionals as part of the wider package.
Can families contact you directly?
Yes. Families are welcome to speak with us about their circumstances and the practical possibilities for a personalised package.
However, contacting us does not itself establish an EOTAS arrangement. Formal decisions, funding and commissioning must be agreed through the appropriate Local Authority process.
Where can provision take place?
Depending on the EHCP and agreed arrangements, provision may take place at home, in suitable community environments, within specialist facilities, online or through a combination of locations.
All delivery remains subject to suitability, safeguarding and appropriate risk assessment.
How many hours should an EOTAS package provide?
There is no single timetable that is appropriate for every learner. The package should reflect the individual’s needs and the provision specified in their EHCP.
The Local Authority remains responsible for securing the special educational provision in Section F. Any provision delivered by SEND Inclusion Support will be based on the commissioned arrangements.
How is progress monitored?
We agree objectives and reporting arrangements for the provision we deliver. Progress is considered against the learner’s starting point, the purpose of each element and the relevant EHCP outcomes.
We provide regular information to the commissioner and contribute to wider reviews where requested.
Does EOTAS always lead back to school?
No. Reintegration may be appropriate for some learners, but it is not the sole purpose or required outcome of every EOTAS arrangement.
The future pathway should be based on the individual’s needs, progress, views and aspirations and should be considered through the ongoing EHCP review process.
Let’s Build the Right Education Around the Learner
Every effective EOTAS package begins with a detailed understanding of the child or young person.
Whether you are a Local Authority exploring delivery options, a professional contributing to an existing package or a family seeking to understand what personalised provision could look like, our team is here to listen and discuss the next step.*
*An initial discussion with SEND Inclusion Support does not constitute approval of EOTAS. Decisions regarding Section 61 arrangements, EHCP provision and public funding remain subject to the relevant Local Authority process.
Discuss an EOTAS Package, or make a referral:
Safe, Accountable and Carefully Coordinated
We understand that EOTAS packages require clear oversight, robust safeguarding and confidence in every professional and provider involved.
Local Authorities and other authorised commissioners can request relevant information to support their due-diligence and commissioning processes. This may include information relating to:
- Safeguarding and child protection
- Safer recruitment and practitioner compliance
- Qualifications and professional experience
- Insurance and organisational policies
- Risk assessment
- Service oversight and escalation
- Progress reporting
- Information governance
- Complaints and quality assurance
- Continuity and contingency arrangements
Individual delivery plans and risk assessments are developed according to the learner, practitioner, environment and commissioned activities.