EOTAS (Education Otherwise Than At School) is a legal provision in the UK that allows specific children with special needs to be educated in an alternative setting away from the school environment. When a child cannot be taught within school, for whatever reason, EOTAS can be a good alternative.
Benefits of EOTAS could include:
- An education specifically tailored to a child’s needs
- An opportunity for increased emotional regulation
- An exclusion of elements of school culture that have been exacerbating the student’s SEND
- Timetabling flexibility – targets can be adjusted daily according to the needs of the student
- Specialised support from other agencies can be factored in, such as occupational therapy.
Case Study One – Curtis
Curtis is 17. His SENsational Tutor Shona has taught him on an EOTAS package for nearly a year. Curtis has a profile of Autism and ADHD and experiences emotional dysregulation that can cause high anxiety and behavioural changes, sometimes of an aggressive nature.
Prior to EOTAS, Curtis was in school. However, but couldn’t be contained there due to the behavioural nature of his SEND and the challenges faced by his school to meet his needs.
After considering college as a potential alternative, it was decided that requesting an EOTAS plan would be the best option. An EHC Practitioner was appointed by the Local Authority to make the application on behalf of Curtis to set the wheels in motion, which eventually led to the creation his EOTAS package.
Location & Timetable
Curtis is tutored within his EOTAS package for 15 hours per week; (3 hours each day from 1pm-4pm). His tutoring occurs at home incorporating maths, English and PHSE. For the rest of the day Curtis spends time swimming, having occupational therapy or seeing his social worker. Physical activity is included, typically involving walks with his tutor, Shona.
There is also the flexibility for time-out periods where Curtis can regulate if needed and/or focus on activities away from learning that help him relax and reset.
Other than his tutoring, Curtis goes swimming in the morning three times a week either with a family member or his carer; this helps with his mental focus and regulation before tuition begins later in the day. Speech and language sessions are also included in his plan.
Please see the timetable below that has been created for Curtis on his EOTAS plan.
Specific Focus
At the start of each session with Shona, Curtis spends time in a question/answer/sharing session which helps him settle; this is especially beneficial for him.
There is also time during this slot for Curtis to discuss his feelings each day, but with no pressure to verbally say how he feels. As such he has a range of cards that he can display to silently communicate his feelings if needed. Making a connection with his emotions helps Curtis to develop empathy, develop a bond with Shona, understand his triggers and improve his regulation.
As a pupil who is very inquisitive, Curtis has many questions that come into his mind; as such Shona has found it very beneficial to address this need at the start of a session. It allows him to explore many impending curiosities which helps regulate his mood and keep him focused for the afternoon.
Although Curtis may still have questions for the remainder of the afternoon, having spent time doing this activity initially appeases that side of his nature and mentally allows him to settle.
Successes
Overall, the plan has been a resounding success, with notable achievements in the following key areas:
Communication: Shona has effectively adapted her interactive style to best engage with Curtis, resulting in improved communication for Curtis in addition to the development of a strong bond and level of trust. This would have been harder to achieve in a school environment as there may often have been other sensory distractions which are much less likely to occur on an EOTAS plan.
Reduction of aggressive behaviour: Being away from school has allowed Curtis to be himself resulting in less of a need for aggressive tendencies. As such he has an improved sense of calm, can meet more learning targets in a safer space and react to situations without the pressure of potentially upsetting any classroom dynamics which could aggravate him.
Identifying triggers: Shona has been able to easily spot when Curtis is being triggered by something and can quickly react appropriately in a secure environment.
Interactive skills: During tuition, time is spent helping Curtis with his social interaction, providing more opportunities for him to improve his level of interpersonal skills.
Improved learning: The EOTAS arrangement provides Curtis with a more conducive learning environment, enabling him a better level of focus and increased academic results.
Adaptability of the plan: There are some areas in maths where Curtis is beyond his age expectations and other areas where he is below. EOTAS 1:1 allows adaptability to his specific needs during each individual lesson, to ensure maximum potential is reached.
Behavioural Processes
Both Curtis’s mother and Shona recognize several key behavioural benefits of the EOTAS program, including:
- Curtis is more regulated and focused on his work, displaying a calmer disposition.
- On days when Curtis may be dysregulated, academic targets can be altered to prioritise his emotional welfare..
- The flexibility of the timetable allows for minor alterations to be made as they arise regarding his behaviour.
- The timetable permits Shona to address Curtis’s needs specifically; during PHSE, for example, topics can be adjusted to suit any areas of concern he may have.
- Teaching styles can be adapted easily to suit his level of regulation, without any worry about an impact on other students, as would be the case in school.
- Improved social interaction in an environment that allows for unlimited learning activities.
Reviewing of the EOTAS Package
There are regular meetings with the council between Curtis’s mum, Shona, social workers, the EHC practitioner, speech and language therapist and the occupational health therapist, who meet every 8 weeks.
Subsequently, it is possible to fully reflect on what is working or what may need amending. As a result, the EOTAS package is adapted following the meetings if necessary.
Conclusion
EOTAS has been a breath of fresh air for Curtis, releasing many of the stresses he encountered at school, replacing them with a bespoke learning plan in the best possible learning environment. He now has a specialist tutor with the correct skills. In addition, there is adequate time to focus just on him, without the possibility of distractions that may be caused by the inevitability of school cultural dynamics.
Please note: The information provided within this blog, by SENsational Tutors, is for general information purposes only. We appreciate that every person is unique and any advice/experiences mentioned within the content of each blog may not be reflective of your own personal experience. All information on the site is provided in good faith and is for educational informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice. Before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with appropriate professionals.
