The term ‘EOTAS Package’ may sound like a cut-price holiday to a little-known Greek island but it actually stands for ‘Education Other Than At School’. The term refers to a situation where a young person is not able to attend school, college or a special school and therefore has to be educated in an alternative environment such as home, online or at a hospital school.
The ‘package’ is the individualised timetable put together and paid for by the local authority in consultation with parents as well as any health or education professionals involved in the young person’s care. It may include formal lessons, psychological support such as social skills training as well as things like physiotherapy or occupational therapy to support any physical needs.
It should be noted that this is different to ‘elective home education’ where parents choose to home educate and take complete responsibility for arranging tuition or other support, even with an EHCP in place.
Identifying Special Needs is the First Step to Getting an EOTAS Package
There can be many reasons why a child cannot attend school and needs an EOTAS package – anxiety, school refusal or a health condition, for example, or maybe there isn’t a placement nearby that can meet the student’s needs. To qualify for EOTAS, the young person needs to have an EHCP in place or to be in the process of being assessed for one.
Generally, local councils take the view that EOTAS is meant to be a short-term solution to help a child back into the classroom. However, children with special needs often have high levels of anxiety and can find mainstream settings overwhelming and too stimulating. Some families report that they have had to battle to get their LA to accept this fact and continue the package.
They say that often, this is a kind of ‘Catch 22’ situation where the child makes progress because of the more flexible learning arrangement but the education department then believes the young person is OK to return to school – potentially reigniting previous problems. Because of this, some parents have found it necessary to go to tribunal to argue that EOTAS is best for their son or daughter.
There Can be Restrictions with EOTAS Packages
Milo, aged eighteen, who lives in south London, has a diagnosis of autism and ADHD and also has an EHCP. He received an EOTAS package after he was turned down for a place at a further education college because they couldn’t meet his needs. The family has found pluses and minuses in the process of arranging the package.
“Milo is hoping to go to a more suitable college next autumn so he needs to keep his education going for the next year,” mum Claire explains. “The local authority has been fine with granting EOTAS though it has taken a long time to finalise the package because they are short-staffed.
“He’s doing online learning for a maths qualification and is on a waiting list for mentoring to help his social skills,” she continues. “The council was happy to fund these aspects of his education as they have already been specified in his plan but we were slightly restricted in that we had to use organisations that the LA already knew of or used. It’s probably a lot to do with the cost.
Local Authorities Can be Reluctant to Fund Some Activities
“We asked them to also fund fortnightly music lessons – Milo is hoping to go to music college next year – but they refused. Even though it’s part of his long-term wishes, it wasn’t specified in the plan at his last annual review. A lawyer friend suggested we could push for it as sometimes you can persuade councils to change their mind but we didn’t want the stress.
“I would advise other families to always keep an eye on the future,” Claire concludes. “If you know your child has particular interests or goals, even if they’re a bit vague, make sure they’re at least mentioned in the EHCP. That way, you will be able to request specialist support if you ever need an EOTAS plan.”
