EOTAS stands for Education Otherwise Than At School. It means your local authority arranges and pays for your child's education somewhere other than a school, because school isn't the right place for them, at least for now. Some councils call it EOTIS, Education Otherwise Than In School. It's the same thing.
If your child is autistic and school has become impossible, EOTAS can be a lifeline. Here's how it works.
Is EOTAS the same as home education?
No, and the difference matters. With elective home education, you take on responsibility for your child's education and pay for it yourself. With EOTAS, the local authority stays responsible and pays for the support. Your child keeps their EHCP, and it's still reviewed every year.
Who can get EOTAS?
Your child needs an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). The law (section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014) lets the local authority arrange support outside school when it's satisfied that school would be inappropriate for your child.
In our experience, that often means autistic young people who:
- are in burnout, or have stopped being able to attend school at all
- experience high anxiety that school makes worse
- have a demand-avoidant profile that a school setting can't work with
- have tried specialist schools that haven't worked out
What can an EOTAS package include?
It's built around your child, so no two look the same. Packages often combine:
- tutoring in core subjects, online or in person
- mentoring for confidence, regulation, independence and next steps
- therapies such as speech and language therapy or occupational therapy
- activities linked to your child's interests
- life skills and time in the community
- a coordinator who joins it all up
Each part should be written into Section F of the EHCP, saying who provides it and how many hours. No school is named in Section I.
Who pays?
The local authority. Some families take the funding as a personal budget or direct payment, which lets them choose who works with their child. Others have the council commission providers directly.
How do you ask for EOTAS?
You can ask when the EHCP is being written, at an annual review, or by asking the council to review the plan early. It helps to have:
- reports from professionals saying why school isn't suitable right now
- evidence of what does work for your child, such as engaging with a tutor, an online activity or a special interest
- a clear idea of the package you're asking for, with hours
If the council says no, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal. You'll usually need to speak to a mediation adviser first.
Is EOTAS changing?
Possibly, but not yet. In summer 2026 the government consulted on reforming EOTAS in England. Its proposals include:
- every child on EOTAS being on the roll of a school or college, which would manage their arrangements
- EOTAS only being available to children assessed as needing a new "Specialist Provision Package"
- no longer being able to appeal to the SEND Tribunal about EOTAS decisions
- young people of secondary age and above who are already on EOTAS keeping their existing arrangements
These are only proposals. They would need new laws and wouldn't take effect before 2029/30 at the earliest, and the government hasn't yet published its response. For now, nothing has changed. We'll update this guide when it does.
How we can help
We provide remote mentoring for autistic young people on EOTAS, and coordination to hold the whole package together. Our mentoring is built around The Autism Navigator, our own programme, and comes with clear Section F wording for your caseworker.
This guide is general information, not legal advice. For help with your child's legal rights, contact IPSEA, a free independent charity.