The Department for Education (DfE) has launched a public consultation on Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) as part of its wider SEND reforms.
If you are a parent or carer of a child or young person with SEND, particularly if your family has experience of EOTAS, alternative provision, school attendance difficulties or Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), this is an important opportunity to share your views.
What is EOTAS?
Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) is education arranged by a local authority for children and young people whose needs, as identified in their EHCP, cannot be appropriately met in a school or college setting.
For some families, EOTAS has been essential in ensuring their child receives a suitable education. The consultation is exploring how EOTAS should work in the future and is asking for feedback before any decisions are made.
It is important to note that this is a consultation only. No changes have been made, and the government is seeking views before deciding whether any reforms should go ahead.
What is the consultation asking about?
The consultation is seeking views on a range of proposals, including:
- How EOTAS should be identified.
- How EOTAS should be managed and reviewed.
- How the quality of EOTAS provision should be monitored and assured.
- Support for children who cannot attend school due to health needs.
- The use of accredited online education providers within alternative provision.
The Department for Education says its aim is to ensure children and young people who receive EOTAS are well supported and able to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Why should parent carers respond?
The experiences of families are vital.
Many parent carers have spent years navigating the SEND system, advocating for appropriate support and, in some cases, securing EOTAS after difficult experiences in education. Your insight can help policymakers understand what works well, what doesn’t, and what needs to change.
Whether your experience has been positive, challenging, or somewhere in between, your feedback can help shape future policy.
Who can take part?
The consultation is open to:
- Parents and carers
- Children and young people
- Professionals working with children and young people
- Schools, colleges and education providers
- Local authorities
- Anyone with an interest in SEND and EOTAS
Consultation deadline: The consultation is open until 18 September 2026.
Take part:
You can read more about the consultation and submit your response using the Department for Education’s consultation page:
🔗 https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-reform/education-otherwise-than-at-school/
Medway Parent Carer Forum wants to hear from you
Alongside encouraging families to respond directly to the consultation, Medway Parent Carer Forum would also like to gather the views of local parent carers so that we can help ensure Medway families’ experiences are heard. Feedback from our parent carer members, suggested they would prefer to use the easy-read format for responding.
If you would like to answer our survey and be part of the MPCF response, you can find the easy-read survey below. These have been broken up into two parts
Survey 1: (contains 7 questions) SEND reform: Education other than at School | Section 1 Making Changes to EOTAS from 2030 – Fill in form
Survey 2: (contains 8 questions) SEND reform: Education other than at School | Section 2, 3 and 4 – Fill in form
Your voice matters. Every family’s journey is unique, and by sharing your experiences you can help influence how support for children and young people with SEND develops in the future.