Education Other Than in School (EOTIS)

EOTIS is only available to children and young people who have an EHCP. Children and young people may be eligible for EOTIS if they:

• Have medical conditions or disabilities that prevent school attendance
• Are excluded from school and no suitable alternative school placement is available
• Have other exceptional circumstances that make school attendance impractical or inappropriate
• Are supported by mental health professionals who indicate that they are medically unfit to attend an educational setting
• Require an alternative to school due to special educational needs that cannot be met in a school setting, even with additional support

EOTIS can take various forms depending on the individual needs of the CYP. The provision necessary is determined by the Local Authority and may include but not limited to:

• Tutoring: Subject-specific tutoring to support the child's education
• Online Learning: Access to structured, interactive online education platforms, including virtual classrooms
• Specialist Centres: Attendance at specialist educational centres that provide tailored support and learning
• Vocational Training: Engagement in vocational courses and training programmes as part of their education
• Home Tuition: One-to-one or small group teaching provided at the child's home or another agreed location
• Therapeutic Support: Access to therapies such as speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, or counselling as part of their educational provision

The package is for academic and educational provision only, so will not include extra-curricular activities or mentoring services, unless these form part of the special educational provision specified in Section F of the EHCP. In all cases, EOTIS is expected to be time limited.

EOTIS is intended to be an interim or short-term educational provision to facilitate a CYP's return or integration into school or other suitable educational provision.

The CYP's parent (or in the case of young person aged 16 to 25 years, the young person themselves) may make a request for the Local Authority to consider exercising its power to arrange EOTIS under Section 61 of the Children and Families Act 2014 either during an EHCP needs assessment or reassessment, or during an annual or interim review of the EHCP.

There must be clear evidence as to why the CYP cannot attend any educational establishment of any type, including evidence from educational psychologists and health professionals as deemed appropriate by the Local Authority. There may be evidence from a Social Care perspective, if applicable.

In determining whether to provide or continue to provide an EOTIS package, the following process will be undertaken:

• The child or young person's allocated SEND Case Officer will consider the evidence in line with the legal test
• The allocated SEND Case Officer will create a summary of this evidence and discuss the case with their Senior Case Officer during weekly case progression meetings
• Where the Senior Case Officer agrees that an EOTIS package may be appropriate, then the SEND Case Officer will submit a SEND Case Decision Form for discussion and approval at SEND Decision Forum (SDF)

Where EOTIS is not agreed (i.e. on the basis that the Local Authority is not satisfied that it would be inappropriate for any of the special educational provision specified in the EHCP to made in a school or college), the SEND Case Officer will continue to work with the family to ensure that appropriate educational provision is made for the CYP (i.e. by way of the child or young person’s attendance at a suitable mainstream, alternative provision, or specialist educational setting).