EOTAS: Education Other Than At School. You may have heard of it; if you haven’t already, you should check out our blog post on EOTAS here.
So, with everybody calling this bespoke provision ‘EOTAS’ (pronounced ‘ee-oh-tass), why are we hearing people increasingly referring to this provision as EOTIS? We wanted to address this change in terminology to prevent parents in the SEND community from becoming confused or worried. Already, we’ve had a number of messages and emails from people who’ve heard of the ‘new’ term for EOTAS who are anxious that this will impact their child, the EHCP provision, and overall outcome, as well as being frustrated at a perceived ‘change’ to the system that they have not been made aware of. We’d be equally annoyed in this position too!
Our very own head of Advocacy and expert educator, Kelly Jarvis, has cleared the air for us here.
Why is ‘EOTIS’ now being used rather than EOTAS?
A few years ago, there was a movement prompted by an upper tier tribunal judge who wanted the acronym to change to better reflect the actual wording in the section of the Children and Families act, which states “education otherwise than in school”. Therefore, the use of the word ‘in’ better reflects the law in terms of wording.
What is the importance in the distinction between EOTAS & EOTIS?
Is there any? In all honesty, not really. The requested change in the acronym was on the basis that it reflects the Families and Children Act more clearly, but like we previously said, it’s semantics of wording. We’ve found that parents in the SEND community find the whole process and concept of EOTIS/EOTAS ambiguous and complicated – the last thing we need is confusion over the name!
Our upcoming webinar on EOTIS could be perfect for you – don’t miss out on tickets!
During this 2-hour webinar we aim to cover:
- What is EOTIS? How it’s different to elective home education.
- The basic law around EOTIS
- The purpose of the EHCP in EOTIS packages
- How to request EOTIS
- The options if EOTIS isn’t agreed by your local authority
Did you know about EOTAS (or EOTIS)?
If you didn’t, you’re most definitely not alone – so many parents in our online SEND community have never heard of this provision, and those who have, have struggled to know what to ask for, how to ask for it, and how to secure a robust EHCP with EOTAS provision. This is where we can support you; book in a free 30 minute advice call with us for signposting, sign up for our advocacy service (please note that this is a paid service), and join our monthly subscription Sunshine Academy for the very best information, support and empowerment. Also, follow us on Youtube (link below) for the latest SEND content!
