Register for our SEND Rights & EOTAS webinar here
There’s an odd feeling about this summer as a SEND parent. A feeling that’ll never end. That’s partly down to the multiple heatwaves, for sure – but it’s also the rolling barrage of SEND reform consultations from the Department for Education (DfE).
The consultation period for the main bulk of the SEND reforms finished in May. There’s still a live consultation about mainstream SEND funding.
But the live consultation that’ll matter to most SEND parents is the one about Education Otherwise Than at School (EOTAS) (Or Education Other Than In School (EOTIS), whichever you prefer).
This one matters even if your child has a school or college placement – because there are principles of reform embedded in the EOTAS proposals that weren’t fully revealed in the main consultation, and that are directly relevant to the future of support for children and young people in educational placements.
The basics
If you want to get involved in this EOTAS consultation, here are the whats and wheres:
The DfE EOTAS consultation document is lengthy – 49 pages, with about 30 pages of core proposals to chew through. You can find the DfE’s EOTAS consultation proposals here, as well as the link to participate in the consultation. Email and postal responses will also be taken. SNJ has gone through the proposals at length in an explainer here. In short, we don’t like the proposals much. And of course, we have a joint SNJ/SOSSEN webinar coming up that you can register for here.
The changes being proposed won’t be immediate, but as we all know, time flies… The DfE says,
“responses to the consultation will inform the approach to EOTAS and alternative provision under the SEND reforms, which we intend to implement through primary legislation in the Education for All Bill, with changes coming into effect from 2029/30.”
We’ll be responding. We recommend that you do too, even if your child or young person has a school or college placement.
Here are a few tips for putting your response together:
Do I need to answer every question?
- There are 19 substantive questions about the proposals in the consultation.
- You don’t need to respond to all of them; children and young people can end up relying on EOTAS arrangements for a wide range of reasons, and it might be that some of the questions just aren’t relevant to your child’s situation.
We’d recommend depth over breadth. The DfE clearly disagrees with this, as they’ve limited responses to 250 words or 1750 characters for most questions on the online form. There is absolutely no way that LAs, NHS ICBs, schools and colleges will be limiting their responses to 250 words per question. So if you need to go over the word limit and the online form is too restrictive, respond by email instead. The email address is at the consultation link above.
“One of the reasons that the EOTAS proposals are so significant is that they shed light on how some of the wider SEND reforms would be applied to children and young people in schools and colleges.”
What should I write?
It’s entirely up to you; we’re not in the business of telling you what to say, we just help you set out your own thoughts. Some questions are closed-set (ie ‘select one option from the following four options’), others are scale-based, asking you to agree or disagree with a proposal in the question. Others are open-set (ie, ‘what safeguards should be in place’?)
But when thinking about how to answer these questions, it’s worth thinking about the following:
- How would this proposal affect my child, or children like mine?
This might sound hard if you don’t have a child or young person using EOTAS – in this case, imagine what would happen if the principle behind this proposal were applied to your own child. One of the reasons that the EOTAS proposals are so significant is that they shed light on how some of the wider SEND reforms would be applied to children and young people in schools and colleges. - What’s likely to happen once this proposal meets reality?
At the operational level, the EOTAS reforms will be implemented by the same people who make decisions in the current SEND system. Bad news doesn’t travel fast up to the top of bureaucracies. So when responding, assume we’re talking about a world where the same people you deal with now are making the decisions, just with different powers and levers. - What would it take to implement this proposal well?
This is definitely worth doing if you’re instinctively hostile to one or more of the proposals, it’ll test what you think, and why you think it. - If this proposal is challenging to implement, what would increase the chances of it working?
In most cases, that’ll be time, money, goodwill, or functional professional ethics. If it can’t be made to work by these things, then say so.
Who or what am I writing for?
The input from these consultations will be consumed by DfE civil servants. Some of them will be SEND experts, and some won’t be. By revealed preference, it’s pretty clear that very few of them understand the world of EOTAS: if they did, then this would have been part of the main SEND reform consultation. You might even say that if they did, these proposals would likely look very different, but I couldn’t possibly comment.
However, it’s also important to bear in mind that your responses will be digested by artificial intelligence tools.
At the very back of the consultation document, DfE says that it will use AI tools “to identify themes, trends, and insights more efficiently and accurately, ensuring that all feedback is considered in a structured and transparent way. AI will not make decisions; it will support our analysis process, which will be reviewed and validated by our team to maintain fairness and integrity.”
It’s difficult to take this claim seriously. Unless the DfE publishes details on their models’ training corpus, transformer designs, model weightings and analytical coding, there’s nothing truly transparent here; potentially not even to the civil servants who use the AI tools’ output. It’s entirely likely that these AI tools won’t be making decisions, but that’s not the same thing as saying they won’t shape them. If you’ve used an AI chatbot, you will know what that means.
Should I use AI to write my responses?
SNJ’s Tania says:
At SNJ, we sometimes use AI for research, to provide us with quick summaries to new publications and reports, to interrogate data, and to check facts and sources. We find that even though the models we use are now familiar with our own and related SEND content, they still “hallucinate”: in other words, make stuff up. If you want to use it to find out facts, insist it also provides the source, url, and page of the report it’s quoting from so you can check it yourself. If something seems off, you’re probably right. All AI chatbots deliver information with the enthusiasm of an intern and the overconfidence of a master bullshitter, whether it’s right or hopelessly wrong. The warning is: CHECK EVERYTHING IT TELLS YOU FOR ACCURACY. We do not mind if you want a chatbot to search our content to help you—we’re here to help. In time, we may even integrate one to the website itself to help you get the most out of it (and if you want to code this for us for free, let me know!).
TANIA TIRRAORO, SNJ’s Founder and co-director
With those warnings on board, it can be helpful if, like most SEND parents, you’re short on time, if you find it difficult to get started or finish writing, if you tend to waffle and lose the thread (we see you!), or if you worry about spelling and grammar. If you want to stick to the DfE’s arbitrary word and character count, then AI tools can help with this too. It can also help you test your thinking: what might happen if….
But if you do use AI, make sure you read the output thoroughly before sending it, so you can be sure it actually says what you believe.
Things you shouldn’t do
- Don’t send in identical responses through different people
Sometimes, groups think this is a good way to increase the chances of getting their point across. It usually has the opposite effect – these days, most AI tools used for survey analysis will have guardrails in place to disregard input like this. - Don’t include lots of personally identifiable information in your responses
The online response document asks for your name, it’ll ask whether you’re responding as an individual or as part of an organisation, and it’ll ask what sort of person or organisation you are.
You have the option to mark your responses as confidential, and you’ll be asked why it should be confidential if that’s the case. But there’s no automatic guarantee that the DfE will treat it as such.
The same goes for putting other people’s personally identifiable information in your response. If you give real-life examples, think about anonymising what you say about others, or about linking those other people to named schools or LAs. Naming and shaming, no matter how richly deserved, simply won’t have any impact in this environment – and it’ll probably increase the chances that your input will be disregarded.
Proposals in a nutshell
Step-by-Step Proposals for EOTAS: This information is taken directly from page 27 of the Government’s EOTAS consultation document. Click the double arrows to reveal more details. We have added some clarifying words, but have not added any of our own views:
>> Step 1: LA DECIDES: Needs assessment
The local authority (LA) undertakes a needs assessment and determines eligibility for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and Specialist Provision Package (SPP).
>> Step 2: LA DECIDES: Eligibility for SPP
The LA identifies the most appropriate SPP(s) and, working with the family, names a school or further education setting. The child or young person is placed on a school roll.
Proposal 1: LA DECIDES that some or all of the SPP should be delivered through Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS).
Proposal 2: The NAMED SETTING DECIDES that some or all of the SPP should be delivered through EOTAS
>> Step 3: SETTING DECIDES: EOTAS provision arranged
The named setting arranges EOTAS provision from a local authority-approved provider that has met the new national standards.
>> Step 4: SETTING DECIDES: Regular touchpoints
The named setting works with families to determine if EOTAS arrangements continue to be best for the child or young person’s wellbeing and long-term outcomes. It considers whether a plan for transition back into a formal setting is appropriate.
>> Step 5: SETTING DECIDES: Touchpoint outcome
The named setting recommends whether EOTAS remains the best provision for the child or young person.
- If yes: arrangements continue with regular touchpoints.
- If no: the named setting sets out to the child and parent/carer what transition support would look like and begins to put it in place.
>> Step 6: FAMILY: If the family disagrees with the recommended change
An early EHCP review is requested. Families are a key partner in transition planning, and the child or young person is supported back to the named setting while the review takes place. The local authority then makes a decision — see outcomes below.
>> Outcome A (LA DECIDES)
The LA determines EOTAS remains appropriate and arrangements continue.
>> LA Outcome B (LA DECIDES)
The LA determines provision should be delivered through a school or further education setting, and a supported transition takes place.
>> End state
“The child or young person receives their SPP through the most appropriate provision arrangement, with progress monitored.”
The links you need
To save you scrolling, here are all the links again:
- REGISTER: EOTAS and SEND Rights webinar from SNJ & SOSSEN
- EOTAS Consultation main page
- EOTAS Consultation Document
- EOTAS Response page
- SEND reform: education otherwise than at school – what parents and carers of children and young people need to know
- Easy Read survey
- Easy Read PDF
- BSL version
- Upfront funding for mainstream schools: creating a ‘local SEND inclusion formula
- Email EOTAS.CONSULTATION@education.gov.uk
Watch Gill’s video:
Sign the petition
We urge you to sign the new petition to #SaveSENDLegalRights—you have just over two months left to get it past the 100k mark to gain another parliamentary debate—only this time, there will be no conjecture—we now KNOW how Bridget Phillipson and Georgia Gould want to irrevocably tip the scales away from parents’ and young people’s rights and choices.
🔺 Sign and Share the petition! 🔺
Remember, the consultation closes on the 18th September 23:59.
Disabled Children’s Rights are Under Attack.
We’re fighting, but we can’t do it alone: we need your help more than ever.
We’re volunteer-run, but costs are rising. To help us keep going, please consider a one-off or, if it’s possible, a regular donation.
Read more about being a regular donor here.
We use Zeffy to fundraise, which doesn’t charge us a fee, so 100% of your donation reaches us.
Key Content
Also read:
- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals
- When things go right: Shining a light on SEND Practitioners making a positive impact [Giveaway!]
- From suspicion to support: why the Government’s child protection reforms matter for disabled children
- Have your say on the future of transport for disabled children and young people
- Unison voices major concerns over SEND reform health plans for sick and disabled children out of school in the EOTAS consultation
- Top Tips for the EOTAS & EHCP consultation: Protect your child’s rights to statutory SEND support
- REGISTER NOW! WEBINAR on the Government’s plans to cut EHCP and EOTAS rights. With SNJ & SEND legal charity, SOS!SEN
- Navigating constraints: Why a former PCF chair thinks the current model is missing the mark for families
- Dear Secretary of State for Education, Lucy Powell: an Open Letter from Special Needs Jungle and SEND legal charity SOS!SEN
- Research: Disabled young people define inclusive education as “learning in the place that’s right for them”
- Why every child deserves Portage, wherever they’re born
- Mainstream SEND Funding: A simple explainer, another consultation, and why it really matters
- WEBINAR RECORDING! The implications for children’s legal rights to EHCPs and EOTAS of the Government’s SEND proposals
- Unison voices major concerns over SEND reform health plans for sick and disabled children out of school in the EOTAS consultation
- Top Tips for the EOTAS & EHCP consultation: Protect your child’s rights to statutory SEND support
- REGISTER NOW! WEBINAR on the Government’s plans to cut EHCP and EOTAS rights. With SNJ & SEND legal charity, SOS!SEN
- What might the SEND reform proposals mean for specialist tutors, alternative provision and EOTAS?
- When Home-to-School Transport Doesn’t Fit: The Reality of Section 19 EOTAS
- EOTAS Consultation: A further assault on children’s SEND rights with cost saving and reintegration to schools at its heart
- SEND reforms: Where are care-experienced children?
- Part 2: The Invisible Lifeline: Why EOTAS is Non-Negotiable for the ‘Sanctuary Cohort’
- The Invisible Lifeline: Why EOTAS is non-negotiable for the ‘Sanctuary Cohort’ Part 1
- Inclusion doesn’t just happen in mainstream school: being included in education and in life should be the goal
- Boost support for children not in school, develop EOTAS guidance, and fund schools to be needs-led, say Ofsted and CQC inspectors
What kind of government is “bold” enough to scrap statutory EHCPs from vulnerable children?May 16, 2025
The SEND reforms in the Schools White Paper reveal rights given, and rights stripped awayFebruary 24, 2026
Don’t miss a thing!
Don’t miss any posts from SNJ – simply add your email address below. You must click the link in the confirmation email you’ll receive to activate your free subscription.
You can also keep up with us by following our
Want more? Be an SNJ regular donor!
SNJ is a non-profit and everyone who writes here does so voluntarily. We need your support to help us with costs by donating once or as a regular patron. Find out more here
Matt specialises in SEND stats, data analysis, and in-depth investigations of policies. He has given evidence to several Parliamentary Select Committee inquiries, and his articles for SNJ on SEND funding, local government policy, and the SENDIST Tribunal have been quoted in Select Committee inquiry reports and national media.
- Top Tips for the EOTAS & EHCP consultation: Protect your child’s rights to statutory SEND support - August 19, 2026
- Mainstream SEND Funding: A simple explainer, another consultation, and why it really matters - July 22, 2026
- EHCPs 2026: A relentless rise, but who’s surprised? Plus SNJ’s annual LA Hall of Shame - June 27, 2026
Please share this article!
Discover more from Special Needs Jungle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
