EOTAS consultation: what Contact told the government and what families need to know

3 mins read

Thursday 24 September 2026

Tags: special educational needs, disabled children, eotas, disabilities, Education Otherwise Than At School


Contact has responded to the government’s consultation on proposed changes to Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) in England.

We are calling for EOTAS to remain a needs-led option for children and young people who cannot receive their education in a school or college, with families’ existing legal protections retained.

EOTAS can be a lifeline for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) whose needs cannot safely or effectively be met in a school, college or alternative provision setting.

One parent told us: “He is now settled, calm and emotionally secure. His anxiety has reduced significantly, he is no longer experiencing the daily distress that school caused, and he has been able to engage positively in learning because it is delivered at a pace and in a way that meets his individual needs.”

Contact supports the government’s aim of improving the consistency, quality and accountability of EOTAS.

What is Contact calling for?

  • EOTAS to remain a distinct, needs-led route. Children should continue to receive bespoke packages based on their individual educational, therapeutic and other needs.
  • Existing legal protections to be retained. Section 61 of the Children and Families Act should remain, with EOTAS provision specified, quantified and legally enforceable.
  • Local authorities to remain responsible. They should continue to be responsible for commissioning, funding and overseeing EOTAS rather than responsibility transferring to individual schools or colleges.
  • Families to retain their SEND Tribunal rights. Parents and young people need an accessible and enforceable way to challenge decisions to refuse, change or end EOTAS provision.
  • Personal budgets and direct payments to remain available.
  • Clearer coordination and accountability, including a named coordinator or key worker to help families navigate EOTAS arrangements.

Returning to school

The consultation asked a number of questions about children receiving EOTAS returning to school.

Contact believes returning to school should not be the automatic goal of EOTAS.

For some children, returning to school may be right. Where it is, Contact believes this should be carefully planned with the child and family, properly supported and happen at the child’s pace. There should be flexibility to pause or step back and continued access to elements of an EOTAS package during the transition where needed.

Families need rights

Our education helpline hears from families who have needed to use the SEND Tribunal to secure an appropriate EOTAS package.

Contact believes families should retain an accessible and legally enforceable route to challenge decisions to refuse, change or end EOTAS. We do not want families to rely instead on routes such as complaints or judicial review, which can be more complex and less accessible.

What happens next?

The EOTAS consultation has now closed and the government will consider the responses it has received.

Contact will continue to engage with the Department for Education, ministers and parliamentarians as the proposals develop, making sure that the experiences of disabled children, young people and their families are heard.

For now, your child’s existing legal rights have not changed. If you are told that your child’s EOTAS or EHC plan rights have changed because of the government’s proposals or the Schools White Paper, that is not correct.

You can find more information about your current rights and the proposed changes on our website: