What is EOTAS (Education Other Than At School)?

EOTAS covers education that a local authority provides or commissions for learners who, because of illness, exclusion or other reasons, cannot attend school. In Wales, the Welsh Government describes EOTAS as an umbrella term for a range of settings, including pupil referral units, further education institutions, independent providers and third-sector organisations. Pupil referral units remain the most common type of EOTAS provision in Wales.

Placements can be full-time or part-time, short-term or long-term, and some learners are dual registered with a school while attending EOTAS provision.

England and Wales

In Wales, EOTAS is the main term for what England usually calls alternative provision. In England, “EOTAS” is used more narrowly for children with an education, health and care plan whose special educational provision is arranged by the local authority somewhere other than a school, often as a package of tuition and activities. Some families and councils also use “EOTIS” (education other than in school).

Why it matters for your setting

• If you are commissioned to provide EOTAS, the local authority will expect accurate attendance, progress and safeguarding information.
• Learners in EOTAS often have additional learning needs, so knowing their plan and contacts is essential.
• In Wales, local authorities collect data about EOTAS learners for official statistics, so they may ask you for information.

How PupilDB helps

PupilDB records each learner’s local authority, referring agency, entitled hours and SEN/ALN status, and reports attendance against those entitled hours.