We've had our say on EOTAS reform — shaped by you!
The Government has been consulting on major changes to Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) and Alternative Provision...the system that supports children and young people who can't access a formal school setting. As your Parent Carer Forum, it's our job to make sure the experiences of families in Cheshire West and Chester are front and centre of that conversation.
We've submitted a detailed response to the EOTAS Consultation, drawing on the lived experiences of families gathered through our 2026 Survey, including six children and young people already on EOTAS, 23 enrolled but unable to attend, and 11 who are out of school and receiving no education at all, alongside direct conversations with parent carers.
Our response covers who should commission and pay for EOTAS, when it should be used, reintegration into school, dispute resolution and independent tribunal rights, national quality standards for providers, transitions between ages and local authorities, and safeguarding. Across all of it, we've been clear: EOTAS must stay led by what each individual child needs, never by which delivery model they can be fitted into, and never by cost or convenience.
Just as we did for the last national SEND consultation, we've taken a two-pronged approach to make sure every voice was properly captured. We submitted our full, detailed response by email to ensure the depth of evidence and lived experience was fully represented. Alongside this, we also completed the official online consultation form, using the same intelligence and insights, adapted to fit the tighter word count and different format required by the portal. This means our response is both comprehensive and fully aligned with the Government's consultation process, ensuring nothing was lost in translation between formats.
You can read our response here
Any thoughts or questions about this or any other issue, please contact us
Please visit our YouTube channel for past webinars where you will find a wealth of information regarding SEND
To see other events coming up or to catch up on past events & presentations...
click below
