Arrangements and quality of EOTAS tuition in Wales: government response

Estyn has undertaken a thematic review examining how local authorities across Wales arrange and deliver tuition for EOTAS learners.

The report summarises current approaches to commissioning, organising and quality‑assuring tuition, highlighting effective practice alongside notable inconsistencies in oversight and provision. It explores how well individual tuition supports learners’ engagement, wellbeing, progression and access to a broad and balanced curriculum.

The report contains a series of recommendations, for Welsh local authorities, EOTAS tuition providers, and Welsh Government to strengthen the quality, equity and accountability of EOTAS tuition across Wales.

While there are strong examples of effective practice, pupils’ experiences vary widely depending on where they live, the staff available, and the consistency of local systems.

In some areas, strategic direction is clear and supported by effective multi‑agency working that creates purposeful, time‑limited pathways. However, national oversight and local commissioning, monitoring and reintegration processes are often inconsistent, resulting in uneven expectations and provision.

A small number of providers offer rich, personalised curriculum experiences that align with Curriculum for Wales. However, the majority of learners, receive a limited curriculum, frequently only English and mathematics for a few hours each week, with reduced access to science, creative subjects, digital skills, vocational routes and Welsh‑medium learning. Many learners’ accessing tuition have complex needs, and where support is effective it is characterised by trauma‑informed approaches, positive relationships and meaningful use of IDPs. 

Only a minority of authorities routinely evaluate the breadth of curriculum, teaching quality and learner progress across all tuition arrangements. Oversight of commissioned and online provision is often overly dependent on provider self‑reporting.

When transition planning is coordinated well, pupils move successfully into further education, training or employment. In many areas, however, reintegration and post‑16 planning are reactive and lack consistent monitoring, leaving pupils uncertain about their next steps. Welsh‑medium tuition remains limited overall. Only a few authorities offer coherent pathways, and reliance on individual tutors leads to delays and inconsistent support for Welsh‑medium learners.

Overall, tuition services play a vital role for some of Wales’s most vulnerable pupils. While there is strong practice, provision remains uneven. Improving strategic leadership, broadening curriculum access, strengthening ALN processes and ensuring more robust quality assurance are key to providing fair, ambitious and consistent tuition for all learners who need it.

Recommendations 1 to 3 for the Welsh Government

1. Clarify national expectations for tuition provision within EOTAS, including curriculum equity, breadth and balance, to reduce variability across Wales.
2. Strengthen strategic expectations for Welsh-medium tuition, ensuring alignment with Cymraeg 2050 and the Welsh Education Strategic Plans (WESPs).
3. Improve national data collection of tuition provision, including the number of pupils accessing tuition annually, Welsh-medium provision, pupils with ALN, accreditation and destinations.

Welsh Government response

We accept these recommendations. We have already started drafting the EOTAS referral and commissioning guidance and plan to consult on this later in 2026, with a final publication due in 2027. 

The guidance will set out clear and consistent national expectations for the commissioning and delivery of EOTAS provision including for learners in tuition services. This will include greater clarity on curriculum breadth, balance and progression to ensure that all learners accessing tuition receive a high‑quality offer that supports their reintegration and long‑term educational outcomes. By providing a consistent national framework, the guidance aims to reduce the current variability in how tuition is planned, commissioned and delivered across Wales, supporting greater equity for learners irrespective of where they live.

The guidance will also strengthen expectations for Welsh‑medium tuition. It will explicitly align commissioning requirements with Cymraeg 2050 and local Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (WESPs), ensuring that decisions about tuition provision support national linguistic ambitions. This will help drive more strategic planning, improve the availability of Welsh‑medium pathways, and promote greater linguistic continuity for learners who require EOTAS provision.

In addition, the ALN and EOTAS guidance has now been drafted and will be published shortly. This guidance provides clear national direction on how the Additional Learning Needs Code should be applied for learners with ALN who are in EOTAS settings. It responds to feedback from local authorities and practitioners by removing existing confusion and setting out expectations around identification, assessment, Individual Development Plan (IDP) requirements and ongoing support. The guidance emphasises consistency of practice across Wales, including for learners aged 16 to 19, to ensure that all children and young people with ALN receive the support they are entitled to.

Work is also underway to improve the national data picture for tuition provision. We have already started discussions to explore how data collections can be strengthened. This includes early consideration of how to improve the accuracy, completeness and consistency of information on the number of pupils accessing tuition, the availability of Welsh‑medium provision, the number of pupils with ALN, accreditation pathways, and learner destinations. Improving the national data set will support more effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of provision at both local and national levels.

Recommendations 4 to 8 for Local authorities

4. Strengthen strategic oversight and governance of tuition services within the EOTAS continuum. 
5. Ensure equitable and ambitious curriculum provision, including access to accreditation and vocational pathways.
6. Apply ALN duties consistently for pupils in tuition services, up to age 19, using IDPs to shape provision and transition planning.
7. Strategically plan Welsh-medium tuition services. 
8. Strengthen quality assurance and transition planning across all tuition pathways.

Welsh Government response

We will continue to work closely with the local authorities to identify ways to support the implementation of these recommendations.

All the guidance is being co-constructed with local authorities using advisory groups. This joint approach helps ensure that the guidance is informed by local expertise, diverse delivery models and the practical challenges faced.

Recommendations 9 to 12 for providers

9. In conjunction with the local authority, align tuition provision with Curriculum for Wales, supporting pupil progression, well-being and skills. 
10. Use IDPs actively to plan and review provision for pupils with ALN. 
11. Support Welsh-medium continuity and progression where appropriate.
12. Communicate effectively with families, local authorities and schools, ensuring effective transition arrangements to return to mainstream education or post-16 placements.

Welsh Government response

The forthcoming guidance will set out clear requirements for local authorities to work with EOTAS providers to ensure high‑quality provision, alignment with Curriculum for Wales, effective use of the Welsh language, consistent application of ALN duties, and strong transition planning for post‑16 pathways.

The full report can be accessed on Estyn’s website, and was published on 25 March 2026.