The home-based summer programme for students with complex special educational needs.
The purpose of this notice is to set out the arrangements for the home-based summer programme for students with complex special educational needs. The Department will continue to provide a home-based summer programme to support the education or care needs of students with complex special educational needs (see eligibility criteria below) during the summer break period where their school is not providing a school-based programme. For groups of 4 or larger, the Department will continue to approve Private Group Provider Arrangements between parents and private providers as it has done in previous years. The terms and conditions of Private Group Provider Arrangements must be followed where students are taken together as a group, around issues such as governance and child protection. Additionally, allocations to siblings will no longer be a shared allocation; each student will be sanctioned on an individual basis.
Eligibility Criteria
Students with complex special educational needs, for whom there is no school-based
programme available, are eligible for the 2024 Home-Based Programme. For the purposes
of the Home-Based Programme students with complex special educational needs are
defined as:
- Any student enrolled in a special school or a special class - primary and post
primary.
- Students presenting with the most significant needs in mainstream classes in
primary or post-primary schools who are accessing the highest level of the
Continuum of Support (School Support Plus). This will include a small number
of students with enduring needs which significantly affect their capacity to learn, to
function independently and to participate in education.
These students require highly individualised, intensive, targeted and additional
teaching and learning supports as their special educational needs are enduring,
and significantly impact on their learning and participation in the school
environment. These students may present with the following:
➢ Significant needs with physical and/or sensory functioning (including students
who are Deaf or have severe to profound hearing loss and students who are
blind or have severe to profound visual impairment).
➢ Significant needs in cognitive functioning and independence/daily living skills
(including students who have moderate to severe OR significant/profound
learning disability).
➢ Significant needs in social communication, social interaction combined with
In 2023, the Department allowed a small-group
arrangement whereby individual registered teachers can deliver a programme for students
in small groups. The Small-Group Arrangement is continuing again in 2024. Therefore, if
parents wish, they may enter an arrangement with a registered teacher to tutor their child in
a small-group arrangement which can cater up to a maximum of 3 children.
A Small-Group Arrangement can offer several benefits for children such as positive peer
interaction, increased confidence, social-emotional skill development and cognitive growth.
In addition, children in these groups can avail of more hours as opposed to the 40 hours
which are granted for 1:1 tuition as follows:
➢ Students with Down syndrome.
➢ Students with severe OR significant emotional behavioural needs to the extent
that these behaviours of concern are impacting on a student’s ability to learn, to
function independently and to participate fully in school life.
- Autistic students are eligible for this Programme.
- Children in the above categories entering primary school and Early Intervention
ASD classes in September 2024 are also eligible for the programme.
This home-based summer programme provides a maximum of 10 hours per individual
week for 4 weeks of home-based tuition or care support for an individual eligible pupil.To help parents source a teacher/SNA for the summer programme in their local area, the
IPPN has created a Summer Programme Noticeboard for teachers and SNAs to advertise
their availability for the programme. Parents can also post notices on the board to source
suitable candidates. The Summer Programme Noticeboard is available on
www.educationposts.ie If parents have any queries please email:
homebasedsummerprogram@education.gov.ie or phone the helpline on 090648 4292.
