Covid-19 Learning and Support Scheme (CLASS)

The DES have announced additional teaching resources to be provided to Primary, Post-Primary and Special Schools. The additional teaching supports are to be provided to school children that are at an increased risk of learning loss, at risk of early school leaving and/or educational disadvantage resulting from the impact of Covid pandemic.

Under the programme, a block of additional teaching hours will be provided to each school from which they can provide additional teaching support for the children in their school who have experienced difficulties in settling back into school and engaging with learning.

Normal 0 false false false EN-IE X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language:EN-US;}

CLASS programme aims:

  • Provide additional targeted teaching support for school children who have struggled most during the period of school closures, including those with more complex special educational needs and those most at risk of educational disadvantage
  • Provide access to additional teaching support for other school children who, as a result of the impact of Covid, now require a short, targeted intervention to help them to re-engage with school, learning and peer.
  • Identify and meet the gaps in learning, in skills, in readiness to learn or in the school childs previously identified priority learning needs in order to mitigate any potential regression in learning.
  • Allow for good routines to be re-established and maintained to the greatest extent possible so that all school children can learn effectively.
  • Equip school children with the necessary skills to experience success in learning throughout the school day.
  • Support co-curricular and extra-curricular activities to redress the negative impact on school children’s wellbeing and to continue to foster a sense of safety, calm, efficacy and connectedness.
  • Support school children, where necessary, in regaining the confidence needed to participate fully in learning and to realise their potential.

Which school children should be supported through the CLASS programme?

School going children who should be supported through the CLASS programme are those who have been most affected by Covid.

How can schools identify a child’s need?

Schools have a number of systems and processes in place to assist identifying children who need additional support throughout their time in school. A school’s Support Team will already have established processes in place to identify these children.

Schools should use the approaches outlined in the guidelines linked below to assist identifying children that require additional supports that should be provided under the programme.

Programme Guidance.

For guidance on implementing the CLASS programme follow the link below that relates to your school sector.

Primary and Special Schools guidance

Post-Primary schools guidance

The above guidance documents should be read in conjunction with the Department’s Circular 0045/2021:
Covid Learning and Support Scheme