Table of Contents
Introduction
The home-based summer programme will be available for children with complex needs where their schools are not providing a school-based programme. Under the home-based programme grant funding is made available so that parents/legal guardians can engage the services of a Teacher or an SNA to provide tuition or care support as appropriate in the child’s home. The grant payments are issued directly to the tutors.
What if my school is offering the programme?
If a child’s school is running a school-based programme the child must avail of the school programme and the home-based programme will not be available. However, if there is no space or the school is unable to accomodate a child in their school programme that child can access the home based programme.
Eligibility Criteria
Students with complex needs, as set out below, for whom there is no school-based programme available are eligible for the Home Based Programme.
1. Any student enrolled in a special school or a special class – primary and post primary
2. 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 and differentiated learning programmes that are significantly different to their peers. 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 a severe to profound visual impairment)
- Significant needs in cognitive functioning and independence/daily living skills (including students who have moderate to severe/profound learning disability)
- Significant needs in social communication, social interaction combined with rigid repetitive patterns of behaviour (including students with Autism)
- Students with Down syndrome
- Students with severe 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
Children entering primary school this Autumn that fall into the above outlined categories are also eligible for the programme.
Who can tutor on this programme?
You can engage any of the following to work with your children on the Home Based Programme:
- Qualified teacher
- Qualified SNA
- Graduate teachers
- PME student teachers
- Undergraduate student teachers
Qualified teacher
A teacher must be registered and vetted with the Teaching Council of Ireland.
An SNA
An SNA who has been Garda vetted and has been employed by a school in some capacity (full, parttime or temporary basis) and is aged 18 or over, to provide care support.
Graduate Teachers
Graduate teachers can work on the home based summer programme where:
- They have commenced registration with the Teaching Council.
- Have received their final results from HEI that confirm they are eligible to register with the Teaching Council.
- Garda vetting has been completed with the Teaching Council.
- Their registration with the Council will be finalised prior to 7 October 2022.
PME student teachers
A PME student teacher registered with the Teaching Council under Route 3 – Further
Education can also be engaged by parents for the Home Based Summer Programme.
PME student teachers currently in Year 1 of the programme who have applied for registration
with the Teaching Council under Further Education can be engaged by parents for the homebased summer programme where the following conditions are fulfilled:
1. Garda vetting has been completed as part of their application for registration with the Teaching Council.
2. Their registration with the Council under Further Education will be finalised prior to 07 October 2022.
PME student teachers registered with the Teaching Council under the Further Education route
will be paid at the modified rate for work on the home-based summer programme.
Undergraduate student teachers
Student teachers who are:
- Currently in Year 3 of a four-year undergraduate teacher education programme or
- Currently in Year 3 or Year 4 of a five-year undergraduate teacher education programme
Are eligible to work on the home-based summer programme where they have commenced their registration process with the Teaching Council and where the following conditions are fulfilled:
1. Garda vetting has been completed as part of their application for registration with the Teaching Council.
2. Their registration with the Council under Route 5 – Student teachers will be fulfilled by 07 October 2022.
A student teacher registered with the Teaching Council under Route 5 can be engaged by parents to work on the Home-Based Summer Programme and will be paid at the modified rate.
Who can not tutor on the programme?
A teacher/SNA who is availing of approved paid or unpaid leave from his/her employment during the period of the Home-Based Summer Programme is not eligible to participate in the Home-Based Summer Programme. However, a teacher/SNA who is on Career Break or Jobsharing may be employed as a teacher/SNA during the period of the Home Based Summer Programme.
Teachers who have retired on ill health are not permitted, under the rules of the relevant pension scheme to deliver tuition. Teachers who have availed of an early retirement scheme should refer to the conditions of said scheme before carrying out tuition.
Parents cannot receive funding for providing tuition or care support to their own children under the terms of the Home-Based Summer Programme. This applies irrespective of whether they meet the criteria tutors must meet to be eligible to tutor.
How can I find a tutor?
If you’re a parent in need of a tutor you can connect with them by posting about your needs on our notice board. It’s listed by school type, province and county.
Once logged in you can DM tutors that have posts by clicking their username and selecting the email option. You’ll need to register 1st, this link explains How to register on the site.
How can a tutor connect with a family?
If you’re a tutor willing to help a family with educational needs you can connect with them by posting about your availability on our notice board. It’s listed by school type, province and county.
Once logged in you can DM parents that have posts by clicking their username and selecting the email option. You’ll need to register 1st, this link explains How to register on the site.
What is the application process?
1. Parents must contact their school Principal asap.
2. The school must then complete an online application process, with parent and child details.
3. The cut off date for the online system is 16th June 2022 after which applications can not be made.
4. For eligible children, parents will receive an email from the DES containing the sanction notice and links to the other documents that must be completed.
5. The sanction notice and the other documents must be shared with the tutor prior to starting tuition.
6. Only return paperwork after tuition has been completed
7. All paperwork must be returned no later than 6th Sept 2022.
8. Make a copy of all paperwork before it is returned to the DES.
9. The return address is
Department of Education,
Home-Based Summer Programme,
Special Education Section,
Cornamaddy,
Athlone,
Co. Westmeath,
N37 X659.
My school has not received any information
If your school has not received any information they must email the DES home based team immediately using the e-address below.
homebasedsummerprogram@education.gov.ie
When can tuition be given?
Tuition can take place at any time during the school summer holidays, excluding weekends and Bank Holidays. The programme should be provided for a minimum of 2 weeks and up to a maximum of 4 weeks. The weeks of the programme do not need to be consecutive. Teachers/SNAs must only provide a maximum of 10 hours per week to an eligible child, and no more than 5 hours in any one day. Where siblings are sharing an allocation of hours the maximum number of hours per week are outlined in “Siblings hours” section below.
Programme hours available
The allocation is 10 hours per week over 4 weeks where a school is not participating in a school-based programme. The allocation is per household, where there are siblings eligible their allocations are listed below.
The 4 weeks do not have to be given sequentially and can be offered in June for Post-Primary and/or July, August for everyone.
Siblings hours
Where there are siblings in a home they will receive a shared allocation of hours as follows:
2 Children – 15 shared hours per week for 4 weeks (60 hours in total)
3 Children – 20 shared hours per week for 4 weeks (80 hours in total)
4 Children – 25 shared hours per week for 4 weeks (100 hours in total)
5 Children – 30 shared hours per week for 4 weeks (120 hours in total)
6 Children – 35 shared hours per week for 4 weeks (140 hours in total)
Different School Settings
Separate allocations of 10 hours per week will be provided to a child where that child is:
- Attending school at a different educational sector to their sibling – (i.e. one child is primary and the other is post-primary)
- One child is in a specialised setting (i.e. one child in a special class or a special school and the other child in mainstream)
- Where two eligible children are each in a specialised setting (i.e. a special class or a special school)
- Where one sibling is living in a separate home
Examples of sibling allocations:
A. Two eligible children in family; one child is in mainstream setting and the other is in a special class setting.
Allocation is 40 hours each.
B. Three eligible children in family; one child is in post primary mainstream, the other two children are in primary mainstream.
Allocation of 40 hours for the post primary pupil and 60 hours shared between the two primary students.
C. Two eligible children in family; one child is in post primary, the other child is in primary.
Allocation of 40 hours each.
D. Three eligible children in family; one child is in a special class/ special school and the other two children are both in primary mainstream.
Allocation of 40 hours for for the pupil in special class/school and 60 hours shared between the two mainstream students.
E. Three eligible children in family; one child is in a post-primary special class and the other two pupils are in a post-primary mainstream.
Allocation of 40 hours to the pupil in the special class and 60 hours shared between the two mainstream students.
Tuition/care support can be provided to siblings at the same time. The pay is per hour of tuition/care support given and not per child.
Rates of pay
The grant rates per hour for tuition provided is:
Fully Qualified Primary Teacher € 43.34 per hour
This is for a qualified primary teacher providing tuition to a primary pupil.
Fully Qualified Post-primary Teacher € 47.55 per hour
This is for a qualified post-primary teacher providing tuition to a post-primary pupil.
Modified Rate € 35.69 per hour
This is applied as follows:
– A post-primary qualified teacher providing tuition to a primary pupil or;
– A primary qualified teacher providing tuition to a post-primary pupil or;
– A teacher who is registered with the Teaching Council of Ireland and who has a degree (minimum Level 7 on the National Framework of Qualifications) in a relevant area or;
– A PME student teacher registered with the Teaching Council under Route 3 or;
– Undergraduate student teachers registered with the Teaching Council under Route 5 or;
– A teacher who is registered and qualified and who is in receipt of a public service pension
Can tutors work with more than 1 family?
Tuition may be provided to more than one family during the summer, but the programme must be delivered on a 1:1 basis (with the exception of siblings). In delivering the programme, teachers/SNAs must adhere to the published terms and conditions of the programme and allow time for travel to and from each child’s home and for rest breaks.
Have you any questions?
If you have any questions Contact Us and we’ll be happy to assist you further.