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 a family can not opt for the home based programme. However, if there is no space or the school is unable to accomodate a child in their programme that child can access the home based programme.
Eligibility Criteria
The Home Based Summer Programme is only available for children with complex special educational needs where their school is not offering the Programme or where a school programme place is not available.
Where a school is not running the Summer Programme priority should be given to students with the greatest levels of need first, including students attending special classes.
Students with complex special educational needs are defined as:
1. Any student enrolled in a special school or a special class at primary and post primary level
2. Students presenting with the most significant needs in mainstream classes in primary and post-primary level who are accessing the highest level of the Continuum of Support (School Support Plus). This includes 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 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 rigid repetitive patterns of behaviour.
- Students with Downsyndrome
- 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.
3. Autistic Students are eligible for this Programme.
4. Children in the above categories entering primary school and Early Intervention ASD classes in September 2023 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 including a (*)pre-school in some capacity (full, parttime or temporary basis) and is aged 17 or over, to provide care support.
Graduate / Newly Qualified Teachers
Graduate / Newly Qualified 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 6th October 2023.
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 prior to first day of tuition 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 6th October 2023.
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
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 a family connect with 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 9th June 2023 after which applications can not be made.
4. For eligible children, parents will receive an email from the DoE containing the sanction notice and links to the other documents that must be completed before tuition starts.
5. The sanction notice and the other documents must be completed by the tutor prior to starting tuition.
6. Only return paperwork after tuition has been completed.
7. Make a copy of all paperwork before it is returned to the DoE.
8. All paperwork must be returned no later than 8th Sept 2023.
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 DoE 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 official 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. Tuition can only be given Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm.
Tuition must only be provided for a maximum of 10 hours per week to an eligible child, and no more than 5 hours in any one day.
Programme hours available
For the home based programme the allocation is 10 hours per week over 4 weeks. Each student will now be sanctioned with 40 hours, this also includes children in the same household.
Small Group Arrangements
Tutors can now also take a maximum of 3 students together from separate households in a shared allocation of hours. They can also work with multiple sets of “Groups”, but these groups must not have any of the same children. The hours available to Small Group Arrangements are set out as follows:
20 hours per week shared for four weeks (80 hours shared in total)
Can tutors work with multiple families?
Tutors can work with multiple families under the Home Based Programme. If tuition is not being delivered under the “Small Groups Arrangement” as detailed above then tuition must be delivered on a 1:1 basis. When tutoring on the 1:1 basis tutors can work a maximum of 6 hours in any one day.
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.
Rates of pay
The grant rates per hour for tuition provided is:
Fully Qualified Primary Teacher €46.00 per hour
This is for a qualified primary teacher providing tuition to a primary pupil.
Fully Qualified Post-primary Teacher €50.50 per hour
This is for a qualified post-primary teacher providing tuition to a post-primary pupil.
Modified Rate €38.05 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
Have you any questions?
If you have any questions Contact Us and we’ll be happy to assist you further.
Note: * Update applied 28/06/2023