50 Shades of Exceptional

What is Summer Provision?

Summer Provision provides educational supports during the summer to children with special needs and those at most risk of educational disadvantage.

The Summer Provision 2021 programmes includes:

• School-based summer programme for children with special educational needs in special classes, special schools and mainstream schools
• Home-based provision for children with complex needs (where a school-based programme is not available)
• Summer camps in DEIS schools focussing on numeracy and literacy

All primary schools and post-primary schools including DEIS will have the opportunity to provide a 2-week summer programme for mainstream pupils with complex needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage.

Summer Provision is based on the July Provision which was delivered to children with special educational needs by the Department of Education in previous years.

Who qualifies for Summer Provision?

The following children qualify for the school-based programme:

• Children in a special school or a special class
• Children in mainstream classes in primary schools who are accessing the highest level of the continuum of support. This includes children with autism, Down syndrome, sensory impairments, and other disabilities who were identified for the supplementary programme earlier this year.

Children in the above categories entering primary school next September are also eligible for the programme.

Priority places

Schools will give first place on the school-based programme to students with complex needs in special classes and mainstream classes. The remaining places will be given on the basis of need and availability.

Remaining places

When the priority places have gone, the remaining places may be offered to:

• Children identified by the school as being most at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving
• Children who did not engage fully in online learning during the school closures
• Children accessing Special Education Teacher (SET) or Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support
• Children whose domestic circumstances or home environment are not conducive to online learning
• Children who have been identified as having poor attendance
• Traveller and Roma children
• Children who have English as an additional Language (EAL) who lost out on contact with English language during school closures

School-based programme

All primary schools and post-primary schools have the opportunity to provide a new 2 week summer programme for mainstream pupils with complex needs and those at greatest risk of educational disadvantage.

All special schools will also have the opportunity to provide a summer programme.

The programme will take place in the child’s school between July and August.

There is information for parents on the primary school-based summer education progamme (pdf) and the post-primary school-based summer education progamme (pdf).

Home-based programme

The home-based programme is only available if your child’s school is not running a school-based programme or it does not have capacity to accommodate your child in the programme.

The home-based programme funds the employment of care support or a tutor for 10 hours per week for 4 weeks. It will run between 9am and 6m, Monday to Friday. The four weeks do not have to be consecutive and can take place any time during the summer holidays. The tutor must be a registered teacher or a special needs assistant (SNA) and meet child protection criteria. Support must be provided one to one.

The school will contact parents of eligible children and provide a Grant Claim Form. The school will complete Part 1 of the form. If a school cannot provide a teacher or SNA, the parents must employ one.

When the programme of hours have been delivered, parents should complete the timetable of hours on the Grant Claim Form and return it to Department of Education, Home-Based Summer Programme, Special Education Section, Cornamaddy, Athlone, Co. Westmeath N37 X659 by 3 September 2021.

Find out more about the 2021 home-based summer programme (pdf) from the Department of Education.

You can read the COVID-19 guidance for delivering in-home tuition and personal care (pdf).

If your family did not avail of any hours under the supplementary scheme, your allocation for the home-based programme can be extended to 5 weeks.

DEIS schools summer camp

DEIS primary schools may run literacy and numeracy camps for children who are considered by the school to have the greatest level of need. The summer camps also provide well-being and school engagement programmes for children at risk of educational disadvantage. The camps can be run through English or Gaeilge.

Primary schools can allocate places to children of any age, including sixth class, and can choose children who would most benefit from the programme.

Can I get school transport during Summer Provision?

If you normally use the special education needs (SEN) transport scheme, it may be provided. If SEN transport services are not available, you can apply for grant funding after your child has completed the programme.

The Department’s School Transport Scheme will not run during the summer programme. If your child normally uses the School Transport Scheme, your school may make local transport arrangements. You should contact your school for more details.

Further information

You should contact your child’s school about its school-based summer programme. If the school is not running a school-based programme or there are not enough places for eligible children the school can provide you with an application form for the home-based programme.

You can get more information about the Summer Provision from the Department of Education and at gov.ie/summerprovision