A home-based summer programme is available for children with complex special educational needs where their schools are not providing a school-based programme.
The allocation of hours is 10 per week for four weeks, where a student is eligible and their school is not participating in a school-based programme or is not in a position to offer the student a place on a school-based programme.
What’s New for 2023
Since the Programme was established, the Department has only ever sanctioned 1:1 tuition or tuition for siblings in the home. For 2023, the Department is allowing a Small Group Arrangement whereby individual registered teachers can deliver a programme for students in group of up to three. Therefore, if parents wish, they may enter into an arrangement with a registered teacher to tutor their child in a small group, up to a maximum of 3 children.
This new arrangement is based on feedback that some students who are eligible for the home-based programme will benefit from a more holistic experience from peer and social interactions.
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 the Private Group Provider Arrangement (see download below) 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 a individual basis.
Online Sanctioning Portal
For 2023, the department is providing an online portal to allow schools to submit a student’s details and confirm eligibility. A sanction email will issue to the parents and school to confirm eligibility and the hours that have been allocated to the student.
Schools are asked to complete and support parents in submitting this application.
The link for the Online Sanctioning Portal will be circulated to schools by email and the Portal will remain open until Friday 9 June 2023.
2023 Documentation
