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The Minister for Education Norma Foley TD and Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion Josepha Madigan TD today announce details of the 2023 Summer Programme. Once again, all schools will have an opportunity to run a programme for those children that need it the most, so that they can be supported, nurtured and encouraged to continue to engage in a fun and inclusive educational setting.

For 2023, additional funding was secured in Budget 2023 to run the programme to match the investment in 2021 and 2022, bringing the total funding available to €40m. 

This year’s programme is designed and developed to ensure supports are targeted to better assist children and young people to have access to a school based programme. For 2023 it is a priority that more children in special schools have access to a school-based programme.

This year introduces a new Special School Programme as a pilot initiative to ensure there is a real focus on supporting special schools. This programme has been designed and developed to ensure supports are targeted to enhance the availability of a school-based programme for pupils in special schools.

In addition, there are two in-school schemes at mainstream primary level

• The Primary School Scheme for pupils in primary mainstream schools, which provides one cohesive scheme combining the Inclusion programme and special classes from last year, and;
• The DEIS expanded literacy and numeracy summer camp/campa samhraidh for pupils in DEIS schools. This is available to all schools in the DEIS scheme, including those that received their new DEIS status in September 2022.

There is one scheme at post-primary level, the Post-Primary Scheme.

• This year all post-primary schools can offer a Summer Programme for students with complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.

A central theme has been developed, ‘Building Confidence and Connections’. The aim of this theme is to help our children and young people to realise their potential, to be resilient in dealing with the normal stresses of their lives, to take care of their physical wellbeing and to have a sense of purpose, connection and belonging to their school community.

Minister Foley said:

The main focus for this year’s Summer Programme is that those children with the most complex special educational needs have access to a school-based programme.

There are numerous supports now available to schools for this year’s programme and I encourage all school communities to examine how best they can offer this programme to their students. From visiting the programmes last year, it is evident how much the children and the whole school community benefits from these fun and inclusive programmes. I would like to thank everyone involved in making the programme such a success, and hope that even more schools will take up this very valuable opportunity for their students this summer.

I very much welcome the new role of co-ordinator for schools who will oversee the running of the Summer Programme. This will be a new key leadership role that will offer development opportunities for staff in schools. I believe this will be an important way to alleviate pressure from school management and present an opportunity for other teachers.

I am delighted to announce the details of this year’s Summer Programme which builds on the successful programme last year, which saw over 42,000 pupils benefiting from both school based and home-based programmes.

We were keen this year to make this announcement as early as possible to ensure schools have plenty of time to plan and use the additional supports provided.

I am particularly pleased at the introduction of a new pilot programme in special schools which will be supported by a new National Co-Ordinator. This will bring a new focus to supporting and engaging with these schools further and to help more special schools engage with the programme.

Parents, children and school staff have all indicated to the Department how valuable and enjoyable the Summer Programme has been for them. The benefit for children with special educational needs is clear and I hope that today’s announcement ensures that as many children as possible have access to the programme this year.

This year’s programme introduces a new organiser role, replacing preparation hours in previous years. This will help support schools in their planning and participation from a much earlier stage for summer 2023. The title of the overseer role has changed to Summer Programme Manager. The functions for this role remains largely the same as previous years.

A number of supports are in place to assist schools in running the Summer Programme this year. These include:

• Contracted teachers and special needs assistants will be paid their personal rate of pay.
• While the role of Summer Programme Organiser must be allocated to one specific teacher, the role of Summer Programme Manager can be shared between teachers in a school.
• There is provision for schools to recruit newly qualified teachers graduating this summer as well as the undergraduate student teachers who have registered with the Teaching Council under Route 5.
• Substitute teachers, SNAs, newly qualified teachers and Route 5 undergraduate student teachers will be paid their standard substitution rates.
• Schools can also recruit other external workers such as early child care workers, carers and other students in relevant areas such as therapy, nursing and social care to take part in their programme. There will be a separate portal for special schools for this purpose.
• An online portal will be available to schools to submit payment claims to simplify the process. Claims will be entered by a Data Entry Person and approved by an Approver at school level under the direction of the school’s Summer Programme Manager.
• As in 2022, claims will be automated and paid directly to individual teachers and SNAs when fully completed claims are received from schools, significantly reducing the payment timeframes of previous years.
• Training and guidance will be provided to schools and their organisers, this will be facilitated through online training.

An online registration portal will be available soon for schools on gov.ie/summerprogramme

When schools register for the Summer Programme they will receive an email specifying the staffing resources that have been allocated to them. Schools will have the facility to appeal resource allocations. 

Deadline dates for registration will be published on this website and communicated to schools directly.

Notes

Further details and updates on this programme, including available supports and how schools can apply, are available at gov.ie/summerprogramme.

Special School Pilot Scheme

A pilot programme has now been developed for special schools, which is designed to ensure supports are targeted:

• to enhance the availability of school based programmes in special schools
• to coordinate and support children’s access to such a programme
• to assist with the identification of staffing needs and resources
• to reduce the administrative burden associated with leading and managing a school-based programme

For special schools, a Summer Programme National Coordinator will be appointed. This person will liaise with schools, the Department and education centres to facilitate the organisation of programmes.

For the first time, where a child’s special school is not running a school based programme, a portal will be available. This will allow parents to register their child’s details so that if a place is available in another location, their participation in a programme may be organised.

A portal will also be available for teachers and SNAs to register their interest in working on a school based programme in a special school. Student teachers and students in relevant disciplines such as therapy, social care and nursing and others, including early childcare workers and carers, will also be able to register their interest in working on such programmes.

The length of the day is being reduced from the full school day to 10am – 2pm but the same daily rate will be paid to staff taking part. This again recognises the challenges associated with running the programme in a special school.

In order to reflect the unique circumstances that arise in a special school during the summer months, additional grant funding of €2,000 will be provided for each week that a special school provides a school-based Summer Programme.

The Special School Scheme can run for two to five weeks anytime during the school summer holidays and not just in July.

Primary School Scheme

The Primary School Scheme replaces and integrates both the Inclusion Programme and Special Class elements from last year into one cohesive special educational needs scheme for mainstream primary schools.

The Primary School Scheme can run for two to four weeks anytime during the school summer holidays and not just in July.

Schools can form groups of up to 12 pupils supported by one teacher and one SNA. This year, the limit on the number of groups based on school size has been removed.

However, if groups primarily consist of pupils from special classes then sizes can be reduced and be reflective of pupil:teacher ratios similar to the normal school year. 

For example, groups can consist of up to six pupils with complex needs, with other remaining places being allocated to pupils at risk of educational disadvantage.

The Primary School Scheme also offers an opportunity for schools to address the needs of migrant students such as addressing English language skills and integration, including students from Ukraine and other countries.

If there are more than six children with complex needs in a group, schools can apply to the Department for additional resources.

Schools can also apply for additional SNA support to ensure participating pupils have similar SNA support to what they receive during the school year.

To do so or to appeal any aspect of the resource allocation granted to their school, schools can email [email protected]  or contact the Department’s helpline on 0906 484292

Post-Primary Scheme

The Post-Primary Scheme can run for two weeks, anytime during the school summer holidays and not just in July.

School can form groups of up to 12 students supported by one teacher and one SNA. This year, the limit on the number of groups based on school size has been removed.

However, if groups primarily consist of pupils from special classes groups then sizes can be reduced and be reflective of pupil: teacher ratios similar to the normal school year.

For example, groups can consist of up to six students with complex needs with other remaining places being allocated to students at risk of educational disadvantage.

The Post-Primary Scheme also offers an opportunity for schools to address the needs of migrant students such as addressing English language skills and integration, including students from Ukraine and other countries.

If there are more than six students with complex special educational needs in a group, schools can apply to the Department for additional resources.

Schools can also apply for additional SNA support to ensure participating students have similar SNA support to what they receive during the school year.

To do so or to appeal any aspect of the resource allocation granted to their school, schools can email [email protected] or contact the Department’s helpline on 0906 484292.

Home-Based Programme

A home-based programme will be available for pupils with complex special education needs where their school is not running a Summer Programme or a place on a school-based programme is unavailable. 

Details of the home-based programme will be published at a later date as in previous years.