Government Announce Schools Taking Part in Project bringing Specialised Therapists into Schools and Pre-schools

Government focuses on linked up services and early intervention.

The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr. Richard Bruton TD, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr. Katherine Zappone TD and Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, today (6th July 2018) announced the schools and pre-schools taking part in the first ever project to provide in-school and pre-school therapy services. The project will be managed and co-ordinated by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

This government is committed to ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to reach their full potential. The model for this project has been developed by the Departments of Education and Skills, Children and Youth Affairs and Health and will complement existing HSE funded provision of essential therapy services.

The 150 schools and pre-schools selected are located within HSE Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) Region 7 which includes West Dublin, Kildare, and West Wicklow. The schools and pre-schoolswere chosen to be representative of the overall educational system and include settings in disadvantaged areas, large, small, urban and rural schools and pre-schools as well as those with differing special educational needs.

These schools and pre-schools will receive the support of 19 speech and language therapists and 12 Occupational Therapists. The NCSE will also recruit 2 National Co-ordinators to manage the project. €2.25m is being allocated to Phase One of the project in 2018.

Phase one of the project will focus on:

• early intervention and tailored supports
• bringing specialised therapists into schools and pre-schools to provide tailored support to children
• collaboration and greater linkages between therapists, parents, teachers and other school and pre-school staff
• developing greater linkages between educational and therapy supports
• providing professional training and guidance for school and pre-school staff and parents in supporting children’s therapy and developmental needs
• maximising the participation of parents in their children’s communication development

Announcing the schools taking part, the Minister for Education and Skills, Richard Bruton TD, said:

Announcing the pre-schools taking part, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Dr Katherine Zappone, said:

Minister Harris said:

ENDS

The pilot project will take place in the HSE Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) Region 7 which includes West Dublin, Kildare, and West Wicklow.

This region has been selected to ensure that the pre-school and in-school therapy model can be tested in both urban and rural locations and with a suitable mix of various types of schools and pre-schools.

Each therapist will provide support to clusters of schools and pre-schools within the pilot region.

The main focus of the model will be on providing professional training and guidance for school and pre-school staff and parents in supporting children’s therapy and developmental needs.

In some instances where children have significant persistent needs, direct one on one support will be provided in pre-schools and schools for those children.

Selection of Schools and Pre-Schools

In selecting which schools which are being invited to participate in the project, regard has been given to a range of objective criteria which has ensured that within the selected pilot region a representative sample of schools can be selected.

The Education Research Centre (ERC) randomly selected, within the selection criteria designed to provide for a proportional distribution of schools, 75 schools.

Account of the proportional distribution of schools within the region included:

• balance between Primary and Post Primary School Sectors (60 Primary National Schools (including 6 special schools) 15 Post Primary)
• inclusion of disadvantage/DEIS status schools
• gender
• medium of instruction (Irish)
• special schools (not supported by existing dedicated in School Therapy Service)
• school size
• urban/rural location
• sector and ethos
• primary and post primary schools with special classes
• school(s) with early intervention special class
• capacity to group schools into clusters

In order to ensure early intervention and continuity of provision between the pre-school and mainstream school sector, 75 Pre-schools were grouped into clusters of 5 pre-schools which were associated with selected mainstream schools.

Full list of schools participating

PRESCHOOLS

PRIMARY SCHOOLS

SPECIAL SCHOOLS

POST PRIMARY SCHOOLS