A whole school policy on home-visit was agreed by the Board of Management at its meeting on 10/12/96.

Rationale

The Board of Management believes that it is important to work with parents to support our students to achieve academically and to develop their social and personal skills to the maximum of their potential.  The Board also recognises that placement in a special school may make it difficult for parents to visit due to distance. Alongside the usual forms of parent communication and school based meetings, the Board decided to engage in home visits to encourage greater participation in the school programme and to demonstrate our commitment to the important role of parents in their child’s education.

Policy Content

• All newly-enrolled pupils in Scoil Chiarain will receive a home-visit from their class teacher in the second term.
• At the beginning of the third term, any teacher may apply to the Board of management for permission to make a home visit to the homes of those parents who have not made any contact with the school during the previous school year. The application should identify the opportunities for contact not taken up by parent/s in question.
• All pupils whose placement in Scoil Chiarain is under query shoudl receive a home visit as an integral part of the re-assessment process.
  When the Board of Management informs the parents about this scheme, it will also let them know how parents may approach the Board to request a home visit.
• The responsibility of handling the valuable information gained during the home visit rests with the teacher who made the visit. This is extremely important when pupils are moving up to the next class. It is imperative that any commitments undertaken during the course of the visit are honoured, in order to protect the integrity of the scheme.
• Special Needs Assistants play an important role in the child’s educational development. For this reason they should be involved in all stages of the home visit process – planning, visit and follow-up.
• Substitute cover will be provided for all teachers/special needs assistants who embark on a home-visit programme.
• Teacher/snas will be reimbursed for travel costs incurred during the undertaking of a home visit programme, in accordance with rates decided by the Board of Management.
• The Board of Management will take all steps necessary to ensure that teachers, special needs assistants and parents are fully informed as to the actual aim of the home visit – that is to discuss the EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS of the child concerned. As a school, dealing with the LEARNING needs of our pupils, this is our brief. We will not step outside that brief, under any circumstances. Any other issues of concern raised by parents should be brought to the attention of the principal.
• The operation of the Home School Links Programme will be reviewed by the Board of Management on a regular basis.