Details of the 2026 Summer Programme were communicated to all schools on the 6th May 2026. While it is acknowledged that details of the Summer Programme are typically announced earlier, the finalisation of arrangements for the 2026 programme was delayed pending confirmation that the Department of Education and Youth would receive the additional funding required to support all aspects of education.
All schools have been offered the opportunity to run a school-based programme for children with the most complex special educational needs and those at risk of educational disadvantage.
Where a school does not intend to run a school-based programme or there is no place on the programme for an eligible child, schools were invited to make an application for the home-based programme.
There has been no change to the portal system: applications were submitted using the same process as in previous years. However, the application portals for both the school-based and the home-based programmes were open in parallel from the 6th May to the 15th May to reflect a shorter timeframe.
On Thursday, 14th May, a further email issued reminding schools of the closing date for the receipt of applications. We have received a significant number of applications from schools in relation to both the school-based and home-based programmes.
As communicated to all schools at the outset, it is intended that schools will be engaged with on an individual basis in the week commencing the 25th May. During that period, schools will receive a follow-up email confirming the number of pupils approved to participate in this year’s programme, along with their school’s assigned staffing allocation. This approach ensures that each school receives clear, tailored information to assist with effective planning. As post primary schools are approaching the end of term, these schools will be prioritised and engaged with in the first instance.
All of the supports and incentives introduced in recent years have been designed to increase participation by enabling schools to offer a Summer Programme. These measures have been aimed at maximising the number of children who can access a school-based programme, with a particular focus on ensuring that children with the most complex needs receive targeted support.
It is anticipated that the number of children taking part in these schools will be even higher again this year, continuing the positive upward trend in participation seen in previous years.
The following table provides the number of schools that participated in the 2024 and 2025 Summer Programmes. Final participation figures for the 2026 Summer Programme will only be available after all claims have been submitted and processed.
|
Summer Programme
|
No. of schools in 2024
|
No. of schools in 2025
|
|
Special School Scheme
|
72
|
81
|
|
Primary School Scheme
|
1,095
|
1,322
|
|
Post Primary School Scheme
|
203
|
224
|
