Pre-School Home Visiting Teachers

This teaching service works with pre-school children with additional educational support needs and families.   The service is offered to any child with needs which may adversely affect the child’s educational progress and development.
Children are taught in their own homes or in their nursery/playgroup. Parents are given advice and support to help or manage their child’s difficulties.
This service aims to work in close partnership with parents, teachers, playgroup leaders and other related professionals.

Referrals

Referrals come from:
• Parents
• Medical services (GP, School Doctor, Paediatrician, Health Visitor and Community Nurses)
• Educational Psychologists
After consultation with the parents the child’s name is put forward for home teaching and contact is made as soon as there is a place available. Generally, priority is given to those children nearest school entry age, with younger children being offered a service when priorities and caseloads allow.

 How  the teachers carry out their work.

The Pre-school Teachers usually work in the home with the child and parent on a regular basis, e.g. fortnightly.
They concentrate on areas of difficulty which the child may be experiencing and organise a programme of work to meet each child’s individual needs.
The teachers help the child in the transition from home to nursery/playgroup or into full-time education.
Reports are provided on the child’s strengths and weaknesses; written records are kept on the child’s progress and parents have the right of access to these records.

Training

Pre-school teachers are also involved in training nursery staff, parents and carers.   In particular we help run Earlybird courses for parents with children who have been diagnosed with autism. The Earlybird Programme aims to support parents in the period between diagnosis and school placement. The programme helps parents to facilitate their child's social communication and appropriate behaviour and establish positive behaviour managment.