My name is Peter Doran and I am the Home School Community
Liaison Teacher (HSCL) in Bishop Foley Memorial School and St. Josephs
National School.
HSCL teachers are found in DEIS schools throughout the country.
My main role is to work with you, the parents/guardians, along with the
teachers and the wider community to enhance your son’s learning
opportunities and to promote attendance, participation and retention in
school.
My job also involves visiting you in your home to work with you, help you
and act as a support to you in whatever way I can around any issues that
may impinge on your child’s attendance, participation and retention in
school.
I also link in and work with other key players both in the school and the
local community. I organise personal, leisure and academic classes and courses for adult
family members in the school thereby encouraging you to take an active
role in your child’s education while empowering yourself and learning new
skills. I would encourage you to become involved in our Parents
Association so your voice can be heard and to be part of the policy
formation in the school.
A parents room is also available in the school and here you can pop in and
enjoy the hospitality of other parents in a warm and welcoming
environment.
Please feel free to contact me anytime Monday – Friday 9am – 2:30 pm on
0831199568
Remember “ There is no problem too big that it can’t be solved with a little
contemplation…..over a cup of tea and a chat”.
I look forward to meeting you.
Peter Doran
HSCL teacher
Background:
Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) is a major mainstream preventative strategy targeted at pupils at risk of not reaching their potential in the educational system. Mainly because of background characteristics which tend to affect adversely pupil attainment and school retention. The scheme focuses directly on the salient adults in children’s educational lives while, seeking direct benefits for the children themselves.
The underlying policy of the scheme is one that seeks to promote partnership between parents and teachers. The purpose of this partnership
is to enhance pupils’ learning opportunities and to promote their retention in the education system. In addition, the HSCL Scheme places great emphasis on collaboration with the local community. The HSCL Scheme is the pioneer in involving the school in the life of the community and involving the community and its agencies in the life of the school.
Goals of the HSCL Scheme
To maximise active participation of the children in the learning process in particular those who might be at risk of failure.
To promote active cooperation between home, school and relevant community agencies in promoting the educational interests of the children.
To raise awareness in parents of their own capacities to enhance their children’s educational progress and to assist them in developing relevant skills.
To enhance the children’s uptake from education, their retention in the educational system, their continuation to post-compulsory education and to third level and their attitudes to lifelong learning.
To disseminate the positive outcomes of the scheme throughout the school system generally