HSCL
The Home School Community Liaison (HSCL) scheme attempts to bring parents closer to their child’s education. As such it is an ‘outreach’ element of the school whereby one member of the teaching staff leaves the classroom behind to work as a link between the parents and the school and the community. In many ways the HSCL co-ordinator is to be the ‘friendly face’ of the school arriving at the children’s homes to help parents with some aspect of their child’s education or being available to meet a parent at any stage where the class teacher or principal may not always be available.
Who is the H.S.C.L. co-ordinator?
- My name is Elaine Kirwan and I am the H.S.C.L co-ordinator for Presentation Primary School, Ballymakenny Road. You can contact me on 0861674352 or phone the school at 0419837119.
- I work very closely with Niamh Redden who is the H.S.C.L co-ordinator for St. Brigid’s and St. Patrick’s National School and Vivienne Lamont who is the H.S.C.L co-ordinator in St. Joseph’s C.B.S.
- Prior to taking on the role of H.S.C.L. co-ordinator I worked as a teacher in the school for fourteen years in the classroom and in learning support.
- The new extension at the front of the school is our Parent’s Room and H.S.C.L office. It is a fantastic addition to our school.
What is H.S.C.L. about?
- H.S.C.L. is about bringing parents closer to their children’s education
- Providing a link between home and school
- Offering parents opportunities to take part in a range of self-development courses and activities
- Offering parents opportunities to take part in learning initiatives in the classroom
What does the H.S.C.L. co-ordinator do?
- A big part of my job is to visit parents in their homes. I will try and get to call on as many families as possible at least once during their time at the school.
- Another large part of my job is to set up and arrange classes/courses for the personal, leisure and learning needs of parents, so as to promote their own self-worth and self-confidence, which in turn will have a positive impact on their children’s education.
- It is also up to the H.S.C.L. co-ordinator to organise initiatives where parents get the opportunity to work with the teacher and children in the classroom. This is a hugely beneficial and enjoyable experience for all concerned. Parents will need to be garda vetted to do this and forms are available from the school if this is something you would be interested in doing.
- It is important for the H.S.C.L. co-ordinator to develop links in the community with youth organisations such as Boomerang. I also need to work with the Educational Welfare Service (EWS) and the School Completion Programme (SCP) in a unified way, to address issues, which may have an effect on the attendance, participation and retention of children at risk of educational disadvantage and early school leaving.
- The H.S.C.L co-ordinator develops the pupil-parent-teacher relationship, so that school becomes a place where all young people can reach their potential.
- The HSCL Local Education Committee has been working on Drogheda Past this year. It will be a two year project involving a series of historical walking tours for the parents around the town monuments and the TY students of St Oliver's Community College will be trained as guides. There will also be a parent trip to Oldbridge. Year two will see a focus on the town through the ages. A family booklet will be created where parents and children can learn together about the history of the town. The primary school children will be guided on tours of the monuments and the year will finish with a parent trip to Newgrange
What does the H.S.C.L. co-ordinator not do?
- It is not my job to report back personal details of a family to the school staff. Anything that a parent says to me is treated with the utmost confidentiality. I will only share information about a family at the request of that family.
- It is also not my job to listen to complaints about staff members. If a parent has an issue with a teacher or their child’s progress they will need to deal with that issue with the teacher or principal.
What classes/courses/talks have been arranged in recent years:
Yoga
Yogalates
Mindfulness
Meditation
Crochet
Transferring to secondary school
Knitting
Cooking on a budget
Baking
Incredible Years parent programmes
Easter wreath making
Christmas centre pieces
Historical walking tours of Drogheda
Photography
Gardening
Zumba
Read to succeed
Story Sacks
Christmas crafts
Adult fitness class
Anxitey in children talks
Baking with numbers
Maths is fun
Irish for beginners