Overview

The Academic Year Programme (AYP) is an 8 month course for non EAA students. On completion of 25 course weeks, AYP students sit an internationally recognised exam (Cambridge, IELTS or TIE). The syllabus is designed to encourage progression and confidence with a focus on building fluency. Classes are international and have a maximum of 15 students. 15 full hours of tuition per week, 9.00am – 12.15pm, Monday to Friday (June to August: 1.00pm – 4.15pm).

Course Details

Course Options

• Acedemic Year Programme: General English + IELTS
• Academic Year Programme: General English + Cambridge

Academic Year Enrolment Calendar 2022

January 10 – First Date for Academic Year Programme enrolments

December 18 2023 to January 5 2024 – Christmas Holiday

Class Timetable:

9.00am to 12.15pm, Monday to Friday

from June 12 to August 25 the class timetable is from 1.00pm to 4.15pm

Sample Timetable

• 15 hours English Tuition per week: Mon – Fri 9.15am – 12.30pm
• Free Coffee/Tea Break from 10.45 – 11.00am
• Free Conversation Class Once a Week
• Optional Afternoon Pay as You Go Tours/Trip with Free Irish Activity Leader
• Evening Pub Social Meet up Once a Week
• Saturday Optional Full Day Tour

What’s Included

Tuition

We have a specially designed Adult Syllabus to encourage your  progression and confidence with an emphasis on building fluency. We believe in real materials and growing to love the language by living it. Classes are international and have a maximum of 15 students per class. 15 full hours tuition per week. (Classes 9.15am – 12.30pm each day with a 15 minute break). 

Accommodation Option

Our accommodation is in homestays either in Malahide within walking distance of our school or a very short bus journey from surrounding neighborhoods. Our hosts typically take 1 or 2 students at a time and all our adults have single rooms. Families will do student’s laundry as part of their normal home routine. We carefully match students with families. Families provide breakfast, packed lunch and evening meal. Meals are nutritious and we can cater for special diets on request. On arrival we also give students a welcome pack including a reusable water bottle and our school has a water refilling station. For more information on accommodation options see our accommodation page.

Weekday Activities

Students have access to our weekly optional pay as you go activity programme. We provide a free leader to bring you on our afternoon trips and you pay for your travel and entrance fees.

Evening Activities

Every week we have a designed pub night where students can meet each other on a social night out.

Full Day Trips

Each Saturday our students have the opportunity to book a full day trip. Sample Day Trips: Glendalough, Kilkenny, Belfast, Cliffs of Moher etc

Free Conversation Class

Our Conversation Classes are free of charge for our enrolled students.

Travel Card

Students attending a full time course can apply for a Dublin Discount Travel Card

Student Report & Certificate

Students receive a Certificate of Attendance and Attainment at the end of their course and also an individual hand written teacher report on their progress.

Academic Focus

The main focus of these intensive English courses is on Rapid Learning for Communication in Spoken and Written English. Our highly qualified English teachers set students clear learning objectives and use the latest modern teaching techniques to provide language practice in speaking, writing, listening and reading, to improve English pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary. These English language classes also include an Irish Culture Component, which covers Irish language, traditional music, history and culture. These special English lessons will provide those students learning English in Ireland with a better knowledge of the local people and culture, enabling them to become more actively involved with the unique Irish way of life. Read more about our English Courses in Dublin.

Work & Study

Students requiring a Study Visa to work and study in Ireland: 

Our courses are also suitable for non-EU students requiring study visas to enter Ireland. The Irish College of English can assist students with study visa applications and will issue a letter of acceptance upon registration. We will also issue you a College Letter needed to apply for the right to work in Ireland. Our Academic Year Programme (25 weeks tuition within an 8 month study period) are included on the Department of Education and Skills Internationalisation register of programmes approved by the Minister for Education and Skills for the purpose of access to employment by students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland. 

Read more Work and Study in Ireland Visa Regulations.
See The Department of Justice Website for more detailed information on Study Visas.

Book Now

Book Online now or email us at info@iceireland.com.

AYP Information

Working in Ireland

Non EEA/EU students are eligible to work 20 hours per week during the complete duration of their stay. Students are granted permission to work 40 hours per week providing they are on a holiday period from lessons during:

December – January

May – August inclusive

Holidays

Non EEA/EU students are allowed an 8 week holiday period providing they have booked a course for a minimum of 25 weeks in duration completed within an 8 month study period, 15 hours per week, 09.15am – 12.30pm, Monday to Friday.

Students must have studied for a minimum of 8 weeks before taking any holidays.

For every 3 weeks studied students can take 1 week of holidays.

Students that are undertaking a course which runs through the schools closure period during December will automatically be assigned a 4 weeks holiday period.

Attendance Levels

As part of their visa requirement students are obliged to have a minimum attendance rate of 85%.

Attendance will be recorded on a daily basis and students will need to sign into and out of the school each day.  If students are more than 15 minutes late for class or if they leave class more than 15 minutes early their attendance will not be counted for that day. Students will sign in and out of the school each day with Ian McElhinney. The class teacher will also keep an independent record of attendance for cross reference.

The attendance records will be reconciled on a weekly basis by Ian McElhinney under the supervision of the Director of Studies. Students who have an attendance of less than 85% will be issued with a warning letter. 

Sick Leave

Students must inform the school by email (info@iceireland.com) on the first day of illness if they are too unwell to attend lessons. Students that are absent for more than 2 consecutive days due to illness must provide the school with a medical certificate justifying their absence. The medical certificate should be scanned and emailed to the school or presented on the first day back. Attendance will not be applied during any sick leave period but a record will be maintained of all explained absences.

Students that are absent due to illness but fail to provide a medical certificate, risk their attendance levels dropping below 85% and may be issued with a warning letter or expulsion depending on their previous status. 

Unscheduled Leave

To request unscheduled breaks students must, where possible, meet with the schools Director of Studies to discuss their individual circumstances and their requirement for a break from scheduled lessons. If the student is incapacitated or hospitalized an email from the student or a relative will be considered. In every case the student must provide evidence of illness or bereavement for a break to be considered.

Unscheduled breaks will be considered under the follow circumstances:

Illness of a family member who is certified by a medical practitioner as requiring constant care and attention for the period of recuperation from the illness.

Bereavement involving a family member.

Requests may be refused if the Director feels the request is disingenuous, no evidence of the illness of bereavement has been presented, the students attendance levels are below 85%.

All requests for leave whether approved or declined will be recorded on the students file.

Absenteeism and Expulsion

Ian McElhinney is responsible for the issuing of all warning letters.  Warning letters will be sent my regular post and by email. Students are expected to inform the school of any changes to their address while in Ireland.

When a student’s attendance initially falls below 85% , the school will issue students with their first warning letter, students will have 4 weeks to:

(a) bring their attendance up to a minimum of 85% or

(b) if this is not possible they must attend 100% of their lessons

Failure to comply will result in the student receiving a second warning letter and must have a meeting with school administrational staff. Again the students will have 4 weeks to:

 (a) bring their attendance up to a minimum of 85% or

(b) if this is not possible they must attend 100% of their lessons

Failure to comply will result in the student receiving a third warning letter and a meeting will be held between the student and the schools Director of Studies. The students will have 4 weeks to:

 (a) bring their attendance up to a minimum of 85% or

(b) if this is not possible they must attend 100% of their lessons

 Upon breach of this written and verbal warning, the student will be expelled from the Irish College of English, a letter will be sent to GNIB informing them of the students’ failure to come to class, the breach of their visa obligations, and the expiration of their course and medical insurance.

Exam

Non-EU students must complete an official examination at the end of the programme. Students taking the Academic Year Programme will prepare for the TIE exam and sit the exam in the final week of their course.

The Academic Year TIE Course will end with an examination in TIE (www.tie.ie). The TIE exam is an international EFL exam developed in Ireland under the aegis of the Advisory Council for English Language Schools (ACELS). The test is task-based with the content chosen by each individual learner.

Students enrolled on The Academic Year TIE Course are obliged to take the TIE examination at the end of their course. The fees for the TIE examination must be paid prior to arrival in Ireland and commencement of the course.

During the students first week of arrival the student will meet with Ian McElhinney and sign an agreement at the beginning of the programme stating that The Irish College of English will enter the student for the end of programme exams and that the exams are mandatory. The student must sign the agreement stating that they understand the exam is mandatory and agree that they will sit the exam.  During this meeting an examination date will be chosen and the students will be registered for the exam.

Students will be contacted by the schools administrational staff reminding them of their exam date and time of examination 4 weeks in advance of the examination date.

The school will receive the examination results approximately 2 weeks after the examination date. The school will inform the student by email that their exam results are ready to be collected. If the student has already left the country the certificate and results will be sent by PDF email and the originals will be posted to them. A record of grades received will be available on request to students, INIS and relevant internal personnel and the relevant data protection permissions are agreed with students accordingly.

Insurance

Students requiring a student visa must have adequate medical insurance to cover their stay in Ireland. The policy must be in English. The school can arrange medical insurance before a student arrives or on arrival. Cost €65. This policy satisfies the requirements of the Irish Immigration officials.

Protection for Learners

If required the school has arrangements in place for the protection of students in the event that a programme ceases prematurely i.e. arrangements for a student to complete the programme with another provider(s) through membership of Marketing English in Ireland (www.mei.ie) . Student protection arrangements cover the period from when a student enrols on a programme until the time the student has successfully completed the programme and the end-of-programme exams.

Student Refunds

• There is no refund for a cancellation made within 21 days of the commencement of the course or if a student fails to complete the programme.
• Deposits are non refundable in all circumstances.
• Partial Refunds will be made where notice is given more than 21 days prior to arrival. This partial refund is as follows – deposits are non refundable, the remaining tuition fees will be refunded. Where host family accommodation has been booked, an additional 100 euro will not be refunded in order to compensate families.
• There is no refund for students who change from Intensive to other courses of lesser hours.
• There is no refund for fees of days missed during the course, for late arrival or early departure or for public holidays.

Refunds will be made within a maximum of 20 working days following the cancellation date and processed by Deirdre Rochford drochford@iceireland.com. If a visa application is refused, the funds will be returned within 20 working days of the decision being received by the provider, less cancellation charge of 200 Euro.

Complaints and Grievances 

If students have complaints or grievances they should report them to the office immediately.

This includes (not exclusive list);

• Host family /accommodation problems
• Class issues (level/teacher/other students/ timetable/course duration/final examinations etc

The person responsible for dealing with these complaint is Susan McElhinney info@iceireland.com . The Irish College of English aims to resolve all complaints or issues within 48 hours and a maximum period of 7 days.

School Emergency Phone Number: 00 353 85 706 5937

Accreditations 

ACELS  TIE  MEI