School immersion – 12-18 years – with a same-aged student

The programme, lasting 4 to 16 weeks, is for motivated participants, aged 12 to 18, who wish to immerse themselves in the Irish culture and discover a different school system.

You are welcomed into a family where you share the daily life and lifestyle, and you follow a course of your preference in a local high school. A unique opportunity to live the life of an Irish of your age, share unique moments with the family who receives you and discover, first hand, the culture of this country.

Our partner cooperates with many institutions in many parts of Ireland. The school choice is made according to your profile, your school records and subjects that you would like to study.

Unique of this program: we guarantee you the hospitality in a family that has a child of the same gender and is similar age to yours (a year or two), and especially that follows his schooling in the same school. This means that you have a buddy to assist your academic integration, but also that your host family knows the school and it operates.

The communication and exchange are the key words of the success of this visit, as well as openness and the desire to adapt to a different lifestyle.

This formula is recommended for young autonomous, sociable and open students. To facilitate the integration, it is also recommended to have fulfilled at least 2 or 3 years of English study.

  • 21 January 2019; Presentation SS, Thurles players celebrate following the Subway All-Ireland Schools Cup U19 B Girls Final match between Colaiste Pobail Setanta and Presentation SS, Thurles at the National Basketball Arena in Tallaght, Dublin. Photo by David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

    • Why Ireland?

    As a legendary land full of breathtaking, wild landscapes, Ireland offers a unique mix of perennial traditions and friendliness. The Irish people are originally welcoming and joyful artists and musicians. Irish cities are well-known for being dynamic, full of activity and home to young people (more than 40% of the Irish population are younger than 30).

    High-quality education is not a new concept in Ireland: more than 80% of young Irish people take the final exam come the end of their schooling. Recent studies have reported that teachers pay a great degree of attention to their students, with the average size of the class standing at 17 pupils. Furthermore, the Irish government has invested a lot over the last few decades in making the education system international so that it becomes more attractive to foreign students.

    There are two types of classes: compulsory and optional subjects.

    Compulsory subjects: Mathematics, English and Irish (Gaelic is compulsory only for the Irish, young foreigners use this time for personal study).

    Optional subjects (elective subjects): a wide range of subjects is available, and varies per institution: Modern languages (generally French or German, sometimes Italian or Spanish), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Business Studies such as Accountancy and Economics, History, Geography, Music, Art, Classical Studies, Technical Drawing, Design and Technical Graphics, Engineering, Technology and more.

    Foreign students generally take 6-7 subjects, including 2 which are mandatory (Maths and English).

    Class schedules vary from school to school, but usually take place Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00.

    English lessons

    For young people who have difficulties in English, our partner can arrange private lessons with a teacher, as a supplement to the curriculum.

    Extra-curricular activities

    Schools offer a variety of extra-curricular activities (sports, workshops and various clubs). We encourage students to participate with the activities offered by the school or the ones organised by the family. The local coordinator or your host family will assist you in your efforts.

    Note: the family does not necessarily organise specific activities for the student they welcome. He/she integrates into his/her family life and will have to come up with things to him/herself.

    English lessons

    For young people who have difficulties in English, our partner can arrange private lessons with a teacher, as a supplement to the curriculum.

    Extra-curricular activities

    Schools offer a variety of extra-curricular activities (sports, workshops and various clubs). We encourage students to participate with the activities offered by the school or the ones organised by the family. The local coordinator or your host family will assist you in your efforts.

    Note: the family does not necessarily organise specific activities for the student they welcome. He/she integrates into his/her family life and will have to come up with things to him/herself.

    The host families are carefully selected by our Irish partner who has gained nearly 40 years of experience in organising immersion programs abroad for young people worldwide. In Ireland, the majority of people live in small towns or rural areas.

    The Irish are very attached to family values and are known for their hospitality and friendliness.

    All families have at least one child that has a similar age to that of the student they host (a year or two difference), and especially that follows his/her education at the same school as the young host. You thus get someone to accompany you in your first steps in the Irish school system. A valuable aid to successful integration!

    It may be that the family receives another student from another nationality at the same time as you.

    You will be housed in a single room or one shared with one of the children or the second student from another nationality and enjoy a stay with full board.

    During your stay in Ireland, you will benefit from the help and support of a local coordinator. This is the person that prepares your stay, selects your host family and takes care of your school registration.

    He/she will be there to answer all your questions and solve small problems that may arise. He/she is also there to help in case of problems with the host family, or just to make sure everything goes well. It will be your main contact for the duration of your stay.

    A telephone/skype interview will be organised to explain all the steps to be taken to make your stay as pleasant as possible.

    Once there, a few days after your arrival, you will be contacted by your local correspondent, who will be able to answer all your questions about your stay and its progress.

    To be eligible for this programme, you must:

    • Be between 12 and 18 years old
    • Have sufficient English skills so that you are able to attend classes and communicate without difficulty
    • Demonstrate good school results for the past two years
    • Demonstrate flexibility, maturity, adaptability, and readiness to face the challenges of living in a new culture
    • Book 2 months in advance at the latest

    Should you fulfill the participation requirements:

    1. Fill out rapidly our easy on line pre-application form.
    2. Upon reception of your booking, you will receive a provisional confirmation featuring the total amount due for the stay, a payment request of €90 (to cover the fees of the language test and the personal motivation interview) and a complete application file to the chosen program. You will also be requested to send us a copy of your school reports over the last 3 years.
    3. We will then ask you to come and take a language test and personal motivation interview at our offices in Brussels or Paris. This will cost an amount of €90 payable before the day of the interview. This amount is non-refundable but is deductible from the total amount of your stay after the final registration, should you be accepted on the programme. The first part of your registration file will have to be completed and handed to us upon your interview.
    4. We will confirm the result of the tests at the latest 8 days after the interview.
    5. If your level seems adequate, you will be asked to pay a deposit representing 25% of the total amount of your stay (with a minimum of €1,500) and to finish completing all the elements of your file, in particular, your teachers’ recommendation letters and other information requested for the final validation of your file by the local school. As soon as your file has been completed and the deposit paid, we will transfer it to our local partner.
    6. Final acceptance to the program is validated by our partner.
    7. Upon validation, our partner starts the selection and recruitment of your host family and proceeds to the school application.

    The deadlines for registration and application are :

    April 30 for a departure at the end of August
    October 31 for a departure in January
    minimum 3 months in advance for other departure dates

    Beyond these dates, it is sometimes possible to register according to the availability of the schools. However, we recommend that you enrol at least 3 months before departure for a better preparation of your stay.

    For any file that needs to be processed urgently (after the registration deadline), a supplement of 200€ will be asked.

    Please contact us for more information on how to apply. Candidates who do not meet the age or level requirements are invited to meet us to discuss other options.

    Arrivals: Saturday or Sunday

    Departures: Saturday or Sunday

    Airport of arrival : Dublin

    Return transfer from Dublin airport to the destination is mandatory for all minors. Prices can be seen in the ‘Dates and Prices’ tabs.

    Please arrange your journey so that you arrive between 09:00 and 18:00 and depart between 11:00 and 20:00.

    An extra charge will be asked of you if you book tickets outside these times (see Dates and Prices tab)

    For departures early in the morning, the student will be housed in Dublin the night before with a host family selected by our partner, and will be driven to the airport in the morning in time for their flight. Charge: please see ‘Dates and Prices’ tabs.

    Note: do not make travel arrangments until we have confirmed your enrolment in your chosen course.

    For children under 16: some airlines, such as Ryanair, do not allow children under 16 years traveling unaccompanied by an adult and do not offer the service UM (Unaccompanied Minor). It is therefore important to check with the company chosen before booking the ticket.

    Wearing a uniform is mandatory.

    For short stays, you will probably be asked to bring similar clothes to classes you will attend (jeans and sneakers are never allowed in class).

    As for books, school and/or the host family can lend or give you photocopies of the material you need.

    Medical / accident / repatriation insurance is mandatory for this type of stay. A certificate will be requested at the time of creation of the record.

    Easy Languages can provide you with a full insurance coverage perfectly adapted for young students travelling abroad, cf. Insurances and guarantees.

    Dates & Prices 2020-2021

    Calendrier scolaire 2020 – 2021

    Academic year (9 months): late August – late May

    1st trimester (4 months): late August – late December

    2nd trimester (3 months): early January – late April

    3rd trimester (1 month and a half): –

    School holidays

    Accommodation is included during the All Saints and February holidays. It is not included, however, during Christmas and Easter holidays (please see extra charges below)

    Prices 2020-2021

    Includes taxes, enrolment fees, course, room and board

    WPCS 42.0.1
    Course, room & board, enrolment fees, taxes included
    DurationPrices
    4 weeks€ 2.300
    5 weeks€ 2.770
    6 weeks€ 3.240
    7 weeks€ 3.630
    8 weeks€ 3.995
    9 weeks€ 4.510
    10 weeks€ 4.900
    11 weeks€ 5.370
    12 weeks€ 5.840
    13 weeks€ 6.310
    14 weeks€ 6.775
    15 weeks€ 7.195
    16 weeks€ 7.345
    Extras
    Accommodation during holidays (per week)€ 390
    Extra roundtrip transfer (both ways)€ 230
    Extra for arrival/departure outside of scheduled hours€ 65
    Extra for early morning flight (incl. night in Dublin on the previous day)€ 85
    Private English lessons (per hour)€ 35

    Prices include :

    • Registration fee to the school and other administrative costs
    • Accommodation in host family, single room and full board (packed lunch Monday to Friday), excluding holidays
    • The assistance, support and monitoring of the local correspondent for the whole stay
    • An emergency number available 24/7

    Prices do not include:

    • The journey to destination on dates to be disclosed
    • The transfer to and from Dublin Airport to your place of residence
    • Accommodation during school holidays
    • The books, school supplies and uniforms (these costs are minimised for foreign students)
    • The excursions organised by the school
    • Medical and other insurances
    • The cancellation insurance