High School Programme in Ireland

School immersion – 12-18 years

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 in an Irish State High School.

You will be hosted into a family where you will share the daily schedule and lifestyle of your hosts while following a course in a local high school. A unique opportunity to live the life of young Irish students of your age and to share unique moments with your hosts in discovering the Irish history and culture.

The communication and exchange are the key words of the success of this visit, as well as open mindedness and the desire to adapt to a different way of life

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

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.

What our students say about it

I’m learning new expressions and words every day

I feel like I’m learning new expressions and words every day and how to express what I want to say in a varied way. Speaking is obviously the most difficult and delicate part to improve but I’m doing well. My understanding improved the most, it is crazy how is has improved! Basically, I can understand pretty well and I had good skills and a good confidence with English but I can understand more varied subjects. I’m very proud of that.

Emma

Attended the1st term 2020-21

One of my greatest accomplishments so far

I would recommend this experience to the whole world it really helped me to find out who I am and what I am capable of. My confidence has also grown a lot because you can only count on yourself in that type of experience, so you need to believe in yourself. I am so proud of myself because I did it and it’s one of my greatest accomplishments so far and I really hope a lot of others are coming. The only recommendation that I would give is to go 1 year instead of 4 months. Even if I think a year is still not enough it’s longer then 4 months so yeah hahah.

Méline

Attended the1st term 2020-21

I loved it

My understanding is what improved the most. I am getting used to the accents, even the strongest. I loved it. Everyone was so nice to me even if the first day was really hard. My family in general was really enjoyable and so were my friends. Kilkenny is a really nice town where you can do everything by foot and I really liked that. I didn’t have to bother my host mom by asking her to drive me everywhere.

Amélie

Attended the1st term 2020-21

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.

Irish schools follow a curriculum established by the Irish Department of Education. This implies that all students follow the same curriculum and must pass the same official examinations regardless of the type of school they attend (state or private). Access to higher education is highly competitive and depends on the results of the Leaving Certificate.

The secondary school system consists of 6 years of study, divided into two cycles, Junior and Senior.

JUNIOR CYCLE : Year 1 to 3 (age 12 to 15) : these 2 years prepare for the Junior Certificate

TRANSITION YEAR : Year 4 (age 15 to 16) : this transition year between 1st and 2nd cycle allows students to test many areas to help them determine their future orientation. The programme varies from one school to another. This year is a little less academic and includes a greater number of subjects over the three terms (12 subjects in Transition Year compared to 6-9 for other years). It is an ideal year for foreign students who can benefit from personal development alongside the development of their language and academic skills.

SENIOR CYCLE : Year 5 and 6 (age 16 to 18) : at the end of these two years, students take the Leaving Certificate. The final year (Year 6) is not open to foreign students, as this year is exclusively a preparation year for the school-leaving examination.

Please note : in Ireland, some schools are co-educational, others are ‘boys only’ or ‘girls only’. Wearing a school uniform is mandatory.

The host families are carefully selected by our Irish partner who has acquired nearly 40 years of experience in organising immersion programmes for young international participants. In Ireland, the majority of the population live in small towns or rural areas. Students are placed in many different regions over the country.

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

You will enjoy full board with a single room or share one with one child of the family or with another foreign student of different nationality and mother tongue.

What our students say about it

My host family was the best one EVER. I love them so much and it is very important to me to keep contact with them. They were so welcoming even my host sisters. They included and made me feel like part of their family, it must not be easy for teens and they did great. I went to Athlone to go shopping with them, I went to the parc with one of my host sister and her friend at the beginning, I did walks with my host mother, I had the opportunity to do horseriding again! They proposed me and I was very happy and excited! I could not imagine a better family really, I’m very lucky! I just wish my family made me discover places and things more. We did a shopping day to Athlone today and I spent an amazing day! So enjoyable!
Emma, attended the1st term 2020-21

I really appreciate my host family and I am really grateful that I had them as host family. My host sisters were the same ages as my sisters in Belgium, so it was similar to my home situation. My host dad is a really good cooker he is also a pro at quizzes. On Monday evenings we did quizzes with the whole family, so my host dad called the rest of the family in a zoom call while my host mom, host sister and I tried to find at least one right answer for the quiz so that we did at least something and that we didn’t stand there for nothing! My host mom is an amazing woman with a great personality and humour. She tested me multiples times to see if I was in good health and we had some serious giggles. I also went a couple of times with her if there was a food delivery to do (my host parents deliver food for some events). I also went with my host mom and host sisters to a communion. It was really nice. We also watched the late toy show with the whole family. That was also really nice. My host mom also took in account the fact that I was gluten intolerant (I learned this horrible news when she tested me) and bought gluten free food for me. So, I am really thankful for that. My host sisters are also amazing. Caòimhe has a great sense of humour as well she got this from her mom. We went together to Navan and we went also together to take the dogs for a walk, Caòimhe was also the one with who I was watching movies when we both couldn’t sleep, we watched some classics together. Àine the oldest one is multitasking. She was managing her social life, her job and school, but even with everything that she had to do she still asked me if I wanted to do things with her. We went together to Navan as well and also Dublin. I really enjoyed these times. Even if there was Covid I did many things, so I was really lucky.
Méline, attended the1st term 2020-21

Everything is perfect. I love them. Unfortunately, because of covid, we can’t really leave Kilkenny but they still make it fun.
Amélie, attended the1st term 2020-21

During your stay in Ireland, you will get the help and support of a local coordinator. That person has prepared your stay, selected your host family and takes care of your school registration and integration.

He/she will be there to answer all your questions and sort out minor 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. He/she will be your main contact and interlocutor 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
Be willing to make new friends and share the daily life of a host family
Demonstrate motivation, maturity, adaptability and open-mindedness, which are the actual keys to a successful stay.

Should you fulfill the participation requirements:

Fill out rapidly our easy on line pre-application form.
Upon reception of your booking, you will receive a provisional confirmation featuring the total amount due for the stay, a payment request of €100 (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.
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 €100 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.
We will confirm the result of the tests at the latest 8 days after the interview.
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.
Final acceptance to the programme is validated by our partner.
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 :

October 31 for a departure at the beginning of January
Minimum 3 months in advance for any other departure date between the beginning of January and the end of March 2023

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 €200 extra will be added.

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 before the beginning of the course

Departures: Saturday or Sunday after the end of the course

Airport of arrival : Dublin

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

Transfers from and to Dublin airport to and from the destination upon arrival and departure days and during school holiday periods are organised at extra cost (see “Dates and Prices” tabs as follows).

Note: please 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 chosen airline before booking your 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 2022-2023

School immersion stays of 1 to 3 months must imperatively take place during the 2nd school term (between the beginning of January and the end of March).

School Calendar 2022 – 2023

Academic year (9 months): 22/08/22 – 26/05/23
1st term (4 months): 22/08/22 – 21/12/22
2nd term (13 weeks): 05/01/23 – 31/03/23
3rd term (6 weeks): 17/04/23 – 26/05/23

School Holidays 2022 – 2023

Autumn / All Saints: 29/10/22 – 06/11/22
Winter / Christmas: 22/12/22 – 04/01/23
Mid Winter / Half Term: 11/02/23 – 19/02/23
Spring / Easter: 01/04/23 – 16/04/23

Accommodation is not included during the school holidays (see Prices tab below).

Prices 2022-2023

Includes taxes, enrolment fees, course, room and board

Course, room & board, enrolment fees, taxes included
Duration	Prices
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 :

Pre-application interview
School registration fee and other administrative costs
Full board accommodation with a host family (packed lunch from Monday to Friday)
Accommodation during the half-term holidays (All Saints and February)
Round trip transfer from Dublin airport to the family (on the first day of arrival and the last day of the programme)
Personal assistance, support and advice from our local correspondent
Complete uniform
School books
School transport
School reports
24/7 emergency number

Prices do not include:

The journey to destination on dates to be confirmed
Host family accommodation costs in the event of arrival or departure outside the indicated dates
Accommodation costs during Christmas and Easter holidays
Additional transfers in case of return home during the school holidays
School supplies
Possible optional outings or excursions organised by the school
Insurances

For stays of 1 term, 1 trimester or 1 academic year, click here : High School in Ireland – 1 term to 1 academic year