School Immersion in Ireland – 12-18 years – Dublin region
This programme is open to motivated participants aged between 12 and 18 who wish to study for one term, 2 terms or one academic year in a state-run high school in Ireland, in Dublin or the surrounding area. This is a unique opportunity to live alongside young Irish people of your own age and share the daily life of your host family.
Communication and exchange are key to the success of this stay, as are open-mindedness and the desire to adapt to another way of life.
This option is therefore recommended for young people who are sufficiently independent, sociable and open-minded. To facilitate integration, it is also recommended that you have studied English for at least 2 or 3 years.
Why Ireland?
A land of legends and wild, grandiose landscapes, Ireland offers a unique blend of traditions that are still very much alive and conviviality. The Irish people are, by nature, artists and musicians, warm-hearted and joyful. The cities are dynamic, bustling and young.
Ireland has a long tradition of excellence in education, with over 80% of young Irish people passing their school-leaving exams.
Our partner in Ireland works with a wide range of schools in Dublin and the surrounding area (with the exception of a few schools in Limerick, Athlone, Galway, etc.).
You will be able to select 4 schools from the list in order of preference. Our partner will give these schools priority for your application. Acceptance into the school of your choice cannot be guaranteed; it depends on your application, availability and the decision of the head teacher.
Please do not hesitate to contact us to receive the school profiles.
State schools
- 23 – Malahide Community School
- 24 – Portmarnock Community School
- 25 – Fingal Community College
- 26 – St. David’s Holy faith Secondary school
- 27 – Cabinteely Community School
- 28 – St. Neasain’s Community School
- 29 – Grange Community College
- 30- St. Tiernan’s Community School
- 31 – Ard Scoil La Salle
- 32 – St. Finian’s Community College
- 36 – St. Laurence College
- 45 – St. Mary’s Secondary School
- 46 – Dominican College Sion Hill
- 47 – St. Raphaela’s School
- 48 – Manor House School
- 49- Rockford Manor
- 52 – St. Fintan’s High School
- 53 – Marian College
What do our students think?
Watch a video testimonial here!
Teaching is made up of compulsory subjects and optional subjects.
Compulsory subjects: Maths, English and Irish (Gaelic is only compulsory for Irish students; foreign students use this time for personal study).
Electives: a wide range ofsubjects are offered, varying from school to school: Modern languages (usually French or German, more rarely Italian or Spanish), Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Business studies, Accountancy, Economics, History, Geography, Music, Art, Classical Studies, Technical Drawing, Design and Technical Graphics, Engineering, Technology, etc.
International students generally take 6 to 7 subjects (depending on the class), including the 2 compulsory ones (maths and English).
Class times vary from school to school, but are generally Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm.
Students can indicate four school preferences in their application, but these choices are not guaranteed and depend on the availability of schools at the time of sending the application.
English language course
Our partner offers a free English language course, 1? hours per week (generally on Wednesdays from 17:00 to 18:30), on the premises of their language school in the centre of Dublin.
Extra-curricular activities
The schools offer a selection of extra-curricular activities (sports, workshops and various clubs). If you have a particular hobby or sport, please let us know. We encourage young people to continue practising their favourite activity or to discover a new one during their stay. There are many local sports clubs (football, basketball, swimming, tennis, golf, etc.), as well as dance, music and horse-riding lessons. The local correspondent or your host family will help you with all the arrangements.
Our partner also offers a programme of activities for foreign students during the short school holidays.
Note: the family does not organise specific activities for the young person it is hosting. They integrate them into their family life and share their own activities with them.
Irish schools follow a curriculum established by the Irish Department of Education. All pupils therefore follow the same curriculum and must sit 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 obtained in the Leaving Certificate.
The secondary education system consists of 6 years of study, divided into 2 cycles, Junior and Senior.
JUNIOR CYCLE : Years 1 to 3 (ages 12 to 15): these 2 years prepare students for the Junior Certificate.
TRANSITION YEAR: Year 4 (aged 15 to 16): this pivotal year between the 1st and 2nd cycles allows students to test themselves in a number of areas to help them determine their future direction. The programme varies from school to school. This year is a little less academic and includes a greater number of subjects over the 3 terms (12 subjects in Transition Year compared with 6 to 9 in 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 (from 16 to 18 years old). At the end of these 2 years, students sit the Leaving Certificate.
The final year (Year 6) is not open to foreign students, as it is exclusively a preparation year for the school-leaving examination.
Note: in Ireland, some schools are co-educational, while others are “all-boys” or “all-girls”. Uniforms must be worn.
The Irish are very attached to family values and are known for their hospitality and friendliness.
The families are carefully selected by our partner. They meet the standards of AGPI (the Association of Guardianship Providers Ireland), of which our partner is a founding member, and are visited regularly.
Our partner chooses the family that best matches your profile on the basis of the file you have completed. In the Dublin metropolitan area (including neighbouring towns), families generally live between 30 and 60 minutes away by bus or train. They can accommodate other non-French-speaking students.
You will have a shared or single room, depending on the option you choose, and full board.
There is no typical family profile. Each one is unique and reflects the society and way of life of the country you have chosen. Your host family may or may not have children; it may be a blended family or a single-parent family, a single person whose children no longer live at home, retired people or younger people. It’s not the composition of the family that’s important, but their willingness and motivation to share their culture with you.
Communication and exchange are the key to a successful stay, as are an open mind and a willingness to adapt to another way of life.
What our students think
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 couldn’t 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, leaving in the 1st 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 multiple 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 whom 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, leaving in the 1st 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, leaving in the 1st term 2020-21
During your stay in Ireland, you will benefit from the assistance and regular follow-up of our local correspondent.
He or she will be there to answer all your questions and sort out any little problems that may arise. He/she is also there to intervene in the event of a problem with the host family, or simply to make sure that everything runs smoothly. He/she will be your main contact throughout your stay and will check in with you once a month to make sure that everything is going well.
When you arrive, your host family or local correspondent will help you buy your uniform, books and other school supplies.
To ensure that your stay goes as smoothly as possible and that you are informed about the different elements of the programme, you will be able to attend an orientation meeting organised by Langues Vivantes in Brussels at the end of May/beginning of June. This is an opportunity for Langues Vivantes students to meet and exchange questions and experiences with each other and with the Langues Vivantes team. It is also at this meeting that the final administrative formalities are launched.
If you don’t live in Belgium, we can organise an online connection so that you can attend the meeting live.
Once you are in Belgium, a few days after your arrival, you will be contacted by your local correspondent, who will be able to answer any questions you may have about your stay and how it is going.
School calendar 2024 – 2025
School holidays
- School year: 22/08/24 – 30/05/25
- 1st term: 24/08/24 – 21/12/24
- 2nd term: 02/01/25 – 11/04/25
- 3rd term: 24/04/25 – 30/05/25
- All Saints’ Day: 26/10/24 – 03/11/24
- Christmas: 21/12/24 – 05/01/25
- February: 15/02/25 – 23/02/25
- Easter: 12/04/25 – 27/04/25
Accommodation is included during school holidays, except at Christmas when students must return home.
Prices 2024-2025
| Course, host family accommodation & board, enrolment fees, taxes included | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | Prices - Shared room | Prices - Private room | School fee |
| Academic year (40 weeks) | € 15.195 | € 16.795 | € 600 |
| 1st trimester (17 weeks) | € 7.995 | € 8.675 | € 300 |
| 2nd trimester (14 weeks) | € 6.995 | € 7.590 | € 300 |
| 3rd trimester (5 weeks) | € 4.355 | € 4.565 | € 200 |
| School semester 1 (end of august - end of january) - 23 weeks) | € 10.135 | € 11.045 | € 350 |
| School semester 2 (trimesters 2 and 3) - 21 weeks | € 9.575 | € 10.415 | € 350 |
| Trimesters 1 and 2 (end of august - mid april) - 33 weeks | € 12.945 | € 14.260 | € 400 |
| Extras | |||
| Transition Year (year 4) | € 500 | ||
| Extra transfer (outside of official arrival and return dates - per transfer | € 110 | ||
| *Rockford Manor School, Cabinteely Community School, St David's Secondary School | |||
Note : single room not guaranteed, subject to availability of host families at time of application.
The above prices include:
- Pre-application interview
- State school tuition fees
- Full-board accommodation with a host family (packed lunch from Monday to Friday)
- Accommodation during school holidays except Christmas holidays from 21/12 to 02/01
- Return transfer from Dublin airport to the family (on the 1st day of arrival and the last day of the programme, as well as at Christmas)
- Personal assistance, support and advice from our local correspondent
- School reports
- 24/7 emergency number
The above prices do not include
- Travel to your destination on the dates you will be given
- Accommodation during the Christmas holidays
- Compulsory uniform, books and school supplies (these costs vary from school to school and according to the subjects chosen), excursions and activities. A deposit of €350 is required.
- Local transport card
- Additional transfers
- Any outings or excursions organised by the school
- Placement in Transition Year (Year 4)
- Insurance cover
School calendar 2025 – 2026
School holidays
- School year: 18/08/25 – 22/05/26
- 1st term: 18/08/25 – 19/12/25
- 2nd term: 6/01/26 – 27/03/26
- 3rd term: 13/04/26 – 22/05/26
- School term: 18/08/25 – 30/01/26
- 1st and 2nd terms: 18/08/25 – 27/03/26
- 2nd and 3rd term: 6/01/26 – 22/05/26
- All Saints’ Day: 25/10/25 – 2/11/25
- Christmas: 20/12/25 – 5/01/26
- February: 14/02/26 – 22/02/26
- Easter: 28/03/26 – 12/04/26
Accommodation is included during school holidays, except at Christmas when students must return home.
Prices 2025-2026
| Education, homestay accommodation & meals, all registration fees included | ||
|---|---|---|
| Durée | Prices with shared room | Prices with private room |
| School year (40 weeks) | € 16.195 | € 17.795 |
| 1st term (18 weeks) | € 9.195 | € 9.895 |
| 2nd term (11 weeks) | € 7.095 | € 7.595 |
| 3rd term (6 weeks) | € 5.295 | € 5.595 |
| 1 school semester (24 weeks) | € 10.135 | € 12.195 |
| Terms 1 & 2 (32 weeks) | € 12.945 | € 14.795 |
| Terms 2 & 3 (19 weeks) | € 9.575 | € 10.795 |
| Supplement | ||
| Transition Year (Year 4) | € 500 | |
| Additional transfer (outside of official departure and arrival dates) - per trip | € 110 | |
Note : single room not guaranteed, subject to availability of host families at time of application.
The above prices include:
- Pre-application interview
- State school tuition fees
- Full-board accommodation with a host family (packed lunch from Monday to Friday)
- Accommodation during school holidays except Christmas holidays from 20/12 to 5/01
- Return transfer from Dublin airport to the family (on the 1st day of arrival and the last day of the programme, as well as at Christmas)
- Personal assistance, support and advice from our local correspondent
- School reports
- 24/7 emergency number
The above prices do not include
- Travel to your destination on the dates you will be given
- Accommodation during the Christmas holidays
- Compulsory uniform, books and school supplies (these costs vary from school to school and according to the subjects chosen), excursions and activities. A deposit of €200 is required.
- Local transport card
- Additional transfers
- Any outings or excursions organised by the school
- Placement in Transition Year (Year 4)
- Optional insurance
Similar programmes
High School in Canada – Newfoundland
High School in Canada – Manitoba | Winnipeg
