School Immersion programme in Ireland – 12-18 years
This programme is open to motivated participants aged 12 to 18 who want to study for 1 term to 1 academic year in a state-run high school in Ireland. 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. Recent studies have also shown that pupils receive a great deal of attention from teachers, with anaverage class size of 17. Over the last few decades, the government has also invested heavily in the internationalisation of the education system, making it very attractive to foreign students.
Placements can be made almost anywhere in Ireland, with the exception of Dublin and the surrounding region.
What our students say
Our local partner collaborates with over 110 secondary schools!
The teaching consists of compulsory subjects and optional subjects.
Compulsory subjects: Maths, English and Irish (Gaelic is only compulsory for Irish students; young foreigners use this time for personal study).
Optional subjects (electives subjects) : a wide range of subjects 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.
English courses
For young people who have difficulty with English, our partner school can organise private lessons with a teacher.
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 be able to help you.
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 host families are carefully selected by our Irish partner, who has 45 years’ experience in organising immersion stays for young people from all over the world. In Ireland, the majority of people live in small towns or rural areas. Placements take place all over the country.
The Irish are very attached to family values and are known for their hospitality and friendliness.
You will be accommodated in a single room with full board. You may be housed with another foreign student, usually of a different nationality.
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, Tullamore, Co Offlaly
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, Rosehill, Co Navan
Everything is perfect. I love them. Unfortunately, because of covid, we can’t really leave Kilkenny but they still make it fun.
Amélie, Castelcomer, Co Kilkenny
During your stay in Ireland, you’ll have the help and support of a local correspondent. This is the person who prepares your stay, selects your host family and deals with your school enrolment.
He or she will be there to answer all your questions and sort out any minor problems that may arise. He or she is also there to intervene if there are any problems with the host family, or simply to make sure that everything runs smoothly. He or she will be your main contact throughout your stay and will contact you regularly (at least 5 times a year) and will also organise an orientation meeting during the 1st week of your stay.
To ensure that your stay goes as smoothly as possible and that you are as well informed as possible about the different elements of the programme, you will be able to attend an information and orientation meeting organised by Easy Language in Brussels at the end of May / beginning of June. This is an opportunity for Easy Language students to meet and exchange questions and experiences with each other and with the Easy Language 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 Ireland, during the 1st week of your stay, your local correspondent will also organise an orientation meeting and will be able to answer any questions you may have about your stay and how it is going.
Dates 2024-2025
School calendar 2024 – 2025
- School year: 22/08/24 – 30/05/25
- 1st term: 24/08/23 – 21/12/24
- 2nd term: 02/01/25 – 11/04/24
- 3rd term: 24/04/25 – 30/05/25
School holidays
- 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 the All Saints and February holidays, but is not included during the Christmas and Easter holidays (see supplement below)
Fees 2024-2025
| Course, room & board, enrolment fees, taxes included | |
|---|---|
| Duration | Prices |
| 1 school year (40 weeks) | € 14.985 |
| 1st school trimester (17 weeks) | € 8.345 |
| 2nd semester (11 weeks) | € 7.380 |
| School semester (1st of 2nd) (end of august - end of january / january - end of may) | € 9.995 |
| Extra's | |
| Extra transfer (outside of official arrival and return dates - return transfer | € 290 |
The above prices include:
- School registration fees and other administrative costs
- Accommodation with a host family on a full-board basis (packed lunch from Monday to Friday), including the All Saints’ and February holidays
- Uniform
- Assistance, support and follow-up from the local correspondent throughout the stay
- A return transfer from Dublin airport to the family (on the 1st day of arrival and on the last day of the programme)
- An evaluation report (5 times a year)
- A 24/7 emergency number
Not included:
- Travel to your destination on the dates you are given
- Accommodation during the Christmas and Easter holidays
- Any outings or excursions organised by the school
- School supplies
- Additional transfers
- Compulsory medical/accident/repatriation and private liability insurance
- Cancellation insurance
- Any additional costs related to COVID (e.g. quarantine, tests, etc.)
Dates 2025-2026
The start of the school year varies from one school to another and spans from August 25 to September 5.
Arrival : between August 23 and August 31
Departure : May 30 or May 31
School calendar 2025 – 2026
- School year : 25/08/25 – 29/05/26
- 1st term : 25/08/25 – 19/12/25
- 2nd term : 05/01/26 – 27/03/26
- 3rd term : 13/04/26 – 29/05/26
School Holidays
- All Saints : 25/10/25 – 02/11/25
- Christmas : 20/12/25 – 04/01/26
- February : 14/02/26 – 22/02/26
- Easter : 28/03/26 – 12/04/26
Accommodation is included during the All Saints and February holidays, but not during the Christmas and Easter holidays (see additional charges below).
| Scolarité, logement en famille d'accueil, chambre individuelle & repas, tous frais d'inscription compris | |
|---|---|
| Durée | Tarifs |
| Année scolaire (40 semaines) | € 18.765 |
| 1er trimestre (17 semaines) | € 10.465 |
| 2è trimestre (11 semaines) | € 9.275 |
| Semestre scolaire 1 ou 2 | € 12.525 |
| Suppléments | |
| Tranfert supplémentaire (en dehors des dates officielles de départ et d'arrivée) - par trajet | € 185 |
| Transfert en dehors des horaires prévus - par trajet | € 80 |
| Vacances de Noël et de Pâques | € 735 |
The above prices include:
- School registration fees and other administrative costs
- Accommodation with a host family on a full-board basis (packed lunch from Monday to Friday), including the All Saints’ and February holidays
- Uniform and school textbooks
- Assistance, support and follow-up from the local coordinator throughout the stay
- 1 orientation day during the first week after arrival
- Round-trip transfer from Dublin Airport to the host family (on the first day of arrival and the last day of the program)
- 3 excursions throughout the school year
- An evaluation report (5 times a year)
- A 24/7 emergency number
Not included:
- Travel to your destination on the dates you are given
- Accommodation during the Christmas and Easter holidays
- Any outings or excursions organised by the school
- School supplies
- Additional transfers
- Compulsory medical/accident/repatriation and private liability insurance
- Cancellation insurance
- Additional week (upon request only, not guaranteed)
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