FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

As soon as Brandon Hill language school receives your registration we will ask you to fill in a detailed booking form & a request for payment of the deposit. Payment can be made by electronic bank transfer or pay by Pay Pal. Once we have received your deposit we can guarantee your place on the course. We shall be in contact during regular intervals leading up to your departure in which time you will receive all the necessary documentation & information concerning your programme. The remaining balance  must be made four weeks before beginning the course. The deposit is non-refundable and is part payment of fees, not an additional charge.

All guests arrive and depart on Sundays at/from Dublin airport and we ask parents to organise that their children arrive as close to midday as possible. This allows us to greet all students personally and get them back to Inistioge in as short a time as possible.

Brandon Hill language school is located in the charming village of Inistioge in rural South East Ireland see map

All our Host families live in the rural community of Inistioge within easy reach of all the amenities and services. We take great care selecting our host families. All families are individually visited and interviewed to determine their suitability and continually monitored by our host family coordinator. All families have been safety checked through our Garda Legislation program. We take into account the ages, gender of children in the family and place students in homes that provide the best fit with their desired experience for their age group, interests etc.

All students should provide their own health and travel insurance to cover medical care and to insure against loss of luggage, fees etc. It is compulsory for students from EU countries to bring their EHIC Health Insurance Card. This is free for all EU citizens and entitles you to free emergency care. Students from non-EEA countries need to purchase emergency insurance cover as a minimum to comply with visa requirements.

Students arrive on a Sunday. All students are greeted personally by the owners of  Brandon Hill language school at the airport and transferred by bus to Inistioge. On arrival in Inistioge students are welcomed & introduced to their host family. This Welcome meeting will go through the first day & the timetable for the coming week and any questions that may arise. On the first day of school, students take a test covering reading, writing, listening and speaking to ensure that they are placed in a level most suitable to them.

All of our teachers have a University Degree and qualified to teach English as a foreign language and have experience of teaching locally and internationally. Many of our teachers have further qualifications and/or experience in other disciplines. Our enthusiastic team employs both modern and traditional methodologies in the classroom to encourage enjoyable and productive learning.

Students are aged between 12 and 17 and come from all over the world to learn English, make friends and enjoy all the activities this beautiful area has to offer. We do accept students under 11 years of age during two separate weeks each summer. Please e-mail for details.

Each student receives a certificate on completion of their chosen course.

If you are from the EEA, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or Switzerland then you do not need a visa to come to Ireland. For the rest of the world, there are two lists for the purposes of student visas – those who need to obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland and those who will validate their visa once in Ireland. To check your visa status go to Irish Imigration Service or email us for more information

The weather in Ireland is generally mild.  As the weather can be quite variable and unpredictable we advise all students to bring clothes for warm sunny days, something warmer for cooler days and include a waterproof jacket.   

Laundry is completed once a week.

For the classroom

Notebook & pens

Travelling

Valid passport/ID Card & a photocopy of your passport/ID Card

Photocopy of ID, kept separately to passport

Most mobile phone operators have an agreement with Irish networks so please check with your operator before arrival. Students may purchase a sim card or a ready to go phone, which is a lot more cost effective. Internet access and WIFI is available for students to use

The electrical voltage in Ireland is 230V, plugs in Ireland have three square pins. It is advisable to buy adapters before arriving in Ireland, adapters are usually readily available in most airports.

No packages prices quoted include all classroom materials, accommodation, meals, activities & equipment excursions & cultural outings & transfers.