Our Terms & Conditions

1. Admission

Minimum age

The minimum age at our adult school is 18. In certain circumstances we may accept under 18 year olds on our adult programmes, however, not younger than 17. Such students will only be enrolled on a course if their parents/legal guardians have completed and signed a Parental Consent form. By signing this form parents acknowledge that their child will be studying in an adult centre and that Atlas Language School is not legally responsible for the child.

Course level

We offer classes from Elementary to Advanced level. Please note that we do not accept absolute beginners. We do not have suitable courses for beginner students and Atlas Language School reserves the right to refuse or cancel an enrolment if a student is at a beginner level of English.

Course   

A course consists of 20, 26 or 32 tuition lessons, 50 minutes each. Courses always start on a Monday (except for bank holidays, in which case courses start on Tuesday) and finish on a Friday. It is not possible to start a course during the week. Classes run in both morning and afternoon and may be held in additional centres. During busy periods students may be placed in a morning or afternoon class and may study in an additional centre. 

Course Fees

Adult course fees include tuition, placement test, student welcome pack, free access to elective classes, wifi, use of computers, and end-of-course certificate. A course registration fee of €70 is applicable to all courses. All fees must be paid in full prior to the student’s arrival. 

Course Materials

The cost for the course materials is €40 per term. Our academic year is divided into 4 terms of 12 to 13 weeks each. If a student changes level during their course or at the change of term, new course materials must be purchased. Therefore, additional course material costs during a student’s stay may apply.

Accommodation

All accommodation bookings with Atlas Language School are subject to an accommodation placement fee of €70. Homestay accommodation is based on a 7-night stay starting from Saturday or Sunday whereas residential accommodation is based on a 7-night stay starting from Sunday.

Atlas Language cannot guarantee availability in the chosen accommodation if the student arrives on a different date.

A supplement of €50 per week will apply to students who are accommodated in a host family over the Christmas holidays (2 weeks). Accommodation availability during this period is very limited and cannot be guaranteed. Please contact the school directly for full details of host family availability over this period. In case the school does not have any host family availability any accommodation fees will be refunded.

Accommodation, both residential and homestay, is always subject to availability and cannot always be guaranteed. It is recommended to book accommodation at least 2 weeks in advance. Once accommodation is confirmed we can only guarantee a place for the duration and the dates initially booked, i.e., Atlas Language School cannot guarantee accommodation if the student changes the dates of his/her course or if the student decides to extend the stay.

Student requests related to accommodation will always be taken into consideration, and our accommodation team will do their best to meet them. Accommodation within close proximity to the school or private bathroom is very limited and cannot be guaranteed.

Homestay and residential accommodation require compliance with a set of guidelines set out by Atlas Language School, the host families and the residence management. For further details, please contact the school.

Visa

Non-EEA students should contact their local Irish Embassy for visa requirements. Atlas Language School cannot give any guarantees for successful visa applications.

Required documents to apply for a student visa will only be sent once full payment has been received. It is the student’s/ETO’s responsibility to make the payment with sufficient time, in accordance with their visa appointment, in order for us to be able to provide them with the documents to apply on time

Non-EEA students enrolled in the Academic Year Programme, who need to register with the GNIB (Garda National Immigration Bureau) once in Ireland, must be aware of the following:

• It is the student’s/Educational Tour Operator’s (ETO’s) responsibility to book an appointment with the GNIB to process the visa accordingly before the expiry of the entry visa. Atlas Language School provides guidance and support with any visa-related questions but the school does not book appointments for students.
• It is the student’s/ETO’s responsibility to provide the school with all necessary and updated personal student information for a timely and correct provision of student and visa documents.
• It is the student’s responsibility to keep these documents in a safe place.
• If the date and time of the GNIB appointment overlap with class time, the student must inform the school in order to be excused from class.
• The student commits to meeting all immigration requirements, such as keeping good attendance rates and sitting the end-of-course exit exam. The end-of-course exit exam fee is non-refundable.

IMPORTANT: Students who need to apply for a visa before entering Ireland should not start their course in the first week (January) or final two weeks (December) of our academic year. Please contact the school for the academic calendar and more information on the dates.

Insurance

All students are advised to take out private medical insurance. Non-EU students can purchase medical insurance through Atlas Language School. Insurance is provided through a third-party company and any claims need to be made by the student (insurance holder) to the insurance company directly. Atlas Language School is not part of any claim application process. Students from the EU should travel to Ireland with their European Health Insurance Card to cover public medical care.

Non-EU students registered for long-term (Academic Year) courses must purchase Learner Protection Insurance with Atlas.

2. Enrolment

Enrolment Dates

New students should refer to their enrolment confirmation for course and accommodation dates. Please note that the invoice may not reflect the course dates but the date of enrolment. This information, as well as the name of the course and the corresponding number of lessons per week, is included in the enrolment confirmation letter. Students can only start on Mondays (or Tuesday in case of a bank holiday Monday).

Continuity of Enrolment

Enrolment of a current student will be terminated if:

• The student or their ETO notifies Atlas Language School of his/her wish to terminate their enrolment;
• The student withdraws from their nominated course;
• Atlas Language School terminates the student’s enrolment or suspends or excludes the student in accordance with the provisions of our Policies and Procedures; Or
• The student has completed all course requirements

Refusal and Cancellation of Enrolment

Atlas Language School may cancel an enrolment, refuse to enrol, or refuse to re-enrol a person/student for the following reasons:

• The student has a Beginner level of English;
• Misconduct (refer to the section on Code of Behaviour);
• Failure to satisfy the minimum academic requirements for courses chosen;
• Failure to arrive on the commencement date;
• The student has gained admission by misrepresentation, falsification of documents or other fraudulent means;
• Failure to fulfil the normal admission or enrolment requirements;
• Non-payment of tuition fees and/or accommodation fees;
• Cancellation of a student’s visa;
• Non-attendance or consistently low attendance;
• For direct bookings: Non-payment of non-refundable booking deposit;
• Other reasons as deemed by the school’s management.

Medical & Special Educational Needs

It is the student’s responsibility to notify Atlas Language School of any sickness, disability, allergy, mental health condition, special educational needs, or any other relevant medical information that might affect the student’s stay at Atlas Language School. Students must provide an up-to-date medical form at the time of booking and inform the school of any subsequent changes.

3. Payment

Direct booking must pay a non-refundable booking deposit at the time of booking. All remaining course fees should be paid in full at least 30 days prior to the student commencing their course. Please consider payment processing times for international payments. Atlas has partnered with TransferMate and Flywire to make international payments safe and easy.

For non-EEA students who require a visa before entering Ireland:

For visa-required students who book directly with the school a non-refundable booking deposit of €200 must be paid at the time of booking. All other payments must be made at least 12 weeks before the course commences so we can prepare the student visa documents. Please note that some visa applications need to be made several months in advance, and the payment has to be made accordingly. Students or their ETOs are responsible for applying for a student visa well in advance in order to make sure the visa will be granted and received before the student’s departure. Failure to comply may result in postponement or cancellation charges.

Acceptance letters are only issued after full payment is received by Atlas Language School.

Please note in accordance with Irish immigration law your payment will be held in an escrow-type account until your visa application has been approved.

We have partnered with Flywire & TransferMate to provide this service, Please see both payment options listed below.

Flywire

Flywire allows you to pay securely from any country and any bank, typically in your home currency.

By making your payment with Flywire you can:

• Track your payments from start to finish
• Save on bank fees and exchange rates
• Contact their multilingual customer support team with any questions, day or night

Flywire offers multiple payment options and excellent foreign exchange rates. They’ll ensure your payment arrives safely and accurately.

TransferMate

TransferMate is an easy-to-use online system which offers a fast and secure way to pay fees at no cost to the payer. International Bank Transfer Fees are eliminated and payments can be processed and receipts issued within 48 hours. There is a 24-hour customer support service available via live chat, Skype, phone and email.

Once funds are received by TransferMate, the payment is immediately transferred to the receiver’s account from the local TransferMate account in their home country.

For further details on the payment through TransferMate, please see: https://atlaslanguageschool.transfermateeducation.com/

For EU students and non-EU students who do not require a visa to enter Ireland:

A non-refundable booking deposit of €70 must be paid at the time of booking. All other payments must be made at least 30 days before the course commences.

In addition to the above payment methods, you may also pay by Bank Transfer. Please see bank transfer details below:

• Bank: Allied Irish Banks, 40 Ranelagh Road, Ranelagh
• Account Name: Atlas Language School
• Account Number: 0193 1073
• Sort Code: 93-12-92
• BIC (Swift Number): AIBKIE2D
• IBAN: IE46AIBK93129201931073

Please use student name as the reference for the bank transfer.

Atlas can also process payments made by credit card via an online payment portal. For online credit card payments we are using the payment platform Stripe. Stripe is a third party payment service that Atlas Language School is not directly partnered with. It is safe and easy to use for payments, but it can be unsuitable for amounts larger than €500. Refunds (if a student cancels the course or accommodation within the cancellation periods for refunds) can take up to 2 months to be completed and Atlas Language School is not a part of this refund process.

Please note that payments by credit card will incur a 4% admin charge for payments of up to €1,000 and a 5% admin charge for payment of more than €1,000.

4. Cancellation Policy

Course Cancellation

Courses are not transferable. Tuition fees are non-refundable once a student has commenced their course.

If a student cancels their course more than 30 days before the course commences, all fees will be refunded, except for the non-refundable booking deposits in case of direct bookings.

If a student cancels their course less than 30 days before the course commences, fees will be refunded with the exception of the registration fee (€70). If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing ETO (in case of ETO bookings). This does not apply to direct bookings who have paid a non-refundable booking deposit. In the event of a group booking cancellation less than 2 weeks before the course commences, fees will be refunded minus a 10% cancellation charge.

There is a €15 charge on refunds by bank transfer to non-EU bank accounts.

The mentioned penalties will be charged without exceptions, also in the case of visa refusals.

Putting a course on hold

In exceptional cases, a course can be put on hold for up to 12 months after the date the student was registered. There will be no extra charge or increase in fees if the school is notified at least 30 days in advance of the course start.

If a course is postponed less than 30 days in advance of the course start date a postponement fee of €35 will be charged. This fee will be charged without exceptions, also in the case of visa refusals. Please contact the school for further details.

Depending on the new course dates, please note that the Summer Supplement may apply.

If a course is postponed for more than 12 months from the date the student was registered, the regular cancellation fees apply and the booking will be treated as a new booking, i.e. new fees (course, accommodation, registration and placement fees, insurance and exam fee) will apply, if applicable.

It is not possible to change to other promotions when postponing if the originally applied promotion is still valid.

If a course with an expired promotion is postponed in line with the postponement periods, and part(s) of the promotion are not available anymore, the student can make use of any promotion that may currently be on offer, or request a refund.

Accommodation Cancellation

Homestay

Pre-Arrival:

1. If homestay accommodation is cancelled more than 30 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded.
2. If homestay accommodation is cancelled less than 30 days but more than 14 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement fee (€70). If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing ETO (in case of ETO bookings)
3. If homestay accommodation is cancelled less than 14 days but more than 7 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement (€70). If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing agent (in case of agent bookings).
4. If homestay accommodation is cancelled less than 7 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement fee (€70) and one week’s accommodation. If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing agent (in case of agent bookings).
5. If homestay accommodation is postponed less than 7 days before arrival, the student will be charged for one week’s accommodation. For students starting in the first week of January, all changes must be done at least 7 days before the winter holidays start, otherwise, this penalty will be charged accordingly.
6. Homestay accommodation fees are non-refundable if booked for visa application purposes
   (visa-required Non-EU students).

Post-Arival:

1. The first 4 weeks of a host family booking cannot be cancelled. After that a booked host family stay can be cancelled if the school receives notification 2 weeks in advance. A refund can be given for the outstanding weeks that the family was booked for.

All the penalties mentioned above will be charged without exceptions, also in the case of visa refusal or delays.

Residence

Pre-Arrival:

1. If residential accommodation is cancelled more than 30 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded.
2. If residential accommodation is cancelled or postponed less than 30 days but more than 14 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement fee (€70). If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing ETO (in case of ETO bookings)
3. If residential accommodation is cancelled less than 14 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement fee (€70) and one week’s accommodation. If fees have not been paid by then, against these terms and conditions, cancellation fees will be charged to the student or the representing agent (in case of agent bookings).
4. No refund will be made if a student makes alternative arrangements during their stay.
5. No allowance will be made for absence from accommodation during the time arranged or for late arrival or early departure (including postponement).
6. If residential accommodation is postponed less than 14 days before arrival, the student will be charged for one week’s accommodation. For students starting in the first week of January, all changes must be done at least 7 days before the winter holidays start, otherwise, this penalty will be charged accordingly.
7. Residence accommodation fees are non-refundable if a residence is booked for visa application purposes (visa-required Non-EU students).

Post-Arrival:

Residence accommodation fees are non-refundable once a student has arrived at the accommodation.

All the penalties mentioned above will be charged without exceptions, also in the case of visa refusal or delays.

Airport Pickup Cancellation

If a student does not arrive at the airport due to a cancelled or missed flight without notifying Atlas Language School, no refund of the airport pickup fees can be made.

5. Holiday Policy

Dublin

Holidays can only be taken in one week blocks (Monday-Friday only). Students must notify the school in writing or by email in advance of their intended holiday. Please note that holidays must always be booked at least one week in advance, i.e. holidays will not be granted after the week has already begun.

Holiday Policy for short-term (less than 25 weeks) students

Students on courses of 12 weeks or less
Generally, no holidays are allowed for students who are studying on courses that are less than 12 weeks.

Students studying on courses from 12 to 24 weeks

One week’s holiday is allowed for students who are studying on courses from 12 to 24 weeks. To request a holiday, the student must send an email to info@atlaslanguageschool.com at least one week before they would like to take the holiday. This request will be logged on the school online system.

Holiday Policy for long-term (25 weeks) non-EEA students (Dublin only)

An Academic Year course lasts for 25 weeks after which students are entitled to take up to 10 weeks holiday before their visa expires. Normally, Academic Year holidays are taken AFTER a student finishes their classes.

If students stay during the winter holidays, these two weeks of holidays are included in the 10 weeks of holidays, i.e. students only have 8 weeks of holidays after finishing their course. Also, these two weeks of winter holidays do not need to be booked but are booked by default since the school will remain closed during this period.

In the exceptional case where a long-term non-EEA student wishes to take holidays during their course, this holiday period must be requested BEFORE starting their programme and/or registering with GNIB. In addition, holiday periods cannot at any point exceed 1/3 of the total weeks elapsed. This means that students need to have completed 9 weeks of their course before they can take holidays for the first time. After 9 weeks they can then take up to 3 weeks of holidays as they need to have studied 3 weeks for each week they want to take the holiday.

For Academic reasons, students need to have 4 weeks of their course remaining, i.e. cannot take holidays in their final 4 weeks.

If students take a holiday break during the course, it cannot be guaranteed that they can join the same class when they return. Early return from holidays is subject to the availability of places in the school / class.

6. Covid-19 / Pandemics

In the event that the school needs to close due to Covid-19, other pandemics, or for an extended period for any other reason, course continuation will be provided online.

If a student decides to return to their home country and is unable to take online classes, we issue a credit note in the student’s name, which is valid for 12 months from the date of departure. The student can return at any point before this date to complete their course. It will be required to inform Atlas in advance in order to check availability for the new study period. It will be the student’s responsibility to comply with any immigration requirements of the new stay in the State.

In case of an infectious disease, students in Atlas accommodation may be asked to leave their host family or residence room. In these cases Atlas will try their best to assist and find alternative accommodation. Any incurred additional costs must be covered by the student.

7. Further Conditions

1. Bookings are not confirmed until official enrolment confirmation is provided by Atlas.
2. Final registration and provision of pre-arrival information for each student are only confirmed upon receipt of full payment of fees.
3. Atlas Language School does not accept responsibility for costs incurred due to flight delays or cancellations.
4. Atlas Language School does not take responsibility for the loss or theft of belongings.
5. Refunds, partial refunds or compensation of any kind will not be given for Public Holidays, for days missed during the course, for late arrival or early departure, days missed due to adverse weather conditions, acts of governments, interruption of electrical power, fire, floods, war, other natural disasters, disease outbreaks or other Acts of Gods.
6. During peak times classes may be held at additional premises and may run at different times.
7. If a student wishes to return to their home country or take holidays elsewhere during the term of their English Language Programme they are free to do so, but no credit will be given for missed study time.
8. In the event that students are unable to attend lessons due to illness, these sick days will not be added to the end of the course period.
9. Students will only be excused from class in case of illness or to attend their appointment at the immigration office. No other reasons will be taken into consideration and the student will be marked as absent. Under no circumstances the student will obtain credit or a refund for missed study time.
10. Promotional Photographs and Videos: Atlas Language School or its representatives may take photographs and videos of classes or other school activities during a student’s time with us, which may be used for promotional purposes. If students do not wish to appear in any promotional materials, they must advise us at the time of booking.
11. For educational purposes only, Atlas Language School may record students in virtual classes. By booking a course students authorise and permit Atlas Language School to make recordings that include the student in the digital classroom and to use these recordings solely for educational purposes, such as the creation of a student or teacher portfolio, or for teacher self-reflection, without further consent from or payment to the student.
12. Classes can be held in additional premises during busy times.
13. The school is not wheelchair accessible.

2024 Academic Calendar

Term	Start Date	End Date	Weeks
1: Winter	Monday 8th January	Friday 29th March	12 weeks
2: Spring	Monday 1st April	Friday 28th June	13 weeks
3: Summer	Monday 1st July	Friday 20th September	12 weeks
4: Autumn*	Monday 3rd September	Friday 20th December	13 weeks
Closed	Monday 23rd December	Friday 3rd January 2025	2 weeks
Winter 2025	Monday 6th January 2025

*Students should not start their course in the last two weeks of a term but rather start with the new term.

2024 Bank Holidays (Ireland)

• New Year’s Day: Monday, 1st January
• St Brigid’s Day: Monday, 5th February
• St. Patrick’s Day: Monday, 18th March
• Good Friday*: Friday, 29th March
• Easter Monday: Monday, 1st April
• May Day: Monday, 6th May
• June Bank Holiday: Monday, 3rd June
• August Bank Holiday**: Monday, 5th August
• October Bank Holiday: Monday, 28th October
• Christmas Day: Wednesday, 25th December
• St. Stephen’s Day: Thursday, 26th December

* Good Friday is not a public holiday in Ireland, though like many schools and businesses we are closed on that day for a day of in-service teacher development and a long Easter weekend.

*All information is correct at the time of publishing, October 2023