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. Course always start on a Monday and finish on a Friday. It is not possible to start a course during the week. During busy times, classes will run in both morning and afternoon.

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 €65 is applicable to all courses. The cost for the course materials s €40 per term. All fees must be paid in full prior to the student’s arrival. 

A morning course summer supplement of €40 per week will apply to morning courses of 13 weeks or more during the summer high season. This does not apply to students who change to the afternoon classes in summer. This needs to be advised at the time of the booking. 

Accommodation

All accommodation bookings with Atlas Language School are subject to an accommodation placement fee of €65. 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 10 days 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.

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 overlaps 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 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;
• We cannot accommodate absolute beginners but our courses star tat an Elementary level;
• 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;
• Cancellation of a student’s visa;
• Non-attendance or consistently low attendance;
• 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. Educational Tour Operator (ETO) Discount

Discount 

Atlas grants discounts to ETOs for the relevant course fee of any student introduced to Atlas by that ETO. There are no discounts on summer supplements. 

Referral Discounts

In certain circumstances a referral discount of 15% may apply if an ETO recommends Atlas Language School to a student but does not sell the course to the student. In such circumstances the ETO should notify Atlas Language School of the student’s name before the student makes the booking with Atlas.

Re-registration Discount

If a student re-registers for a new course within three months of the end of their previous course then a discount of 15% is granted to the ETO.

Same Student Through Multiple ETOs

In the event that Atlas Language School receives a booking from more than one ETO for the same student, it will be up to the student to confirm which ETO  the decision lies with the student. Atlas Language School occupies a neutral position. The student will be contacted and asked to inform Atlas Language School of their independent decision in writing. Discounts are granted to the student’s ETO of choice accordingly. 

4. Pricing Policy

Atlas Language School is committed to a fair competition policy between partners representing Atlas Language School in the market. We insist on partners promoting and selling at the prices agreed by Atlas Language School and its partner ETO and on transparency of any discounts. Discounts made by the partner ETO must be clearly displayed as such. 

ETOs and partners are obliged to sell our courses as per prices quoted on our price list.

In the case where ETOs are offering discounts on accommodation, insurance, transfers or any additional services themselves, ETOs should make it clear that these discounts are not offered by Atlas Language School.

Atlas Language School will advise the partner ETO of any misuse of our pricing policy as unfair competition in the market. This may also result in the reduction of the ETO discount or the termination of the partnership agreement.

5. Payment

All course fees should be paid in full at least 15 days prior to the student commencing their course. Atlas have 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, payment must be made at least 30 days 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 & PaytoStudy 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 EU students and non-EU students who do not require a visa to enter Ireland:

ETOS can pay through TransferMate without the option of credit/debit card payment but if an EU ETO wants to pay by credit card this will be done directly through the school. Please note that payments by credit card will incur a 3% admin charge.

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

ETO discounts should be deducted before the payment is made.

6. 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.

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 (€65). 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.

Postponed courses are not eligible for promotions running at the time of postponement but the original fees apply.

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 7 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement (€65).
3. 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 (€65) and one week’s accommodation.
4. 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.

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.

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 less than 30 days but more 14 days before arrival, all accommodation fees will be refunded with the exception of the accommodation placement fee (€65). 
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 (€65) and one week’s accommodation.
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.

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.

7. Holiday Policy

Dublin

Holidays can only be taken in one week blocks (Monday-Friday only). Students must notify the Admissions Office 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 [email protected] 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 course.

 

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.

Early return from holidays is subject to availability of places in the school / class.

8. Covid-19

These Terms and Conditions must be read in conjunction with our Covid-19 School Safety Protocols.

In the event that the school needs to close due to Covid-19, 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 a Covid-19 infection, 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.

9. 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 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 wish to 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 are held in Portobello House, Portobello, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland as well as in its adjoining building located on 32 South Richmond Street.
13. The school is not wheelchair accessible. 

2023 Academic Calendar 

Term	Start Date	End Date	Weeks
1: Winter	Tuesday 3rd January	Friday 24th March	12 weeks
2: Spring	Monday 27th March	Friday 23rd June	13 weeks
3: Summer	Monday 26th June	Friday 15th September	12 weeks
4: Autumn	Monday 18th September	Friday 22nd December	14 weeks
Closed	Monday 25th December	Friday 5th January	2 weeks
Winter 2024	Monday 8th January 2024

2023 Bank Holidays (Ireland)

• New Year’s Day: Monday, 2nd January
• St. Brigid’s Day: Monday, 6th February
• St. Patrick’s Day: Friday, 17th March
• Good Friday*: Friday, 7th April
• Easter Monday: Monday, 10th April
• May Day: Monday, 1st May
• June Bank Holiday: Monday, 5th June
• August Bank Holiday: Monday, 7th August
• October Bank Holiday: Monday, 30th October
• Christmas Day: Friday, 25th December
• St. Stephen’s Day: Monday, 28th December

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

** The school is closed for classes on the August Bank Holiday, but we will be open for placement testing, induction and orientation of new students starting their courses on that day.

*All information is correct at the time of publishing, August 2022