Visa students & Attendance Policy - January 20th, 2023

Attendance rules for students 

If you are on a student visa, the Irish government has stated that you need to attend a minimum of 85% of your lessons. 

This is important for many reasons: 

1) To help you focus fully on your studies in English 

2) It ensures that you do not have visa problems with the Irish Department of Justice 

3) It allows you to renew your visa if you want to continue your studies in Ireland 

 Your attendance is recorded by your teacher every day in class and this information is inputted to your student file on the school database. 

Attendance Officers: 

Nicole Hanna is responsible for all attendance related matters. 

Please do not approach your teachers for any queries related to your attendance. All attendance related matters must go directly through the attendance officers named above. 

Nicole Hanna can be contacted at attendance@ihdublin.com 

Checking your attendance: 

If you wish to check your attendance at any time, please email attendance@ihdublin.com your name and your student number so that we can access your record. 

Punctuality 

If you enter your class after 15 minutes, you will be marked absent. This policy is reflective of Department of Justice regulations, as per below; 

“Attendance by students is defined as attending the full designated tuition hours – i.e. arriving more than 15 minutes late, or leaving before the class has concluded, means the student is marked absent for the class /class segments.” (Department of Justice Immigration Service Delivery, Section 2:5) 

Morning Schedule: Entry after 9:15 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 11:30 will be considered absent. 

 Afternoon Schedule: Entry after 14:00 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 15:30 will be considered absent. 

Scheduled Holidays: 

On enrolment, International House Dublin will provide you with a timetable clearly identifying the daily and weekly tuition times with dates. 

Before you register with GNIB/ INIS, you must request a GNIB Letter from the school, which will state the dates you will take your vacation, and your programme schedule. The programme schedule, including holiday periods, must be presented by the student to the Immigration Officer for inspection during the student’s registration. 

Holiday periods must be outlined in advance. 

The programme timetable must be set out in such a way that holiday periods cannot at any point exceed 1/3 of the total weeks elapsed 

Holidays may not be scheduled within the first 8 weeks of your course (front loading of holidays will not be permitted). 

Once you register with GNIB/ INIS, it will no longer be possible to change your holiday dates. Your holiday dates will be scheduled in accordance with the dates outlined on the letter you present to the Immigration Officer for inspection during your registration. You will not be permitted to change holiday dates at a later time to justify periods of absence. 

Absenteeism 

We understand that sometimes, students have problems and are unable to attend class. However, if you do not have a good reason for your absence, this may affect your attendance and cause problems with your visa. 

There are certain legitimate reasons for absence, including: 

Illness 

If you are ill, we understand that you can’t come to class. On the first day you are ill, you must email reception at attendance@ihdublin.com. If you do not have access to email, you may text our emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us that you are ill and that you can’t come to school. 

Attendance will not be granted without a valid doctor’s certificate in English outlining the dates you were unable to attend school due to illness. Prescriptions for medication are not considered acceptable medical certificates, and will not be accepted to excuse your absence. If you email a doctor’s certificate in English that states the dates you were unable to attend class to attendance@ihdublin.com your attendance will not be affected. You must email your medical certificate the first week you return to class. 

Medical certificates that were not submitted within 7 days upon return to class, and that are submitted at a later date, will not be accepted. 

Covid 

If you are positive with COVID19, please inform the attendance team by contacting attendance@ihdublin.com. You must inform the attendance team you are positive with COVID on the first day you test positive. You can find current HSE Covid guidelines here: HSE Guidelines 

Please send either of the below positive test results to attendance@ihdublin.com 

  • one picture that includes both your positive antigen test and your ID
  • a positive PCR test result

Attendance will not be given for the duration of your isolation without either of the two results outlined above. Attendance for COVID isolation will not be given if you inform the school of your positive test at a date later than when you first test positive. 

Bereavement 

Close family member 

In the sad event of the death of a close family member, we understand that you will not be able to attend school. Please email reception reception@ihdublin.com or text the emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us of your bereavement. 

In the case of an immediate family member’s death (a spouse, parent, child, a person in a relationship of domestic dependency including same sex partners, brother or sister, a person who acted in loco parentis or was a guardian) 5 days’ bereavement leave will be allowed.  

If a student needs to travel to their country of origin in the circumstance of an immediate family member’s death, bereavement leave of up to 10 days’ leave will be allowed. Applications for bereavement leave will not be considered without supporting evidence such as flight tickets and death certificates. 

An application for bereavement leave form must be completed and reviewed by Nicole Hanna (Client Experience Manager) in order for this leave to be approved. 

Extended family member  

In the event of an extended family member’s death (a grandparent, parent-in-law, spouse-in-law) 3 days leave will be allowed. No leave is allowed in any other circumstances. 

Important 

Requests must be made by the student in question and not by a third party 

Requests made to staff members other than student welfare officers will not be considered 

You must contact Nicole Hanna at attendance@ihdublin.com or by texting the emergency phone  (086-8225543) 

Requests made on social media or by any other means will not be considered 

Please note that it is only in these circumstances that your attendance will not be affected. If you do not provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then Nicole Hanna will follow the steps below. 

 Problems with attendance 

If you can’t provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then you will be marked absent for your lesson and your attendance level will be reduced.  

Warnings 

Every Week 

If your attendance is less than 50% in any one week, you will receive an informal warning from Nicole Hanna 

First Warning 

Immediately after week three of your course 

If your attendance is less than 85% immediately following the third week of your course, you will receive an informal warning notifying you of this, so that you may work on improving your attendance and meet the required final minimum attendance of 85%. 

Second Warning  

Immediately after week 6 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after the first 6 weeks of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. 

Third Warning 

Immediately after week 10 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after week 10 of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage, projected final attendance and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. In addition to this GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance percentage. 

At any time 

At any time, if your projected final attendance is less than 85%, GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance issues and the expulsion process will be initiated. 

Expulsion process 

This may be initiated at any point during your course in the situation where your projected final attendance is less than 85%. 

Week 0 – 1  

  • Your projected attendance is calculated to be less than 85% 
  • GNIB/ INIS is informed. 
  • You are informed by email that you are in danger of being expelled. 

 Week 1- 3  

  • You must respond formally, by email to attendance@ihdublin.com within 10 working days of receiving this notification.  
  • In your email, please include the following: 
  • information about any exceptional circumstance which has affected your attendance.  
  • Attach documents such as doctor’s certificate/ reports. 
  • The reasons why you believe you should not be expelled. 
  • If you wish to discuss your case in person, may request a meeting with Nicole Hanna 

Week 4  

The final decision to expel you or not will be at the discretion of the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. This decision will be issued in writing, by email in week 4 of the expulsion process.  

If you are expelled from International House Dublin, you must stop attending classes immediately.  

If you accept the reason for expulsion and agree to leave the school, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study and it will not be possible for you to sit your exit exam. 

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued to you. 

Appeals 

If you do not accept this decision, you may appeal it in writing by emailing the Chairman of IH Dublin, Mr Donagh Barry at donagh@ihdublin.com within 5 working days of receiving notification of expulsion. 

The final decision to expel or not will rest with Mr Barry. 

Successful Appeal 

If your appeal is successful, you may resume your course on the Monday immediately following this decision.  

Unsuccessful Appeal  

As part of the expulsion process, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study.  

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued.  

No further appeals will be considered. 

Holidays and breaks 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks of study, you will be entitled to ten weeks of holidays. 

These holiday periods must be decided in advance of registering with the GNIB/ INIS and agreed with your school. 

Procedure for scheduling breaks 

In the first week of your course, you will attend an induction for long term students which outlines your visa requirements. 

The induction tutor will advise you about the best exam for you to take and the dates on which this can be taken 

Together with the induction tutor,  you will select an exam and exam administration 

You should than register your requested holiday dates by completing our online google form. 

The student welfare officers will prepare your letter, outlining clearly your course, exam and holiday schedule. 

You may collect your letter the following day, and use this to register with GNIB / INIS 

Please note that it is not possible change holiday periods outlined on your visa letter. 

Unscheduled breaks 

Please see absenteeism policies for details of unscheduled breaks. Leave due to illness of the student or illness or death of a family member are the only unscheduled breaks that will not affect attendance on the 25 week course provided the steps under the absenteeism policy are followed. 

Complaints Procedure 

We want to help you if you are not happy with any aspect of your experience at International House Dublin. If you have a complaint, please come to reception at your break time 11.00 – 11.30 or 15.15 – 15.30 to make an appointment to speak to the appropriate manager. 

Your Language Course 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Language Course: 

  • You feel that you are in the wrong level 
  • You have not had the opportunity to discuss your interests or language/ skills needs 
  • You have not been active enough in your lesson. 
  • Your lesson appears unplanned  
  • You have a personal clash with your teacher or with another student in the class. 

If you are unhappy with some aspect of your course, we ask that you first of all speak to your teacher as their insight and understanding of your context may be invaluable.   

We advise learners who feel that they are in the wrong level to wait 2- 3 days before deciding.  

After 2-3 days, if you still feel that your class is at the wrong level, please report to reception who will arrange for you to speak to a manager in the Education Department.  The education manager will re-evaluate your class placement and will arrange to meet you to discuss your options.  

Education Department 

Head of Education  

Carmel Hickey: carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773911 

Director of Studies 

Lisa Bell: lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773920 

Your accommodation 

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your accommodation which has been provided to you by the school, you can speak to our Accommodation Officer, Amanda Micossi 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Accommodation: 

Host families 

  • Your house is consistently unclean 
  • Your host family do not speak to you  
  • Your host family do not include you in family activities 
  • The food you receive is substandard 

Apartments 

  • The facilities are broken/unclean 
  • Your room is unclean 
  • Your bed linen is unclean 

Accommodation Department 

Amanda Micossi: homestay@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 877 3929 

Social Programme 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Social Programme:  

  • You do not receive information about the social programme on weekly basis 
  • The tours are consistently badly organised 
  • Your input in the programme is not considered and not asked for. 

Social Programme Co-ordinator 

Alex Keogh: socialprogramme@ihdublin.com 

 Procedure for complaints 

Please go to reception to report your complaint. Our reception staff will inform the appropriate manager who will then contact you to discuss the issue further. 

The manager will address this issue as soon as possible and will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss the problem and possible solutions. 

It is the policy of International House Dublin that complaints are responded to within two working days. 

Grievance procedure 

As part of our commitment to the fairness, dignity and respect to all staff and students of International House Dublin, IH Dublin will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment. The aim of this policy is to identify what bullying and harassment is and what action IH Dublin will take if they need to deal with an offence of this nature. 

Bullying 

This has been defined as repeated inappropriate behaviour. This can be direct or indirect, and verbal or physical. The behaviour can be conducted by one or more people against one person, or more than one person, and can be considered as having a negative impact on their right to dignity at work or in their course of study. Note that the behaviour must be repeated to be considered as bullying: one isolated incident may have a negative impact on the dignity of the individual but is not considered bullying. 

Harassment 

This is any form of unwanted conduct related to any of the following grounds: 

  • Gender 
  • Marital status 
  • Family status 
  • Sexual orientation 
  • Religion 
  • Age 
  • Disability 
  • Race  
  • Membership of the travelling community 
  • Sexual Harassment 

This is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or conduct based on sex which affects the dignity of people at work or in their course of study. It includes unwelcome, non-verbal, verbal or physical conduct based on the gender of a recipient which is offensive to the recipient or which cause the recipient discomfort, humiliation or interferes with their job or studies. 

Victimisation 

This occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another because he/ she has made a complaint to IH Dublin in relation to harassment or bullying behaviour. 

This policy is applicable to all IH Dublin staff and students. This policy is also applicable to business contacts, contractors, suppliers or other business contacts of IH Dublin. 

As part of IH Dublin’s Code of Conduct, it is imperative that all staff, students and suppliers respect the dignity of all members of IH Dublin.  Please remember to consider equality grounds such as a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, membership of the travelling community and disability.  

Bullying or harassment may take the following forms: 

Non-verbal abuse 

Inappropriate looks or gestures, displaying emblems on clothing, exclusion, whistling, isolation at lunch breaks or social events are all considered as non-verbal abuse. 

Physical abuse 

Hitting, bodily contact that is abusive in nature, shaking fists in an angry way, damaging a member of staff or students’ possessions. 

This list is not complete and just serves as a guideline to staff and students. Each case will be taken in isolation and dealt with in an appropriate way. 

Informal procedure 

IH Dublin is aware of and recognises the effects that bullying and harassment can have on its staff and students. However, IH Dublin is of the view that an informal approach to solving matters can often be effective. In the first instance, an attempt should be made to address an allegation of bullying on an informal basis, set out through the informal procedure described below. 

If a student believes that he/she is being bullied, he/she should explain clearly to the alleged harasser or bully that he/ she finds their behaviour unacceptable. 

If the student feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the student welfare officer, Ms Nicole Hanna. (reception@ihdublin.com)  If it is inappropriate for the  Student  Welfare Officer to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Head of Education, Ms Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) 

If the staff member feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the Head of Education, Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) If it is inappropriate for the  Head of Education to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. 

The student or staff member may also discuss this issue with a contact person. The contact person may be a classmate or colleague or other person representing the students or staff. The student or staff member may request the assistance of the contact person in discussing the issue with the alleged harasser or bully. Any discussion with the alleged harasser or bully must be confidential, non-confrontational and see to resolve the matter in an informal, calm manner. 

If the student or staff member decides that it would not be appropriate to approach the alleged harasser or bully either personally or through a contact person, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

If the student or staff member has attempted to discuss the matter with the alleged bully or harasser and is not happy with the results, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

 Formal Procedure 

In the situation where the informal complaint has failed and the harassment is repeated, the student or staff member should proceed to the formal procedure. International House Dublin takes this situation very seriously and confirms the following in this regard: 

Where possible, all complaints will be investigated and appropriate action taken within 5 working days of the complaint being made 

The situation will be treated with the greatest confidentiality 

The situation will be investigated discreetly and sensitively by a competent person. 

The investigator will examine the situation carefully and objectively with a view to deciding the best course of action. 

Procedure 

An initial complaint should be made in writing to the Student Welfare Officer(reception@ihdublin.com) or Head of Education (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com)  or if it is inappropriate for the these people to be involved the matter should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin Mr Padraig Hourigan (padraig@ihdublin.com) 

Precise details of the alleged incidents of bullying or harassment and the names of any witnesses there may have been to those incidents should be included in the written complaint 

The alleged harasser or bully will be notified in writing that an allegation of bullying and/or harassment has been made against him/her and he/she will be given a copy of the complainant’s written statement 

The alleged harasser or bully will also be told that he/she will be given a fair opportunity to respond to each and every allegation made against him/her 

All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence possible to comply with the requirements of a fair investigation 

Only individuals necessary to the investigation will be involved from the initial stages 

A designated member of management or, if appropriate, a third party will be assigned to carry out an initial investigation into the complaint 

If the complaint relates to harassment on grounds of age, race, religion, family status, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or membership of the traveller community or relates to sexual harassment, a team of at least two people will be appointed to investigate the complaint where possible 

Where possible, the investigator or investigation team will try to agree terms of reference and a time frame with the complainant and alleged harasser or bully in advance of the investigation 

 

Interviews will be held with both the complainant and any witnesses to establish a thorough understanding of the facts of the alleged complaint, and a record of the meetings will be held 

The complainant and the alleged harasser or bully may be accompanied to investigative meetings by any of the contact persons referred to above 

All material received will be treated with the highest level of sensitivity 

Where necessary, parties to the procedure may, in some cases, be sent home with pay to enable parties to investigate the complaint 

It may be necessary to interview other persons. If so, the importance of confidentiality will be stressed to them.  Any statements from witnesses will be circulated to both the person making the complaint and the alleged harasser or bully for their comments before any conclusion is reached in the investigation 

When the investigation has been completed, the investigator or investigation team will present a written report to management 

Both the complainant and the alleged harasser or bully will be informed in writing of the findings of the investigation and will be given the opportunity to comment on the findings before any action is decided upon by IH Dublin 

If IH Dublin decides that the complaint is well founded, management will meet with the alleged harasser or bully to establish what action is to be taken 

Action can and may include counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action  

Any disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with IH Dublin’s Disciplinary Procedure 

Where a complaint is upheld against a non-staff, the investigation report may recommend appropriate sanctions against the non-staff or his/her colleague which could extend where appropriate in the circumstances to exclusion of that individual from IH Dublin’s premises, suspension or termination of service, suspension or termination of a supply service or other contract 

In cases where it is discovered that the complainant made a false accusation of bullying and/or harassment, IH Dublin may undertake counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action including dismissal (see malicious complaints below) 

Any party to the investigation who is unhappy with the outcome of the investigation is entitled to appeal 

Any appeal should be made in writing and directed to the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan, within 10 working days of the conclusion of the investigation  

The Board of Directors may nominate a third party to work with them on the appeal and will aim to notify the appellant of IH Dublin’s decision within a further 10 working days 

Malicious complaints 

Malicious complaints (complaints which have no basis and are intended to impugn the integrity of another staff member) are considered a very serious matter and will be treated under the disciplinary procedure and may lead to dismissal.  A complaint that is not upheld by the formal investigation is not necessarily considered to be malicious without fear of ridicule or reprisal. 

End of Programme Exam entry 

Exam courses at International House Dublin 

Cambridge Main Suite (PET, FCE, CAE and CPE) 

IH Dublin is an official exam centre for these Cambridge exams. 

IELTS 

Can be taken with two local providers: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ireland 

Trinity ISE 

Can be taken at IH Dublin 

https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/english-language/ISE 

TIE (Test of Interactive English) 

Can be taken locally: https://ielt.ie/ 

Key Staff 

Exam Co-ordinator Mr Murra Mac Rory 

Email: exams@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 87739130 

Director of Studies Lisa Bell 

Email lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 018773920  

Induction information 

In the first week of your course, you will take part in an induction which introduces you to the school, to Dublin and which advises you on the requirements of their visa. This induction is held by our exams co-ordinator Mr Murra MacRory or an appropriately qualified and experienced teacher. 

You, the student, along with Murra MacRory on behalf of IH Dublin, complete an online form an agreeing to the following: 

  • That you understand that the exam is obligatory 
  • That you will sit the exam 
  • That IH Dublin will prepare you for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will help you register for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will store your results securely 
  • That your results may be accessible to IH Dublin staff members and to Irish Immigration Authorities. 

Registering for your exam 

Following your induction, having selected your exit exam, you will be registered for your exam soon after your course begins.  You will receive an email from our exams department confirming your exit exam and date. Your detailed exam timetable and information on exam day procedures will be available two weeks before your exam. 

If you decide to change your choice of exit exam during your course, please note that there is a €30 admin fee charged. This is payable at reception. 

Cambridge English Exams security:  

Exam papers are prepared, printed, and despatched under secure conditions. 

All Cambridge English authorised exam centres follow a detailed code of practice which ensures the highest standards of security throughout the testing process, from registration to the recording of results. 

All Cambridge English exam centres are subject to regular unannounced inspections to ensure adherence to the code of practice and maintenance of security. 

Speaking examiners undergo regular assessment and observation. 

Photographs of candidates for B2 first, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are taken on the day of the exam using Identica software and these can be viewed through the online Results Verification Service*. (Photographs are not required for B1 Preliminary examinations) 

All papers are marked in Cambridge to further ensure security and quality. Sophisticated analysis techniques are used to guard against malpractice. 

Certificates are printed on security-enhanced paper and include other concealed features to prevent forgery and malpractice.  

Organisations such as universities and immigration authorities are specifying requirements for recognition which include verification measures additional to the security procedures that are already in place for Cambridge ESOL exams. In response Cambridge developed the Results Verification website and Test Day photos. 

This website enables organisations that need to, to authenticate Cambridge ESOL examination results. In addition to showing details of the session, the candidate’s name and the result, this site will also display a test day photo of the candidate. The candidate gives permission for the result to be verified by providing access details to the verifier. These details are included on the Confirmation of Entry.  

The Results Verification website can be used for verifying the results of candidates for the following exams: KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE (including the ‘for schools’ versions) 

Exam results 

Cambridge Main Suite Exams 

On your confirmation of entry form, you will receive a code which will allow you to access your results online. Your results will also be sent directly to our exams department.  Your exam results will be stored electronically by IH Dublin.  6 – 8 weeks following your exam results being issued, your certificate will be posted to IH Dublin. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

TIE Exam 

Students’ results will be emailed by TIE to the Exams Co-ordinator (exams@ihdublin.com).  Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

IELTS exams 

Your results will be available online two weeks after the exam. Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

Protection for Enrolled Learners 

In the highly unlikely event that International House Dublin ceases trading during your course here, you have a guarantee that you will be able to complete your course at another school in Dublin. 

How? 

International House Dublin is a member of MEI or Marketing English in Ireland.  

All Marketing English in Ireland member schools MUST adopt Learner Protection. 

This is a condition of being a member of MEI. 

Learner protection guarantees that you will be able to complete all language courses for which you have enrolled. 

Who is Marketing English in Ireland? 

Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) is the leading and longest-serving association of English Language Schools in Ireland. 

With origins dating back to the 1960s, quality and assurance have always been central to our mission. We represent English Language schools of all sizes, locations and varieties across the island of Ireland. 

MEI partners with many ELT groups and organisations around the world. They include agents, students, governments, global organisations, international education providers and associated service providers. We also work closely with special interest groups to support and promote excellence in English language teaching in Ireland. 

MEI schools also adopt Learner Protection and in this way guarantee students that they will be able to complete all language courses they have enrolled for.  This process ensures that the facilities and the programmes on offer are of a superior quality as they are provided by ACELS recognised schools only. 

MEI contact details 

Ground Floor, Unit 4, Manor Street Business Park, Dublin 7, Ireland 

Phone 

Phone: +353 1 6180910 / 11 

Email: info@ mei.ie 

Emergency Procedures 

We hope that you will have an enjoyable and problem-free experience in Ireland and in International House Dublin.  

We understand, however, that sometimes student have problems and need help. 

We hope that you understand that if you have a serious problem during your course at International House Dublin, we are here to help you. 

Office hours 

Our office is open from 08:30 – 17.00 every day. During office hours, you can call our main reception on 01 877 3900 and they will transfer to the department that can help you best. 

Problems with Accommodation:   Homestay officer – Amanda Micossi 

Problems with your language course: Head of Education – Carmel Hickey 

Director of Studies – Lisa Bell 

Problems with Exams: Exams Co-ordinator – Murra Mac Rory 

General Problems: Student Welfare officer – Nicole Hanna  

Outside of office hours and at the weekend 

We understand that sometimes people have serious problems outside of school opening hours. 

If you have a serious problem during the evening, or at weekends, we are here to help you. 

You can contact our emergency phone number: 00 353 868225543. 

An experienced member of the International House Dublin team has this phone 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  

They will answer your call and assist you with your problem. 

Health Insurance 

International House Dublin emails students details of health insurance that is available to them to purchase as part of their trip to Ireland. The health insurance policy is not provided by International House Dublin, but we provide information to students as part of the enrolment process on a third party insurer and the policies they offer to students. 

Admissions criteria for courses 

International House Dublin offers courses from A1 to C2 levels and as such welcomes students for all of these levels for General English courses. 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks, however, you will be required to sit an examination. 

Each examination requires an entry level of language proficiency: 

TRINITY: A1 

PET: A2 

FCE: B1 

CAE: B2 

CPE: C1 + 

IELTS (Academic) B1 

At minimum of 2 weeks prior to your arrival, you must complete an online placement test. The result in this test will help us decide which exam is best for you: 

Placement test result/ Admission criteria  Exam 
 0 – 30%/A1   TRINITY ISE 
 20 – 40%/ A2   B1 Preliminary 
 40- 55%/ B1   B2 First 
 55- 70%/ B2   C1 Advanced 
 70 -100%/ C1+   C2 Proficiency 
 40%/ B1+   IELTS Academic 

 

 

 

 

Visa students & Attendance Policy - January 20th, 2023

Attendance rules for students 

If you are on a student visa, the Irish government has stated that you need to attend a minimum of 85% of your lessons. 

This is important for many reasons: 

1) To help you focus fully on your studies in English 

2) It ensures that you do not have visa problems with the Irish Department of Justice 

3) It allows you to renew your visa if you want to continue your studies in Ireland 

 Your attendance is recorded by your teacher every day in class and this information is inputted to your student file on the school database. 

Attendance Officers: 

Nicole Hanna is responsible for all attendance related matters. 

Please do not approach your teachers for any queries related to your attendance. All attendance related matters must go directly through the attendance officers named above. 

Nicole Hanna can be contacted at attendance@ihdublin.com 

Checking your attendance: 

If you wish to check your attendance at any time, please email attendance@ihdublin.com your name and your student number so that we can access your record. 

Punctuality 

If you enter your class after 15 minutes, you will be marked absent. This policy is reflective of Department of Justice regulations, as per below; 

“Attendance by students is defined as attending the full designated tuition hours – i.e. arriving more than 15 minutes late, or leaving before the class has concluded, means the student is marked absent for the class /class segments.” (Department of Justice Immigration Service Delivery, Section 2:5) 

Morning Schedule: Entry after 9:15 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 11:30 will be considered absent. 

 Afternoon Schedule: Entry after 14:00 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 15:30 will be considered absent. 

Scheduled Holidays: 

On enrolment, International House Dublin will provide you with a timetable clearly identifying the daily and weekly tuition times with dates. 

Before you register with GNIB/ INIS, you must request a GNIB Letter from the school, which will state the dates you will take your vacation, and your programme schedule. The programme schedule, including holiday periods, must be presented by the student to the Immigration Officer for inspection during the student’s registration. 

Holiday periods must be outlined in advance. 

The programme timetable must be set out in such a way that holiday periods cannot at any point exceed 1/3 of the total weeks elapsed 

Holidays may not be scheduled within the first 8 weeks of your course (front loading of holidays will not be permitted). 

Once you register with GNIB/ INIS, it will no longer be possible to change your holiday dates. Your holiday dates will be scheduled in accordance with the dates outlined on the letter you present to the Immigration Officer for inspection during your registration. You will not be permitted to change holiday dates at a later time to justify periods of absence. 

Absenteeism 

We understand that sometimes, students have problems and are unable to attend class. However, if you do not have a good reason for your absence, this may affect your attendance and cause problems with your visa. 

There are certain legitimate reasons for absence, including: 

Illness 

If you are ill, we understand that you can’t come to class. On the first day you are ill, you must email reception at attendance@ihdublin.com. If you do not have access to email, you may text our emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us that you are ill and that you can’t come to school. 

Attendance will not be granted without a valid doctor’s certificate in English outlining the dates you were unable to attend school due to illness. Prescriptions for medication are not considered acceptable medical certificates, and will not be accepted to excuse your absence. If you email a doctor’s certificate in English that states the dates you were unable to attend class to attendance@ihdublin.com your attendance will not be affected. You must email your medical certificate the first week you return to class. 

Medical certificates that were not submitted within 7 days upon return to class, and that are submitted at a later date, will not be accepted. 

Covid 

If you are positive with COVID19, please inform the attendance team by contacting attendance@ihdublin.com. You must inform the attendance team you are positive with COVID on the first day you test positive. You can find current HSE Covid guidelines here: HSE Guidelines 

Please send either of the below positive test results to attendance@ihdublin.com 

  • one picture that includes both your positive antigen test and your ID
  • a positive PCR test result

Attendance will not be given for the duration of your isolation without either of the two results outlined above. Attendance for COVID isolation will not be given if you inform the school of your positive test at a date later than when you first test positive. 

Bereavement 

Close family member 

In the sad event of the death of a close family member, we understand that you will not be able to attend school. Please email reception reception@ihdublin.com or text the emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us of your bereavement. 

In the case of an immediate family member’s death (a spouse, parent, child, a person in a relationship of domestic dependency including same sex partners, brother or sister, a person who acted in loco parentis or was a guardian) 5 days’ bereavement leave will be allowed.  

If a student needs to travel to their country of origin in the circumstance of an immediate family member’s death, bereavement leave of up to 10 days’ leave will be allowed. Applications for bereavement leave will not be considered without supporting evidence such as flight tickets and death certificates. 

An application for bereavement leave form must be completed and reviewed by Nicole Hanna (Client Experience Manager) in order for this leave to be approved. 

Extended family member  

In the event of an extended family member’s death (a grandparent, parent-in-law, spouse-in-law) 3 days leave will be allowed. No leave is allowed in any other circumstances. 

Important 

Requests must be made by the student in question and not by a third party 

Requests made to staff members other than student welfare officers will not be considered 

You must contact Nicole Hanna at attendance@ihdublin.com or by texting the emergency phone  (086-8225543) 

Requests made on social media or by any other means will not be considered 

Please note that it is only in these circumstances that your attendance will not be affected. If you do not provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then Nicole Hanna will follow the steps below. 

 Problems with attendance 

If you can’t provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then you will be marked absent for your lesson and your attendance level will be reduced.  

Warnings 

Every Week 

If your attendance is less than 50% in any one week, you will receive an informal warning from Nicole Hanna 

First Warning 

Immediately after week three of your course 

If your attendance is less than 85% immediately following the third week of your course, you will receive an informal warning notifying you of this, so that you may work on improving your attendance and meet the required final minimum attendance of 85%. 

Second Warning  

Immediately after week 6 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after the first 6 weeks of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. 

Third Warning 

Immediately after week 10 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after week 10 of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage, projected final attendance and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. In addition to this GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance percentage. 

At any time 

At any time, if your projected final attendance is less than 85%, GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance issues and the expulsion process will be initiated. 

Expulsion process 

This may be initiated at any point during your course in the situation where your projected final attendance is less than 85%. 

Week 0 – 1  

  • Your projected attendance is calculated to be less than 85% 
  • GNIB/ INIS is informed. 
  • You are informed by email that you are in danger of being expelled. 

 Week 1- 3  

  • You must respond formally, by email to attendance@ihdublin.com within 10 working days of receiving this notification.  
  • In your email, please include the following: 
  • information about any exceptional circumstance which has affected your attendance.  
  • Attach documents such as doctor’s certificate/ reports. 
  • The reasons why you believe you should not be expelled. 
  • If you wish to discuss your case in person, may request a meeting with Nicole Hanna 

Week 4  

The final decision to expel you or not will be at the discretion of the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. This decision will be issued in writing, by email in week 4 of the expulsion process.  

If you are expelled from International House Dublin, you must stop attending classes immediately.  

If you accept the reason for expulsion and agree to leave the school, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study and it will not be possible for you to sit your exit exam. 

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued to you. 

Appeals 

If you do not accept this decision, you may appeal it in writing by emailing the Chairman of IH Dublin, Mr Donagh Barry at donagh@ihdublin.com within 5 working days of receiving notification of expulsion. 

The final decision to expel or not will rest with Mr Barry. 

Successful Appeal 

If your appeal is successful, you may resume your course on the Monday immediately following this decision.  

Unsuccessful Appeal  

As part of the expulsion process, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study.  

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued.  

No further appeals will be considered. 

Holidays and breaks 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks of study, you will be entitled to ten weeks of holidays. 

These holiday periods must be decided in advance of registering with the GNIB/ INIS and agreed with your school. 

Procedure for scheduling breaks 

In the first week of your course, you will attend an induction for long term students which outlines your visa requirements. 

The induction tutor will advise you about the best exam for you to take and the dates on which this can be taken 

Together with the induction tutor,  you will select an exam and exam administration 

You should than register your requested holiday dates by completing our online google form. 

The student welfare officers will prepare your letter, outlining clearly your course, exam and holiday schedule. 

You may collect your letter the following day, and use this to register with GNIB / INIS 

Please note that it is not possible change holiday periods outlined on your visa letter. 

Unscheduled breaks 

Please see absenteeism policies for details of unscheduled breaks. Leave due to illness of the student or illness or death of a family member are the only unscheduled breaks that will not affect attendance on the 25 week course provided the steps under the absenteeism policy are followed. 

Complaints Procedure 

We want to help you if you are not happy with any aspect of your experience at International House Dublin. If you have a complaint, please come to reception at your break time 11.00 – 11.30 or 15.15 – 15.30 to make an appointment to speak to the appropriate manager. 

Your Language Course 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Language Course: 

  • You feel that you are in the wrong level 
  • You have not had the opportunity to discuss your interests or language/ skills needs 
  • You have not been active enough in your lesson. 
  • Your lesson appears unplanned  
  • You have a personal clash with your teacher or with another student in the class. 

If you are unhappy with some aspect of your course, we ask that you first of all speak to your teacher as their insight and understanding of your context may be invaluable.   

We advise learners who feel that they are in the wrong level to wait 2- 3 days before deciding.  

After 2-3 days, if you still feel that your class is at the wrong level, please report to reception who will arrange for you to speak to a manager in the Education Department.  The education manager will re-evaluate your class placement and will arrange to meet you to discuss your options.  

Education Department 

Head of Education  

Carmel Hickey: carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773911 

Director of Studies 

Lisa Bell: lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773920 

Your accommodation 

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your accommodation which has been provided to you by the school, you can speak to our Accommodation Officer, Amanda Micossi 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Accommodation: 

Host families 

  • Your house is consistently unclean 
  • Your host family do not speak to you  
  • Your host family do not include you in family activities 
  • The food you receive is substandard 

Apartments 

  • The facilities are broken/unclean 
  • Your room is unclean 
  • Your bed linen is unclean 

Accommodation Department 

Amanda Micossi: homestay@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 877 3929 

Social Programme 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Social Programme:  

  • You do not receive information about the social programme on weekly basis 
  • The tours are consistently badly organised 
  • Your input in the programme is not considered and not asked for. 

Social Programme Co-ordinator 

Alex Keogh: socialprogramme@ihdublin.com 

 Procedure for complaints 

Please go to reception to report your complaint. Our reception staff will inform the appropriate manager who will then contact you to discuss the issue further. 

The manager will address this issue as soon as possible and will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss the problem and possible solutions. 

It is the policy of International House Dublin that complaints are responded to within two working days. 

Grievance procedure 

As part of our commitment to the fairness, dignity and respect to all staff and students of International House Dublin, IH Dublin will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment. The aim of this policy is to identify what bullying and harassment is and what action IH Dublin will take if they need to deal with an offence of this nature. 

Bullying 

This has been defined as repeated inappropriate behaviour. This can be direct or indirect, and verbal or physical. The behaviour can be conducted by one or more people against one person, or more than one person, and can be considered as having a negative impact on their right to dignity at work or in their course of study. Note that the behaviour must be repeated to be considered as bullying: one isolated incident may have a negative impact on the dignity of the individual but is not considered bullying. 

Harassment 

This is any form of unwanted conduct related to any of the following grounds: 

  • Gender 
  • Marital status 
  • Family status 
  • Sexual orientation 
  • Religion 
  • Age 
  • Disability 
  • Race  
  • Membership of the travelling community 
  • Sexual Harassment 

This is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or conduct based on sex which affects the dignity of people at work or in their course of study. It includes unwelcome, non-verbal, verbal or physical conduct based on the gender of a recipient which is offensive to the recipient or which cause the recipient discomfort, humiliation or interferes with their job or studies. 

Victimisation 

This occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another because he/ she has made a complaint to IH Dublin in relation to harassment or bullying behaviour. 

This policy is applicable to all IH Dublin staff and students. This policy is also applicable to business contacts, contractors, suppliers or other business contacts of IH Dublin. 

As part of IH Dublin’s Code of Conduct, it is imperative that all staff, students and suppliers respect the dignity of all members of IH Dublin.  Please remember to consider equality grounds such as a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, membership of the travelling community and disability.  

Bullying or harassment may take the following forms: 

Non-verbal abuse 

Inappropriate looks or gestures, displaying emblems on clothing, exclusion, whistling, isolation at lunch breaks or social events are all considered as non-verbal abuse. 

Physical abuse 

Hitting, bodily contact that is abusive in nature, shaking fists in an angry way, damaging a member of staff or students’ possessions. 

This list is not complete and just serves as a guideline to staff and students. Each case will be taken in isolation and dealt with in an appropriate way. 

Informal procedure 

IH Dublin is aware of and recognises the effects that bullying and harassment can have on its staff and students. However, IH Dublin is of the view that an informal approach to solving matters can often be effective. In the first instance, an attempt should be made to address an allegation of bullying on an informal basis, set out through the informal procedure described below. 

If a student believes that he/she is being bullied, he/she should explain clearly to the alleged harasser or bully that he/ she finds their behaviour unacceptable. 

If the student feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the student welfare officer, Ms Nicole Hanna. (reception@ihdublin.com)  If it is inappropriate for the  Student  Welfare Officer to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Head of Education, Ms Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) 

If the staff member feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the Head of Education, Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) If it is inappropriate for the  Head of Education to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. 

The student or staff member may also discuss this issue with a contact person. The contact person may be a classmate or colleague or other person representing the students or staff. The student or staff member may request the assistance of the contact person in discussing the issue with the alleged harasser or bully. Any discussion with the alleged harasser or bully must be confidential, non-confrontational and see to resolve the matter in an informal, calm manner. 

If the student or staff member decides that it would not be appropriate to approach the alleged harasser or bully either personally or through a contact person, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

If the student or staff member has attempted to discuss the matter with the alleged bully or harasser and is not happy with the results, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

 Formal Procedure 

In the situation where the informal complaint has failed and the harassment is repeated, the student or staff member should proceed to the formal procedure. International House Dublin takes this situation very seriously and confirms the following in this regard: 

Where possible, all complaints will be investigated and appropriate action taken within 5 working days of the complaint being made 

The situation will be treated with the greatest confidentiality 

The situation will be investigated discreetly and sensitively by a competent person. 

The investigator will examine the situation carefully and objectively with a view to deciding the best course of action. 

Procedure 

An initial complaint should be made in writing to the Student Welfare Officer(reception@ihdublin.com) or Head of Education (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com)  or if it is inappropriate for the these people to be involved the matter should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin Mr Padraig Hourigan (padraig@ihdublin.com) 

Precise details of the alleged incidents of bullying or harassment and the names of any witnesses there may have been to those incidents should be included in the written complaint 

The alleged harasser or bully will be notified in writing that an allegation of bullying and/or harassment has been made against him/her and he/she will be given a copy of the complainant’s written statement 

The alleged harasser or bully will also be told that he/she will be given a fair opportunity to respond to each and every allegation made against him/her 

All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence possible to comply with the requirements of a fair investigation 

Only individuals necessary to the investigation will be involved from the initial stages 

A designated member of management or, if appropriate, a third party will be assigned to carry out an initial investigation into the complaint 

If the complaint relates to harassment on grounds of age, race, religion, family status, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or membership of the traveller community or relates to sexual harassment, a team of at least two people will be appointed to investigate the complaint where possible 

Where possible, the investigator or investigation team will try to agree terms of reference and a time frame with the complainant and alleged harasser or bully in advance of the investigation 

 

Interviews will be held with both the complainant and any witnesses to establish a thorough understanding of the facts of the alleged complaint, and a record of the meetings will be held 

The complainant and the alleged harasser or bully may be accompanied to investigative meetings by any of the contact persons referred to above 

All material received will be treated with the highest level of sensitivity 

Where necessary, parties to the procedure may, in some cases, be sent home with pay to enable parties to investigate the complaint 

It may be necessary to interview other persons. If so, the importance of confidentiality will be stressed to them.  Any statements from witnesses will be circulated to both the person making the complaint and the alleged harasser or bully for their comments before any conclusion is reached in the investigation 

When the investigation has been completed, the investigator or investigation team will present a written report to management 

Both the complainant and the alleged harasser or bully will be informed in writing of the findings of the investigation and will be given the opportunity to comment on the findings before any action is decided upon by IH Dublin 

If IH Dublin decides that the complaint is well founded, management will meet with the alleged harasser or bully to establish what action is to be taken 

Action can and may include counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action  

Any disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with IH Dublin’s Disciplinary Procedure 

Where a complaint is upheld against a non-staff, the investigation report may recommend appropriate sanctions against the non-staff or his/her colleague which could extend where appropriate in the circumstances to exclusion of that individual from IH Dublin’s premises, suspension or termination of service, suspension or termination of a supply service or other contract 

In cases where it is discovered that the complainant made a false accusation of bullying and/or harassment, IH Dublin may undertake counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action including dismissal (see malicious complaints below) 

Any party to the investigation who is unhappy with the outcome of the investigation is entitled to appeal 

Any appeal should be made in writing and directed to the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan, within 10 working days of the conclusion of the investigation  

The Board of Directors may nominate a third party to work with them on the appeal and will aim to notify the appellant of IH Dublin’s decision within a further 10 working days 

Malicious complaints 

Malicious complaints (complaints which have no basis and are intended to impugn the integrity of another staff member) are considered a very serious matter and will be treated under the disciplinary procedure and may lead to dismissal.  A complaint that is not upheld by the formal investigation is not necessarily considered to be malicious without fear of ridicule or reprisal. 

End of Programme Exam entry 

Exam courses at International House Dublin 

Cambridge Main Suite (PET, FCE, CAE and CPE) 

IH Dublin is an official exam centre for these Cambridge exams. 

IELTS 

Can be taken with two local providers: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ireland 

Trinity ISE 

Can be taken at IH Dublin 

https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/english-language/ISE 

TIE (Test of Interactive English) 

Can be taken locally: https://ielt.ie/ 

Key Staff 

Exam Co-ordinator Mr Murra Mac Rory 

Email: exams@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 87739130 

Director of Studies Lisa Bell 

Email lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 018773920  

Induction information 

In the first week of your course, you will take part in an induction which introduces you to the school, to Dublin and which advises you on the requirements of their visa. This induction is held by our exams co-ordinator Mr Murra MacRory or an appropriately qualified and experienced teacher. 

You, the student, along with Murra MacRory on behalf of IH Dublin, complete an online form an agreeing to the following: 

  • That you understand that the exam is obligatory 
  • That you will sit the exam 
  • That IH Dublin will prepare you for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will help you register for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will store your results securely 
  • That your results may be accessible to IH Dublin staff members and to Irish Immigration Authorities. 

Registering for your exam 

Following your induction, having selected your exit exam, you will be registered for your exam soon after your course begins.  You will receive an email from our exams department confirming your exit exam and date. Your detailed exam timetable and information on exam day procedures will be available two weeks before your exam. 

If you decide to change your choice of exit exam during your course, please note that there is a €30 admin fee charged. This is payable at reception. 

Cambridge English Exams security:  

Exam papers are prepared, printed, and despatched under secure conditions. 

All Cambridge English authorised exam centres follow a detailed code of practice which ensures the highest standards of security throughout the testing process, from registration to the recording of results. 

All Cambridge English exam centres are subject to regular unannounced inspections to ensure adherence to the code of practice and maintenance of security. 

Speaking examiners undergo regular assessment and observation. 

Photographs of candidates for B2 first, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are taken on the day of the exam using Identica software and these can be viewed through the online Results Verification Service*. (Photographs are not required for B1 Preliminary examinations) 

All papers are marked in Cambridge to further ensure security and quality. Sophisticated analysis techniques are used to guard against malpractice. 

Certificates are printed on security-enhanced paper and include other concealed features to prevent forgery and malpractice.  

Organisations such as universities and immigration authorities are specifying requirements for recognition which include verification measures additional to the security procedures that are already in place for Cambridge ESOL exams. In response Cambridge developed the Results Verification website and Test Day photos. 

This website enables organisations that need to, to authenticate Cambridge ESOL examination results. In addition to showing details of the session, the candidate’s name and the result, this site will also display a test day photo of the candidate. The candidate gives permission for the result to be verified by providing access details to the verifier. These details are included on the Confirmation of Entry.  

The Results Verification website can be used for verifying the results of candidates for the following exams: KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE (including the ‘for schools’ versions) 

Exam results 

Cambridge Main Suite Exams 

On your confirmation of entry form, you will receive a code which will allow you to access your results online. Your results will also be sent directly to our exams department.  Your exam results will be stored electronically by IH Dublin.  6 – 8 weeks following your exam results being issued, your certificate will be posted to IH Dublin. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

TIE Exam 

Students’ results will be emailed by TIE to the Exams Co-ordinator (exams@ihdublin.com).  Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

IELTS exams 

Your results will be available online two weeks after the exam. Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

Protection for Enrolled Learners 

In the highly unlikely event that International House Dublin ceases trading during your course here, you have a guarantee that you will be able to complete your course at another school in Dublin. 

How? 

International House Dublin is a member of MEI or Marketing English in Ireland.  

All Marketing English in Ireland member schools MUST adopt Learner Protection. 

This is a condition of being a member of MEI. 

Learner protection guarantees that you will be able to complete all language courses for which you have enrolled. 

Who is Marketing English in Ireland? 

Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) is the leading and longest-serving association of English Language Schools in Ireland. 

With origins dating back to the 1960s, quality and assurance have always been central to our mission. We represent English Language schools of all sizes, locations and varieties across the island of Ireland. 

MEI partners with many ELT groups and organisations around the world. They include agents, students, governments, global organisations, international education providers and associated service providers. We also work closely with special interest groups to support and promote excellence in English language teaching in Ireland. 

MEI schools also adopt Learner Protection and in this way guarantee students that they will be able to complete all language courses they have enrolled for.  This process ensures that the facilities and the programmes on offer are of a superior quality as they are provided by ACELS recognised schools only. 

MEI contact details 

Ground Floor, Unit 4, Manor Street Business Park, Dublin 7, Ireland 

Phone 

Phone: +353 1 6180910 / 11 

Email: info@ mei.ie 

Emergency Procedures 

We hope that you will have an enjoyable and problem-free experience in Ireland and in International House Dublin.  

We understand, however, that sometimes student have problems and need help. 

We hope that you understand that if you have a serious problem during your course at International House Dublin, we are here to help you. 

Office hours 

Our office is open from 08:30 – 17.00 every day. During office hours, you can call our main reception on 01 877 3900 and they will transfer to the department that can help you best. 

Problems with Accommodation:   Homestay officer – Amanda Micossi 

Problems with your language course: Head of Education – Carmel Hickey 

Director of Studies – Lisa Bell 

Problems with Exams: Exams Co-ordinator – Murra Mac Rory 

General Problems: Student Welfare officer – Nicole Hanna  

Outside of office hours and at the weekend 

We understand that sometimes people have serious problems outside of school opening hours. 

If you have a serious problem during the evening, or at weekends, we are here to help you. 

You can contact our emergency phone number: 00 353 868225543. 

An experienced member of the International House Dublin team has this phone 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  

They will answer your call and assist you with your problem. 

Health Insurance 

International House Dublin emails students details of health insurance that is available to them to purchase as part of their trip to Ireland. The health insurance policy is not provided by International House Dublin, but we provide information to students as part of the enrolment process on a third party insurer and the policies they offer to students. 

Admissions criteria for courses 

International House Dublin offers courses from A1 to C2 levels and as such welcomes students for all of these levels for General English courses. 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks, however, you will be required to sit an examination. 

Each examination requires an entry level of language proficiency: 

TRINITY: A1 

PET: A2 

FCE: B1 

CAE: B2 

CPE: C1 + 

IELTS (Academic) B1 

At minimum of 2 weeks prior to your arrival, you must complete an online placement test. The result in this test will help us decide which exam is best for you: 

Placement test result/ Admission criteria  Exam 
 0 – 30%/A1   TRINITY ISE 
 20 – 40%/ A2   B1 Preliminary 
 40- 55%/ B1   B2 First 
 55- 70%/ B2   C1 Advanced 
 70 -100%/ C1+   C2 Proficiency 
 40%/ B1+   IELTS Academic 

 

 

 

 

Visa students & Attendance Policy - January 20th, 2023

Attendance rules for students 

If you are on a student visa, the Irish government has stated that you need to attend a minimum of 85% of your lessons. 

This is important for many reasons: 

1) To help you focus fully on your studies in English 

2) It ensures that you do not have visa problems with the Irish Department of Justice 

3) It allows you to renew your visa if you want to continue your studies in Ireland 

 Your attendance is recorded by your teacher every day in class and this information is inputted to your student file on the school database. 

Attendance Officers: 

Nicole Hanna is responsible for all attendance related matters. 

Please do not approach your teachers for any queries related to your attendance. All attendance related matters must go directly through the attendance officers named above. 

Nicole Hanna can be contacted at attendance@ihdublin.com 

Checking your attendance: 

If you wish to check your attendance at any time, please email attendance@ihdublin.com your name and your student number so that we can access your record. 

Punctuality 

If you enter your class after 15 minutes, you will be marked absent. This policy is reflective of Department of Justice regulations, as per below; 

“Attendance by students is defined as attending the full designated tuition hours – i.e. arriving more than 15 minutes late, or leaving before the class has concluded, means the student is marked absent for the class /class segments.” (Department of Justice Immigration Service Delivery, Section 2:5) 

Morning Schedule: Entry after 9:15 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 11:30 will be considered absent. 

 Afternoon Schedule: Entry after 14:00 will be considered absent. Entry for the second class after 15:30 will be considered absent. 

Scheduled Holidays: 

On enrolment, International House Dublin will provide you with a timetable clearly identifying the daily and weekly tuition times with dates. 

Before you register with GNIB/ INIS, you must request a GNIB Letter from the school, which will state the dates you will take your vacation, and your programme schedule. The programme schedule, including holiday periods, must be presented by the student to the Immigration Officer for inspection during the student’s registration. 

Holiday periods must be outlined in advance. 

The programme timetable must be set out in such a way that holiday periods cannot at any point exceed 1/3 of the total weeks elapsed 

Holidays may not be scheduled within the first 8 weeks of your course (front loading of holidays will not be permitted). 

Once you register with GNIB/ INIS, it will no longer be possible to change your holiday dates. Your holiday dates will be scheduled in accordance with the dates outlined on the letter you present to the Immigration Officer for inspection during your registration. You will not be permitted to change holiday dates at a later time to justify periods of absence. 

Absenteeism 

We understand that sometimes, students have problems and are unable to attend class. However, if you do not have a good reason for your absence, this may affect your attendance and cause problems with your visa. 

There are certain legitimate reasons for absence, including: 

Illness 

If you are ill, we understand that you can’t come to class. On the first day you are ill, you must email reception at attendance@ihdublin.com. If you do not have access to email, you may text our emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us that you are ill and that you can’t come to school. 

Attendance will not be granted without a valid doctor’s certificate in English outlining the dates you were unable to attend school due to illness. Prescriptions for medication are not considered acceptable medical certificates, and will not be accepted to excuse your absence. If you email a doctor’s certificate in English that states the dates you were unable to attend class to attendance@ihdublin.com your attendance will not be affected. You must email your medical certificate the first week you return to class. 

Medical certificates that were not submitted within 7 days upon return to class, and that are submitted at a later date, will not be accepted. 

Covid 

If you are positive with COVID19, please inform the attendance team by contacting attendance@ihdublin.com. You must inform the attendance team you are positive with COVID on the first day you test positive. You can find current HSE Covid guidelines here: HSE Guidelines 

Please send either of the below positive test results to attendance@ihdublin.com 

  • one picture that includes both your positive antigen test and your ID
  • a positive PCR test result

Attendance will not be given for the duration of your isolation without either of the two results outlined above. Attendance for COVID isolation will not be given if you inform the school of your positive test at a date later than when you first test positive. 

Bereavement 

Close family member 

In the sad event of the death of a close family member, we understand that you will not be able to attend school. Please email reception reception@ihdublin.com or text the emergency phone on 086-8225543 to inform us of your bereavement. 

In the case of an immediate family member’s death (a spouse, parent, child, a person in a relationship of domestic dependency including same sex partners, brother or sister, a person who acted in loco parentis or was a guardian) 5 days’ bereavement leave will be allowed.  

If a student needs to travel to their country of origin in the circumstance of an immediate family member’s death, bereavement leave of up to 10 days’ leave will be allowed. Applications for bereavement leave will not be considered without supporting evidence such as flight tickets and death certificates. 

An application for bereavement leave form must be completed and reviewed by Nicole Hanna (Client Experience Manager) in order for this leave to be approved. 

Extended family member  

In the event of an extended family member’s death (a grandparent, parent-in-law, spouse-in-law) 3 days leave will be allowed. No leave is allowed in any other circumstances. 

Important 

Requests must be made by the student in question and not by a third party 

Requests made to staff members other than student welfare officers will not be considered 

You must contact Nicole Hanna at attendance@ihdublin.com or by texting the emergency phone  (086-8225543) 

Requests made on social media or by any other means will not be considered 

Please note that it is only in these circumstances that your attendance will not be affected. If you do not provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then Nicole Hanna will follow the steps below. 

 Problems with attendance 

If you can’t provide a legitimate reason for your absence, then you will be marked absent for your lesson and your attendance level will be reduced.  

Warnings 

Every Week 

If your attendance is less than 50% in any one week, you will receive an informal warning from Nicole Hanna 

First Warning 

Immediately after week three of your course 

If your attendance is less than 85% immediately following the third week of your course, you will receive an informal warning notifying you of this, so that you may work on improving your attendance and meet the required final minimum attendance of 85%. 

Second Warning  

Immediately after week 6 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after the first 6 weeks of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. 

Third Warning 

Immediately after week 10 of your course 

If you have less than 85% attendance immediately after week 10 of your course, you will receive a written warning to inform you of your current attendance percentage, projected final attendance and to advise you of the requirement to attend 85% of your course. In addition to this GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance percentage. 

At any time 

At any time, if your projected final attendance is less than 85%, GNIB/ INIS will be informed of your attendance issues and the expulsion process will be initiated. 

Expulsion process 

This may be initiated at any point during your course in the situation where your projected final attendance is less than 85%. 

Week 0 – 1  

  • Your projected attendance is calculated to be less than 85% 
  • GNIB/ INIS is informed. 
  • You are informed by email that you are in danger of being expelled. 

 Week 1- 3  

  • You must respond formally, by email to attendance@ihdublin.com within 10 working days of receiving this notification.  
  • In your email, please include the following: 
  • information about any exceptional circumstance which has affected your attendance.  
  • Attach documents such as doctor’s certificate/ reports. 
  • The reasons why you believe you should not be expelled. 
  • If you wish to discuss your case in person, may request a meeting with Nicole Hanna 

Week 4  

The final decision to expel you or not will be at the discretion of the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. This decision will be issued in writing, by email in week 4 of the expulsion process.  

If you are expelled from International House Dublin, you must stop attending classes immediately.  

If you accept the reason for expulsion and agree to leave the school, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study and it will not be possible for you to sit your exit exam. 

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued to you. 

Appeals 

If you do not accept this decision, you may appeal it in writing by emailing the Chairman of IH Dublin, Mr Donagh Barry at donagh@ihdublin.com within 5 working days of receiving notification of expulsion. 

The final decision to expel or not will rest with Mr Barry. 

Successful Appeal 

If your appeal is successful, you may resume your course on the Monday immediately following this decision.  

Unsuccessful Appeal  

As part of the expulsion process, your expulsion is reported to GNIB/ INIS, your agent/ family members and embassy. You will not receive a certificate for your course of study.  

No refund of fees, used or unused, will be issued.  

No further appeals will be considered. 

Holidays and breaks 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks of study, you will be entitled to ten weeks of holidays. 

These holiday periods must be decided in advance of registering with the GNIB/ INIS and agreed with your school. 

Procedure for scheduling breaks 

In the first week of your course, you will attend an induction for long term students which outlines your visa requirements. 

The induction tutor will advise you about the best exam for you to take and the dates on which this can be taken 

Together with the induction tutor,  you will select an exam and exam administration 

You should than register your requested holiday dates by completing our online google form. 

The student welfare officers will prepare your letter, outlining clearly your course, exam and holiday schedule. 

You may collect your letter the following day, and use this to register with GNIB / INIS 

Please note that it is not possible change holiday periods outlined on your visa letter. 

Unscheduled breaks 

Please see absenteeism policies for details of unscheduled breaks. Leave due to illness of the student or illness or death of a family member are the only unscheduled breaks that will not affect attendance on the 25 week course provided the steps under the absenteeism policy are followed. 

Complaints Procedure 

We want to help you if you are not happy with any aspect of your experience at International House Dublin. If you have a complaint, please come to reception at your break time 11.00 – 11.30 or 15.15 – 15.30 to make an appointment to speak to the appropriate manager. 

Your Language Course 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Language Course: 

  • You feel that you are in the wrong level 
  • You have not had the opportunity to discuss your interests or language/ skills needs 
  • You have not been active enough in your lesson. 
  • Your lesson appears unplanned  
  • You have a personal clash with your teacher or with another student in the class. 

If you are unhappy with some aspect of your course, we ask that you first of all speak to your teacher as their insight and understanding of your context may be invaluable.   

We advise learners who feel that they are in the wrong level to wait 2- 3 days before deciding.  

After 2-3 days, if you still feel that your class is at the wrong level, please report to reception who will arrange for you to speak to a manager in the Education Department.  The education manager will re-evaluate your class placement and will arrange to meet you to discuss your options.  

Education Department 

Head of Education  

Carmel Hickey: carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773911 

Director of Studies 

Lisa Bell: lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 8773920 

Your accommodation 

If you are unhappy with any aspect of your accommodation which has been provided to you by the school, you can speak to our Accommodation Officer, Amanda Micossi 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Accommodation: 

Host families 

  • Your house is consistently unclean 
  • Your host family do not speak to you  
  • Your host family do not include you in family activities 
  • The food you receive is substandard 

Apartments 

  • The facilities are broken/unclean 
  • Your room is unclean 
  • Your bed linen is unclean 

Accommodation Department 

Amanda Micossi: homestay@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 877 3929 

Social Programme 

Examples of Legitimate complaints relating to your Social Programme:  

  • You do not receive information about the social programme on weekly basis 
  • The tours are consistently badly organised 
  • Your input in the programme is not considered and not asked for. 

Social Programme Co-ordinator 

Alex Keogh: socialprogramme@ihdublin.com 

 Procedure for complaints 

Please go to reception to report your complaint. Our reception staff will inform the appropriate manager who will then contact you to discuss the issue further. 

The manager will address this issue as soon as possible and will contact you to arrange a meeting to discuss the problem and possible solutions. 

It is the policy of International House Dublin that complaints are responded to within two working days. 

Grievance procedure 

As part of our commitment to the fairness, dignity and respect to all staff and students of International House Dublin, IH Dublin will not tolerate any form of bullying or harassment. The aim of this policy is to identify what bullying and harassment is and what action IH Dublin will take if they need to deal with an offence of this nature. 

Bullying 

This has been defined as repeated inappropriate behaviour. This can be direct or indirect, and verbal or physical. The behaviour can be conducted by one or more people against one person, or more than one person, and can be considered as having a negative impact on their right to dignity at work or in their course of study. Note that the behaviour must be repeated to be considered as bullying: one isolated incident may have a negative impact on the dignity of the individual but is not considered bullying. 

Harassment 

This is any form of unwanted conduct related to any of the following grounds: 

  • Gender 
  • Marital status 
  • Family status 
  • Sexual orientation 
  • Religion 
  • Age 
  • Disability 
  • Race  
  • Membership of the travelling community 
  • Sexual Harassment 

This is unwanted conduct of a sexual nature or conduct based on sex which affects the dignity of people at work or in their course of study. It includes unwelcome, non-verbal, verbal or physical conduct based on the gender of a recipient which is offensive to the recipient or which cause the recipient discomfort, humiliation or interferes with their job or studies. 

Victimisation 

This occurs when a person is treated less favourably than another because he/ she has made a complaint to IH Dublin in relation to harassment or bullying behaviour. 

This policy is applicable to all IH Dublin staff and students. This policy is also applicable to business contacts, contractors, suppliers or other business contacts of IH Dublin. 

As part of IH Dublin’s Code of Conduct, it is imperative that all staff, students and suppliers respect the dignity of all members of IH Dublin.  Please remember to consider equality grounds such as a person’s gender, marital status, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, membership of the travelling community and disability.  

Bullying or harassment may take the following forms: 

Non-verbal abuse 

Inappropriate looks or gestures, displaying emblems on clothing, exclusion, whistling, isolation at lunch breaks or social events are all considered as non-verbal abuse. 

Physical abuse 

Hitting, bodily contact that is abusive in nature, shaking fists in an angry way, damaging a member of staff or students’ possessions. 

This list is not complete and just serves as a guideline to staff and students. Each case will be taken in isolation and dealt with in an appropriate way. 

Informal procedure 

IH Dublin is aware of and recognises the effects that bullying and harassment can have on its staff and students. However, IH Dublin is of the view that an informal approach to solving matters can often be effective. In the first instance, an attempt should be made to address an allegation of bullying on an informal basis, set out through the informal procedure described below. 

If a student believes that he/she is being bullied, he/she should explain clearly to the alleged harasser or bully that he/ she finds their behaviour unacceptable. 

If the student feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the student welfare officer, Ms Nicole Hanna. (reception@ihdublin.com)  If it is inappropriate for the  Student  Welfare Officer to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Head of Education, Ms Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) 

If the staff member feels that this may be too difficult, s/he may then seek the advice or assistance of the Head of Education, Carmel Hickey (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com) If it is inappropriate for the  Head of Education to be involved, the issue should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan. 

The student or staff member may also discuss this issue with a contact person. The contact person may be a classmate or colleague or other person representing the students or staff. The student or staff member may request the assistance of the contact person in discussing the issue with the alleged harasser or bully. Any discussion with the alleged harasser or bully must be confidential, non-confrontational and see to resolve the matter in an informal, calm manner. 

If the student or staff member decides that it would not be appropriate to approach the alleged harasser or bully either personally or through a contact person, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

If the student or staff member has attempted to discuss the matter with the alleged bully or harasser and is not happy with the results, they should then proceed to the formal procedure. 

 Formal Procedure 

In the situation where the informal complaint has failed and the harassment is repeated, the student or staff member should proceed to the formal procedure. International House Dublin takes this situation very seriously and confirms the following in this regard: 

Where possible, all complaints will be investigated and appropriate action taken within 5 working days of the complaint being made 

The situation will be treated with the greatest confidentiality 

The situation will be investigated discreetly and sensitively by a competent person. 

The investigator will examine the situation carefully and objectively with a view to deciding the best course of action. 

Procedure 

An initial complaint should be made in writing to the Student Welfare Officer(reception@ihdublin.com) or Head of Education (carmel.hickey@ihdublin.com)  or if it is inappropriate for the these people to be involved the matter should be raised with the Director of International House Dublin Mr Padraig Hourigan (padraig@ihdublin.com) 

Precise details of the alleged incidents of bullying or harassment and the names of any witnesses there may have been to those incidents should be included in the written complaint 

The alleged harasser or bully will be notified in writing that an allegation of bullying and/or harassment has been made against him/her and he/she will be given a copy of the complainant’s written statement 

The alleged harasser or bully will also be told that he/she will be given a fair opportunity to respond to each and every allegation made against him/her 

All complaints will be treated in the strictest confidence possible to comply with the requirements of a fair investigation 

Only individuals necessary to the investigation will be involved from the initial stages 

A designated member of management or, if appropriate, a third party will be assigned to carry out an initial investigation into the complaint 

If the complaint relates to harassment on grounds of age, race, religion, family status, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or membership of the traveller community or relates to sexual harassment, a team of at least two people will be appointed to investigate the complaint where possible 

Where possible, the investigator or investigation team will try to agree terms of reference and a time frame with the complainant and alleged harasser or bully in advance of the investigation 

 

Interviews will be held with both the complainant and any witnesses to establish a thorough understanding of the facts of the alleged complaint, and a record of the meetings will be held 

The complainant and the alleged harasser or bully may be accompanied to investigative meetings by any of the contact persons referred to above 

All material received will be treated with the highest level of sensitivity 

Where necessary, parties to the procedure may, in some cases, be sent home with pay to enable parties to investigate the complaint 

It may be necessary to interview other persons. If so, the importance of confidentiality will be stressed to them.  Any statements from witnesses will be circulated to both the person making the complaint and the alleged harasser or bully for their comments before any conclusion is reached in the investigation 

When the investigation has been completed, the investigator or investigation team will present a written report to management 

Both the complainant and the alleged harasser or bully will be informed in writing of the findings of the investigation and will be given the opportunity to comment on the findings before any action is decided upon by IH Dublin 

If IH Dublin decides that the complaint is well founded, management will meet with the alleged harasser or bully to establish what action is to be taken 

Action can and may include counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action  

Any disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with IH Dublin’s Disciplinary Procedure 

Where a complaint is upheld against a non-staff, the investigation report may recommend appropriate sanctions against the non-staff or his/her colleague which could extend where appropriate in the circumstances to exclusion of that individual from IH Dublin’s premises, suspension or termination of service, suspension or termination of a supply service or other contract 

In cases where it is discovered that the complainant made a false accusation of bullying and/or harassment, IH Dublin may undertake counselling, monitoring, mediation and/or disciplinary action including dismissal (see malicious complaints below) 

Any party to the investigation who is unhappy with the outcome of the investigation is entitled to appeal 

Any appeal should be made in writing and directed to the Director of International House Dublin, Mr Padraig Hourigan, within 10 working days of the conclusion of the investigation  

The Board of Directors may nominate a third party to work with them on the appeal and will aim to notify the appellant of IH Dublin’s decision within a further 10 working days 

Malicious complaints 

Malicious complaints (complaints which have no basis and are intended to impugn the integrity of another staff member) are considered a very serious matter and will be treated under the disciplinary procedure and may lead to dismissal.  A complaint that is not upheld by the formal investigation is not necessarily considered to be malicious without fear of ridicule or reprisal. 

End of Programme Exam entry 

Exam courses at International House Dublin 

Cambridge Main Suite (PET, FCE, CAE and CPE) 

IH Dublin is an official exam centre for these Cambridge exams. 

IELTS 

Can be taken with two local providers: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/ireland 

Trinity ISE 

Can be taken at IH Dublin 

https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/english-language/ISE 

TIE (Test of Interactive English) 

Can be taken locally: https://ielt.ie/ 

Key Staff 

Exam Co-ordinator Mr Murra Mac Rory 

Email: exams@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 01 87739130 

Director of Studies Lisa Bell 

Email lisa.bell@ihdublin.com 

Phone: 018773920  

Induction information 

In the first week of your course, you will take part in an induction which introduces you to the school, to Dublin and which advises you on the requirements of their visa. This induction is held by our exams co-ordinator Mr Murra MacRory or an appropriately qualified and experienced teacher. 

You, the student, along with Murra MacRory on behalf of IH Dublin, complete an online form an agreeing to the following: 

  • That you understand that the exam is obligatory 
  • That you will sit the exam 
  • That IH Dublin will prepare you for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will help you register for this exam 
  • That IH Dublin will store your results securely 
  • That your results may be accessible to IH Dublin staff members and to Irish Immigration Authorities. 

Registering for your exam 

Following your induction, having selected your exit exam, you will be registered for your exam soon after your course begins.  You will receive an email from our exams department confirming your exit exam and date. Your detailed exam timetable and information on exam day procedures will be available two weeks before your exam. 

If you decide to change your choice of exit exam during your course, please note that there is a €30 admin fee charged. This is payable at reception. 

Cambridge English Exams security:  

Exam papers are prepared, printed, and despatched under secure conditions. 

All Cambridge English authorised exam centres follow a detailed code of practice which ensures the highest standards of security throughout the testing process, from registration to the recording of results. 

All Cambridge English exam centres are subject to regular unannounced inspections to ensure adherence to the code of practice and maintenance of security. 

Speaking examiners undergo regular assessment and observation. 

Photographs of candidates for B2 first, C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency are taken on the day of the exam using Identica software and these can be viewed through the online Results Verification Service*. (Photographs are not required for B1 Preliminary examinations) 

All papers are marked in Cambridge to further ensure security and quality. Sophisticated analysis techniques are used to guard against malpractice. 

Certificates are printed on security-enhanced paper and include other concealed features to prevent forgery and malpractice.  

Organisations such as universities and immigration authorities are specifying requirements for recognition which include verification measures additional to the security procedures that are already in place for Cambridge ESOL exams. In response Cambridge developed the Results Verification website and Test Day photos. 

This website enables organisations that need to, to authenticate Cambridge ESOL examination results. In addition to showing details of the session, the candidate’s name and the result, this site will also display a test day photo of the candidate. The candidate gives permission for the result to be verified by providing access details to the verifier. These details are included on the Confirmation of Entry.  

The Results Verification website can be used for verifying the results of candidates for the following exams: KET, PET, FCE, CAE, CPE (including the ‘for schools’ versions) 

Exam results 

Cambridge Main Suite Exams 

On your confirmation of entry form, you will receive a code which will allow you to access your results online. Your results will also be sent directly to our exams department.  Your exam results will be stored electronically by IH Dublin.  6 – 8 weeks following your exam results being issued, your certificate will be posted to IH Dublin. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

TIE Exam 

Students’ results will be emailed by TIE to the Exams Co-ordinator (exams@ihdublin.com).  Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

IELTS exams 

Your results will be available online two weeks after the exam. Your certificate will be issued approximately 4 weeks after your exam. You will be notified when your certificate arrives and may come to the school to collect your certificate at a pre-arranged time. If you are not available to come to the school. you may nominate a friend/ family member to do so on your behalf. 

Protection for Enrolled Learners 

In the highly unlikely event that International House Dublin ceases trading during your course here, you have a guarantee that you will be able to complete your course at another school in Dublin. 

How? 

International House Dublin is a member of MEI or Marketing English in Ireland.  

All Marketing English in Ireland member schools MUST adopt Learner Protection. 

This is a condition of being a member of MEI. 

Learner protection guarantees that you will be able to complete all language courses for which you have enrolled. 

Who is Marketing English in Ireland? 

Marketing English in Ireland (MEI) is the leading and longest-serving association of English Language Schools in Ireland. 

With origins dating back to the 1960s, quality and assurance have always been central to our mission. We represent English Language schools of all sizes, locations and varieties across the island of Ireland. 

MEI partners with many ELT groups and organisations around the world. They include agents, students, governments, global organisations, international education providers and associated service providers. We also work closely with special interest groups to support and promote excellence in English language teaching in Ireland. 

MEI schools also adopt Learner Protection and in this way guarantee students that they will be able to complete all language courses they have enrolled for.  This process ensures that the facilities and the programmes on offer are of a superior quality as they are provided by ACELS recognised schools only. 

MEI contact details 

Ground Floor, Unit 4, Manor Street Business Park, Dublin 7, Ireland 

Phone 

Phone: +353 1 6180910 / 11 

Email: info@ mei.ie 

Emergency Procedures 

We hope that you will have an enjoyable and problem-free experience in Ireland and in International House Dublin.  

We understand, however, that sometimes student have problems and need help. 

We hope that you understand that if you have a serious problem during your course at International House Dublin, we are here to help you. 

Office hours 

Our office is open from 08:30 – 17.00 every day. During office hours, you can call our main reception on 01 877 3900 and they will transfer to the department that can help you best. 

Problems with Accommodation:   Homestay officer – Amanda Micossi 

Problems with your language course: Head of Education – Carmel Hickey 

Director of Studies – Lisa Bell 

Problems with Exams: Exams Co-ordinator – Murra Mac Rory 

General Problems: Student Welfare officer – Nicole Hanna  

Outside of office hours and at the weekend 

We understand that sometimes people have serious problems outside of school opening hours. 

If you have a serious problem during the evening, or at weekends, we are here to help you. 

You can contact our emergency phone number: 00 353 868225543. 

An experienced member of the International House Dublin team has this phone 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.  

They will answer your call and assist you with your problem. 

Health Insurance 

International House Dublin emails students details of health insurance that is available to them to purchase as part of their trip to Ireland. The health insurance policy is not provided by International House Dublin, but we provide information to students as part of the enrolment process on a third party insurer and the policies they offer to students. 

Admissions criteria for courses 

International House Dublin offers courses from A1 to C2 levels and as such welcomes students for all of these levels for General English courses. 

As a student on a course of 25 weeks, however, you will be required to sit an examination. 

Each examination requires an entry level of language proficiency: 

TRINITY: A1 

PET: A2 

FCE: B1 

CAE: B2 

CPE: C1 + 

IELTS (Academic) B1 

At minimum of 2 weeks prior to your arrival, you must complete an online placement test. The result in this test will help us decide which exam is best for you: 

Placement test result/ Admission criteria  Exam 
 0 – 30%/A1   TRINITY ISE 
 20 – 40%/ A2   B1 Preliminary 
 40- 55%/ B1   B2 First 
 55- 70%/ B2   C1 Advanced 
 70 -100%/ C1+   C2 Proficiency 
 40%/ B1+   IELTS Academic 

 

 

 

 

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