Student Handbook |

Here is an online version of your Student Handbook which you should have also received by email.

Who do I contact?

The Academic and teaching team is led by the Director of Studies, Vincent O’Connor ([email protected]). If you have a question about your course or your academic progress, you can speak to your class teacher or make an appointment to speak to Vincent. You can arrange an appointment, just ask at reception.

Reception staff ([email protected]) will be able to help you with any non-academic questions you might have, for example, about extending your course, visiting local places of interest, directions to the bank, post office or tourist office or if you need to open a bank account or apply for a GNIB card.

Accommodation Coordinator ([email protected]). Heidi Etsell can help you with any questions about accommodation. Heidi manages or host family and apartment bookings so if you would like to extend or book a host family feel free to contact her.

Social Activity Coordinator ([email protected]). Chusa can help you with any questions about activities.

Marketing Manager ([email protected]) Anita Locke can be contacted with regards new bookings or language travel agency enquiries. You can ask to speak to Anita if you have a question about the course package that you bought or email [email protected].

School Managing Director Catherine O’Connor ([email protected]) can be contacted in the case you need further follow up.

24 Hour School Emergency Phone: +353 (0) 86 790086

Welcome, Orientation, About Cork, Health & Safety

Welcome to Cork English Academy. We are pleased that you have chosen to study with us. We would like to ensure that we provide you with all the support you need both in getting started and ongoing during your time with us.

Our Aim and Vision

Our aim is to provide the highest quality standards and ensure that students’ time at CEA is as enjoyable and productive as possible. We endeavour to help our students to succeed in their language learning by exceeding their expectations and delving value in everything that we do.

At Cork English Academy we offer our students the best English language training combined with an exciting social programme, beautiful facilities, excellent accommodation options and a caring support network in Cork city.

Ireland

Mix green landscapes and coastal drives with cosy pubs and lively cultural festivals and you have just some of the ingredients that have made learning English in Ireland an unforgettable experience.

Ireland is an island which is both old and new. Steeped in centuries of history and cultural traditions.

While much has changed over the past twenty years as the island has rapidly modernised, the genuine welcome and hospitality of the Irish is still a deep-seated tradition.

Cork City & School Location

Cork is Ireland’s second biggest city to Dublin and has been dubbed “the real capital” of Ireland.

Many of our students say they decided upon Cork city as a study destination because they wanted to live somewhere different and break away from the norm of studying in the bigger cities. The city has a population of 190,000 people and offers a unique, charming and friendly welcome to all who walk its streets and visit its many attractions.

Cork is a small and compact city. Cork English Academy is located in the city centre, just 2 minutes’ walk from Patrick’s Street the main shopping street in the immediate city centre. The city’s streets are lined with cosy cafés, bars, shops, restaurants and street performers. After class students can stroll through the bustling streets of the city and soak up the ambiance.

The Building and Facilities

Cork English Academy is located at Drinan Street, Cork City T12KP40. Facilities include:

Modern, comfortable classrooms
Self-access and internet centre with free computer/internet access
Student lounge/common area with vending machine, coffee and snacks available
Self- Study Area
Wireless internet available free throughout the building
Username: CEA_Student Password: Engl1sh!
An extensive range of textbooks, text materials and current authentic texts for in class use
School Library: Oxford University Press graded readers and many other books available to borrow for self-study at home

Evacuation Procedure, Fire Exits, Meeting Point, Fire Drill

Fire exits are clearly identified on all floors of the school. Exit routes are identified on the back of each room door. If you hear the fire alarm, please leave all of your belongings and all materials in the classroom and leave the building in a quiet and orderly fashion through the nearest exit to the meeting point, which is on Drinan Street.

At the meeting point your teacher will take a roll call to ensure that all students who were in class that day are at the meeting point, so it is important that you stay with your class. Wait at the meeting point where you will receive further instructions from your teacher.

Fire drills take place regularly at the school. When you hear the fire alarm, please follow the instruction, above. When instructed to do so, please return to your classroom and continue your lesson.

First Aid Box and First Aid Officer

If you are sick or injured at school, find the Safety Office, the First Aid Person, the Director of Studies or Managing Director and they will be able to assist you. The First Aid box is located at Reception. Your teacher or the administration staff will complete an accident / incident report for all accidents or incidents which occur on the school premise

Doctors in Cork

If you need to see a Doctor you can visit one of the following walk-in clinics:

Union Quay Medical Centre -1a Union Quay, Union Quay, Cork City, Phone to book 021 – 431 0311
Glasheen Medical Centre – 1 Tara Court, Cork, T12 H9HX, Walk in sessions: 8 to 8.15am, 5 to 5.15pm
Doctor 365 – 25 Earlwood Estate, The Lough, Co. Cork, T12 Y9AK

Leap Card – Bus Card

If you are staying outside of Cork City centre you might need to take the bus to school. For students who will need a bus ticket for 3 weeks or more we recommend getting a Leap Card. There are 3 Options:

Young Adult Discounted Leap Card: Anyone aged 25 and younger can get a discount bus card (and the card will be posted to their address in Cork). Apply online at https://student.leapcard.ie/New-Card#dobCheck
If you are 26 or older and registered on a course of at least 6 months you can apply for a Student Discount Leap Card.
- Step 1: Complete the online application : https://student.leapcard.ie/New-Card#dobCheck
- You will need the collect the Student Discount Leap Card from: Student Leap Card office: UCC SU Office reception, beside the Common Room in UCC (54 College Road, Cork City)
- Open: Mon-Fri 10-1 and 2-4
- No appointment necessary
- Bring your Cork English Academy student card, school letter and a photo ID (passport).
The Adult Leap Card is available to all adults at most Centra shops and the bus station at a cost of €5.00. The card can be topped up with credit like a mobile phone. When you are finished with the card you can return it and get a refund. This is useful if you are over 24 years old and staying in Ireland for 1 to 5 months.

Courses

General English GE15: The entry level is CEFRL A1, and the exit level is CEFRL C2.
IELTS (Academic) Preparation: 6-week courses. Minimum level required A2+

Course Content

Our syllabus is task-based, with students carrying out tasks in class to provide them with the necessary skills to manage using the English language in real-life situations.

We also aim to make the syllabus student-centered, placing the emphasis on student training, enabling them to become more independent and provide them with practical skills to apply to their ongoing language learning when they finish their course.

However, we also have stated objectives and targeted learning outcomes which are achievable and measurable. The syllabus takes into consideration:

Skills versus grammar/vocabulary – taking into consideration the abilities and needs of the group
New language versus practice opportunities- ensuring a balance of input and revision
Outcomes – the stated outcomes of the syllabus and what the learners need to be able to do by the end of the module.

Where can I access the weekly syllabus and the outcomes?

Each week the checklist of achievable outcomes will be posted on the wall of your classroom to be discussed with your teacher. Each time you are working on one of the weekly outcomes your teacher will identify it to you on the checklist. When you have completed an outcome and are able to achieve it, your teacher will tick it off of the checklist

Materials

All parts of the syllabus a mapped to specific materials both course books and other materials (in- house developed materials, worksheets from relevant websites OUP, One Stop English, The Guardian Weekly etc) to ensure that both newly qualified and experienced trainers will be able to deliver the syllabus and thus ensure the quality of our course is standardized.

Our General English courses are designed to be delivered in one-week modules covering a range of areas including speaking, listening and reading skills and sub-skills, pronunciation and intonation work, cultural activities as well as some writing practice, vocabulary input and a limited amount of grammar input.

As most of our students come to us with some pre-existing knowledge of grammar as taught in the traditional language class, and as their focus in coming to Ireland is to improve their overall communication, grammar input is limited to a select number of items which are linked to the tasks being practiced.

There is an opportunity for remedial work/further study in grammar or any of the skills for any student who wishes to avail of it. Teachers advise students on how to access additional and/or remedial work and there are also self-study materials such as graded readers available as well as access to online material and useful websites.

Progress Checks, Reporting

Weekly Progress Test

Testing occurs weekly every Friday and tests that you have achieved the outcomes for that week. The test usually lasts approximately 30 to 40 minutes and is corrected together in class. Test scores are recorded on the weekly class register.

Student Review and Feedback

During the class on Friday your teacher will have a brief chat with you to review your progress for that week and address any issues or concerns that you might have at that stage. The results of their progress test along with any observations of comments from the chat with you will be recorded by the teacher and returned to Director of Studies.

Level Progression

Level progression happens when a student has adequately met the criteria for successfully completing a course of study at a given level. The learning outcomes to be achieved by the student are clearly stated in the syllabus and are linked to the Common European Framework Reference for Languages.

The class teacher(s) will discuss individual student’s progress with the Director of Studies and this feedback in conjunction with the results of weekly progress tests will determine when the student progresses to the next level.

If you are not satisfied with your current level, you should speak to your class teacher(s) first and then if necessary, make an appointment to see the Director of Studies (the student can arrange the appointment at reception).

Timetable, Attendance, Complaints

All courses are Monday to Friday.

Morning Course:

Morning 15 hour per week 09.00 – 11.00 Class 1
11.00 – 11.15 Coffee Break
11.15 – 12.15 Class 2

Afternoon Course:

Afternoon 15 hour per week: 13.15 – 15.15 Class 1
15.15 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 16.30 Class 2

We also offer students free language workshops as part of the social programme, including pronunciation and grammar workshops, conversation classes, book club, jobs club and learning strategies workshop. Details of the schedule and content for these classes will be posted weekly on the student notice board.

Punctuality and Attendance

It is important that students attend all of their scheduled classes. If you cannot attend due to illness please contact us to let us know on [email protected] or ringing the school phone on +353 21 427 6012.

Holidays and Breaks

Holidays can be taken by students studying for longer than 12 weeks by prior arrangement with the

Academy. Two weeks’ notice is required.

School Closure Dates:

As well as weekends the school will be closed on the following public holiday dates:

Public Holidays 2024:

5th February, March 18, 01 April, 06 May, 03 June, 05 August, 28 October.

Christmas period closure dates: 21 December 2024 to 05 January 2025.

Public Holidays 2025:

3rd February, March 17, 21 April, 05 May, 02 June, 04 August, 27 October.

Christmas period closure dates: 22 December 2025 to 04 January 2026.

Student Complaints

Cork English Academy is committed to delivering an excellent service to all of its stakeholders. In order to ensure continued quality Court English Academy strives to recognize the value of both positive and negative customer feedback.

If our services are deemed unsatisfactory the following complaints procedure is to be followed:

Step 1: Firstly, informally address the issue with the relevant individual and attempt to resolve the situation. Should this prove unsuccessful, progress to next step.

Step 2: Complainant request and fills out a complaint form, ensuring to provide full details of the nature of the complete. Complaint forms are available from reception and should be returned to reception. The complaint’s form is then passed to the Managing Director along with any relevant documents, who takes the written complaint to the directors of the organization. The complaint it then reviewed by the directors and a response is made in writing within seven working days.

Where appropriate, the board will provide a full explanation of any relevant errors and details of any remedial action taken.

Step 3: After Step 2 has been completed, Cork English Academy will consider the matter resolved. If the complainant remains dissatisfied Cork English Academy will advise the complainant to bring the matter to the attention of the Department of Education. Contact details for relevant administration staff in the department will be provided.

Work & Study – Stamp 2/ Visa Applicant Policies

Suitable for students from outside if the EU who need to formalize their stay in Cork for Immigration purposes.

ILEP Programme Admission Requirements

Students should be from a non-EU country, age 18 + with at least a basic knowledge of English (A1 level). Students are required to state examination registration choice at time of booking. Students are required to have private health insurance for the duration of the programme.

End-of-programme Exam

On completion of the 25-week tuition programme, students will be registered for their chosen end of programme external exam by Cork English Academy. The details of the time and date of the exam will be sent to each student by email one month in advance of the exam date. It is the responsibility of the student to present themselves for the exam on the appointed date and time. The results of the exam must be forwarded to Cork English Academy by the student no more than two weeks after they are issued to the student.

Health Insurance

Arachas / Study and Protect Insurance provides financial protection and medical assistance during your Academic Course. Full terms and conditions can be found in the Policy document. Students who purchase medical insurance through Cork English Academy are provided with document evidence of payment and cover from the insurance company.

Learner Protection / PEL

Learner Protection insurance is provided by Arachas and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC. Aviva Insurance Ireland DAC trading as Aviva, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

Punctuality and Attendance Policy

It is important that students attend all of their scheduled classes. For students who are attending Cork English Academy on a course of 25 weeks listed on the ILEP, an attendance rate of 85% is required.

A register is taken before and after the break each day and attendance is calculated on the basis of both registers. Attendance by students is defined as attending the full designated tuition hours – i.e. arriving more than 10 minutes late, or leaving before the class has concluded, means the student is marked absent for the class / class segments.

You will be marked as absent in all cases other than having a doctor’s sick certificate. This means you will be marked absent (without a doctor’s certificate), where you miss class due to bank or immigration appointments. Even though these procedures are part of your relocation process the school is required by Immigration to mark you as absent when you are not in class.

Absenteeism and Expulsion Policy

If a student misses more than one class a week, they must report to the Director of Studies to explain their absence before they are allowed to re-enter their class. Students who are absent for five consecutive days without prior arrangement or without having provided a medical certificate to explain their absence will be contacted by email to arrange to meet with the Director of Studies to discuss why they have not attended their course. The student will be reminded of their obligations under the terms of their visa to attend a minimum of 85% of their course.

The student will receive a verbal warning from the Director of Studies when projected attendance reaches 95%. The student will be reminded of their obligations under the terms of their visa to attend a minimum of 85% of their course.

A First Letter of Warning is issued by email when the student’s projected attendance percentage reaches 92%. The student will be asked to attend a meeting with the Director of Studies to discuss the consequences for their status of non-attendance, including being reported to GNIB and to again explain their obligations under the terms of their visa to attend at least 85% of their course.

A Second Letter of Warning will be issued by email when the student’s projected attendance reaches 88%. The student will be asked to attend a meeting with the School Director to where they will be advised that they are at serious risk of being reported to GNIB and that they need to attend the remainder of their course in full.

Once the student has reached the point in their course where it is impossible for them to attain 85% attendance, they will receive an expulsion letter from Cork English Academy informing them that they are being immediately removed from the school register and that the GNIB are being notified.

The GNIB will then be notified. Cork English Academy will log all calls and emails/letters to the student along with their attendance record should they wish to appeal the decision to expel them from the school.

Sick Leave

All sick leave of more than two days must be accompanied by a Doctor’s certificate.

On the 1st day of illness where a student cannot attend school, the student is required to notify the school of illness before scheduled class time or as soon as possible. Students can do this by emailing [email protected] or ringing the school phone on +353 21 427 6012. Students are required to report the general nature of the illness and expected return to school date.

On the 3rd day of illness where a student cannot attend school the student must forward a Doctor’s Certificate to the school.

Holidays and Breaks

Students studying on courses of 25 weeks or longer on courses on the ILEP may, by prior agreement with the school, take holidays of up to a maximum of 2 weeks (10 working days plus two weekends) during their course. The following terms and procedures apply:

Holidays should be prearranged at the time of booking.

All holidays must be taken over the duration of a full week, that is, starting on a Monday and finishing on a Friday.

Implementation and Monitoring of Student Holidays:

Step 1: The student requests a Holiday Request Form from reception. The student then completes and returns the Holiday Request Form to reception who pass it to the Director of Studies

Step 2: The Director of Studies reviews the request and arranges an appointment with the student to discuss the procedure to be followed when taking holidays and returning to class after holidays. The student is advised that, on returning from holiday, they will be required to retake the School Online Placement Test and have an oral assessment to confirm their re-start level. An appointment time is set for the re-test to take place, on the first morning after the holiday, before class begins.

Step 3: The Director of Studies informs the relevant Class Teachers of the holiday break and records the details on the student’s file and in the school management system.

Step 4: Students are not permitted to take holidays of longer than two weeks and are advised of this when booking a course. Students who are absent without prior agreement with the school (including taking longer holidays than the agreed 10 working days allowed) will be marked absent and the procedures described in the Attendance Policy will apply.

Step 5: On their return from holiday the student must arrive at the school at the agreed appointment time to sit the re-test and take the oral assessment. The Director of Studies will then determine which group the student will join to recommence their course.

Relocation Information for Stamp 2/Visa Applicants

Where can I learn about life in Cork?