English - High School Programmes

Start Date: September
Please see Course Web Page for more detailed information.

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ACET has been offering excellent quality High School Programmes in a variety of schools for more than 40 years.

The Secondary School Programme is designed for students aged 13 – 17, who wish to integrate into an Irish Secondary School.

All schools participating in the programme are registered as Secondary Schools with the Irish Department of Education and Skills. The selected schools are in Cork and surrounding towns, and meet the highest standards in Education. It is possible to validate the school year spent in Ireland.

We appreciate the difficulties which may arise on arrival, so we have developed a system of counselling and assistance to help students settle in their new environment. Throughout the programme, we closely liaise with the school and the homestay and we are always available to deal with worries and problems the student may have.

Irish School System
The school year starts in early September and ends at the beginning of June with a 3 week break at Christmas and a 2 week break during the Easter period. The Irish School System is divided in two cycles:
Junior Cycle: Year 1/2/3 prepares students for the Junior Certificate (Age Group 13 – 14). Students take a minimum of 7 subjects from an approved list. Subject choice usually includes English, Mathematics, History, Geography, French and German.

Senior Cycle: Year 4/5/6 (Age Group 15 – 18)
Year 4 is a transition year combining academic and vocational work with work experience.
Year 5/6 prepare students for the Leaving Certificate which is an exit examination and also a matriculation for universities in Ireland. Students usually take 7 subjects (6 is the minimum number). Schools offer a varied range of subjects. Students are given a list of subjects to choose from, once a suitable school has been selected. Students can study subjects at two levels – Higher or Lower – according to their abilities. School reports are issued twice a year, in December and in June.

Accommodation
Students are placed in homestays, which have been selected on the basis of a warm and friendly atmosphere, good food and comfortable surroundings. They are caring and aware of the needs and requirements of teenagers.

Within a short time, students feel at home with the same privileges and obligations as a member of the family (even if it includes doing the occasional household chore).

The modern day family comes in a variety of forms, so we do not make any guarantees on the structure of the family that is chosen. We do however guarantee that the family provides students with the support that they need.

Accommodation is full-board (packed lunch on school days). Homestay arrival & departure transfers are also organised.

Programme includes:
• School selection and placement
• Homestay accommodation (does not include Christmas and Easter holidays)/Boarding school fees
• 24 hour assistance from ACET / Full guardianship
• Homestay arrival and departure transfers from/to Cork Airport
• 20 hour standard course during mid-term break (if student chooses to stay)

State schools in Ireland can welcome overseas students from the EU and EEA.
Private schools can welcome students from all over the world, including non-EU and non-EEA member countries.

ACET’s partner state schools are co-educational (boys and girls), while our partner private schools are single sex.

Junior Certificate (Age Group 13 – 14). Students take a minimum of 7 subjects from an approved list. Subject choice usually includes English, Mathematics, History, Geography, French and German.

Senior Cycle: Year 4/5/6 (Age Group 15 – 18)
Students usually take 7 subjects (6 is the minimum number). Schools offer a varied range of subjects. Students are given a list of subjects to choose from, once a suitable school has been selected. Students can study subjects at two levels – Higher or Lower – according to their abilities. School reports are issued twice a year, in December and in June.

Tel: +353 21 4551661
Email: info@acetireland.ie