Work Study Visa Programme

Firstly, we would like to thank you for choosing DELS for your English Language Experience.  Please find below further information on your stay.

What to bring

As much as we love our green country the weather can be unpredictable so we recommend the following items: 

• Water Bottle – It is possible to drink the water from the taps in Ireland
• Waterproof jacket
• Three pin adaptor (for charging phone laptop etc)
• Lock for your suitcase
• Photocopy of passport to be kept separate to your passport (in case of loss)
• One towel.  A towel is provided but it is recommended to take an extra towel
• Warm clothes i.e. jumpers, jackets

For Class & School

• A copybook and pens
• A device – some classes are digital so please bring a phone/laptop

Classes typically start @ 9.15 am.  We will notify you on time of arrival

General Information

Contact

School Address: Donegal English Language School, West End, Bundoran, Co Donegal

Residential Address: Zephyr Lodge / Casa Del Mar, West End, Bundoran, Co Donegal

Contact Number: 00353 719 84 12 88 / 00353 876 00 82 05

Arrival is anytime after 4 pm.

Laundry 

Laundry facilities are available in the residential centre.  Please arrange a day once a week with your host family for laundry.

WIFI

WIFI is available at the language school, residential centre and is also available in most host families.

Bank Holidays

On Bank holiday Mondays (17 March, 13 April, 4 May, 1 June & 26 October 2020), there will be no English classes, students are offered an excursion/activity in place).  On August 03rd, the school is open as normal.

Residential Accommodation

Our residential accommodation centres are Zephyr Lodge and Casa Del Mar accommodation. They are situated less than one minutes’ walk from the Atlantic coast, 5 minutes from the language school and 5 minutes’ walk from the town centre.  Both houses have private and shared rooms, as well as self-catering facilities.

Continental breakfast seven mornings per week and lunch Monday to Friday is included on the English and Activity programmes, dinner is not included.  Students are offered a twin/triple room.  There are self-catering facilities in the accommodation.  A private room can also be offered at an additional fee.

Host Family

Details on the host family are typically emailed to you around two weeks before arrival. If opting for host family, a private room, breakfast and dinner is included in your accommodation package.  Lunch is included Monday to Friday on English and Activity packages.  Lunch is provided at Zephyr Lodge  If you are not on an English and Activity Package, you can have lunch in one of the cafes in the town, at your host family or bring to the school. If you are not within walking distance of the school, your family will bring you each morning and you can then walk home or we have bikes on a first come first served basis.

Holiday Home or Apartments

Meals are not included in holiday home or apartment booking.  Please refer to the booking agent for more details on this type of accommodation. 

Social Activity programme

Most social activity fees are included in the overall price. Some entry fees are not included, you will be notified in advance of these fees. The excursion fees are not included in the price. We offer discounted fees for anyone enrolled on a course.

Transfers

If opting for collection from Dublin airport

We are based 3 hours and 25 minutes by bus from Dublin airport.  For this reason, we group transfers together.  Typically, we have 2/3 buses at the airport on Sundays, this depends on arrival and departure times and number of students arriving.

The shared transfers are based on arrivals between 11 am – 6 pm and departures between 11 am – 6 pm.  Students will typically have a 1 – 3 hour wait before the bus leaves the airport.  These times may vary if there are flight delays, lost luggage by airlines etc.

Please also note that for departures, if you flight is before 1.30-2 pm, you will leave Bundoran around 4.30 am in the morning, this allows for adequate check in time at the airport (you need a minimum of three hours check in time in the summer) and then 3.25 hours to reach Dublin. 

Collection: On entrance of arrivals in Terminal 1 please make your way over to the right.  You will see a sign saying Meeting point.  Under or around this sign will be a Donegal Language School representative waiting to meet you with a Donegal English Language School Sign(see below).

If you are flying into Terminal 2 (Aer Lingus) please make your way to the right and one of our representatives will be there to meet you.

They will have a sign showing the DELS LOGO

 Airport sign will look like this:

If opting for public bus from Dublin airport

There is a direct bus from Dublin airport to Ballyshannon every two hours. To arrive at the bus stop, walk out of arrivals from terminal 1 and cross the road, go through the tunnel and you will see a spar shop on your left, walk outside and to the left is the bus stop. Please go to zone noted beside Dublin Airport on this link. We then offer free transfers from Ballyshannon to Bundoran between 10.00 am and 8.00 pm daily. For transfers outside of these times we can arrange a taxi for you. The taxi fee is around € 15

If we are collecting you from the bus in Ballyshannon, please send us a SMS to 00353 876 00 82 05 once you get on the bus in Dublin and then again when the bus reaches Enniskillen.  It is really important that you do this as sometimes the bus is late, and it ensures that our driver is not waiting a long time to collect you. 

Boarding Cards

Please put the airline app on your phone and you can then check in online prior to arrival and departure.  If you need boarding cards to be printed, please email info@ donegallanguageschool.com before 4 pm on Friday evening. Please note that the office email addresses are not manned after 5 pm on Friday evening.  If received after 4 pm, we will not be able to print for you. 

If travelling by car

• Please phone on 00353876008205 when you arrive in Sligo/Enniskillen (30 – 40 minutes before your arrival in Bundoran) so I can arrange for someone to meet you at the centre and show you the accommodation.

• The address is Donegal English Language School, West End, Bundoran.  Our GPS directions are 54.4773° N, 8.2996°

Arrival is anytime from 4 pm onwards

What happens on my first day?

Arrivals for students are generally on a Sunday.  All students are welcomed and shown to their accommodation followed by a short introductory meeting. This meeting will go through the first day and any questions that may arise. On the first day of school, students take a test covering reading, writing, listening and speaking to ensure that they are placed in a level most suitable to them.

Please click on the links to log on to facebook or instagram for regular updates on campus life @ DELS.

Frequently Asked Questions for Work Study Visa Students

1.     How to find Accommodation in Bundoran

When students first arrive they are given 1-week free Accommodation, this gives time to find an apartment or house/apartment share.  The cost for a house share is generally around €60 per week plus bills.  A security deposit will be needed; this is usually at least 4 weeks rent. Below are a few ways where you can find local accommodation advertised.

The Post office & Simpsons Supermarket – In the local Post Office and Simpsons Supermarket there will be notices from people advertising available accommodation, usually they will have a number for you to text or call.

On the internet www.Daft.ie – This is a website that will show you all the available rentals in the area.

Facebook – 2 local groups you will find very useful “All New Bundoran buy, sell, swap” & “Inform Bundoran” people will advertise available accommodation so it’s important to join these groups as soon as you get here.

Speak to people – If you meet and talk to local people they might know someone who has accommodation available.

2.      How to find a Job in Bundoran

Most students find jobs in catering, hotels, retail and au pair work.  When you feel that you are ready to start looking for a job, our teachers are on hand to help you with your CV and prepare you for interviews.  The options below will help you look for a job.

Facebook groups – please join the groups below, people post local jobs on these pages

Inform Bundoran

Internet,  www.indeed.ie & www.jobsireland.ie – local jobs are also found on these website

We also place information on jobs on  the school Whats App group

Speak to people – The more people you meet and talk to the likelihood is they might know someone who has a job available.

3.     Medical Insurance

Once you have confirmed your address in Ireland, please notify us in the office of your new address and we will amend your medical insurance document. If you have received your medical insurance through an agency, please contact them with your Irish address and they will amend your document.

4.     Opening a Bank Account

To open a bank account, you need the below documents. Once you have everything together, go to Bank of Ireland on the main street and make an appointment to open a bank account.

·         Your letter of offer from DELS

·         Passport

·         Medical Insurance document showing your Irish address

·         6 month statement from your home bank account

5.     GNIB Card

You will need to get your GNIB card within 12 weeks of arrival.  The GNIB office is located in Ballyshannon. You must telephone the police station to find out when the next appointments are.  The telephone number is 071 9858530. For your GNIB card, you require the following documentation

·         Valid passport

·         Letter of offer from DELS

·         Medical Insurance

·         Proof of €3000

6.     Student Card

Get lots of discounts including Bus Eireann, Irish Rail, Eurolines and National Express

Cost is €15 for the year starting in September.

Apply for it online:- http://www.isiccard.ie/

The only globally recognized Student ID for students currently studying full time at High school, College or University.

Requirements for issuing:

·         Passport photo

·         Proof of identity (Government issued ID or Passport)

·         Confirmation of study less than 2 months old

·         You will need to have 15 contact hrs per week of student and a minimum of a 12 week study programme

7.     Opening a Library Account       

The library has a wide range of books, dvd’s and cd’s which you can access free of charge.  They also have pc and access to printing.  If you would like to open an account at the local library, please ask the office for a letter.

8.     Process for PPS number (required when starting a job in Ireland)

To obtain a PPS number you need to attend in person to the Social Welfare Office, which is located in Letterkenny.

Address: Social Welfare Office, High Road, Letterkenny

Telephone: 074 9160460

When you go you will need to bring the following:

·         Current Valid passport or National identity card or current valid travel document.

·         Evidence of job in Ireland – employers letter

·         Letter from School

·         Evidence of Address in Ireland. – Verifiable employer’s letter (it is not necessary that the employer own/provides the address accommodation) or if you have a household bill such as (electricity or gas), this must be in your name.

You will receive notification in the post within 3-5 working days.

We hope you enjoy your language learning experience with us and we are always available to help

9.    Rules for ILEP Students

Punctuality

It is essential that students taking this course are punctual when attending classes as late arrivals may miss part of the lesson in hand. Lessons cannot be delayed to cater for late arrivals. However, they may be able to arrange a time with their teacher so that they can catch up. Students who are late will not be allowed to enter the class after 5 minutes of the commencement of class, which means that they will be marked absent for that period. Leaving more than 5 minutes early also means they will be marked absent for that block. Absence is recorded by the teacher and reported to the DOS.

Absenteeism and Expulsion

Students who are feeling unwell must contact the school by email (info@donegallanguageschool.com) or by text on 087 6008205.. If a student has a valid medical certificate, this must be submitted to the administration office.

Should a student be absent through illness or for any other reason, a copy of class notes/ materials will be given to them on attendance. If the student requires a one to one session to cover what they have missed, this can be arranged at the students’ expense as these sessions will not be included in the overall tuition fees.

Students on Work/Study Visa courses are required to attend a minimum of 85% of classes. If the student is absent with-out a medical certificate, any absence will be calculated re his/her attendance percentage. Attendance is calculated on a weekly basis. Any student who is near to the minimum allowed is advised of this by the school manager.

Should a student’s monthly attendance be below 85%, a warning letter is issued to them. This is a three-step process, students will receive a warning letter after their first case of low attendance, in the event of another attendance rate be-low 85%, they will be issued with a second warning letter. Should they fail to meet the attendance requirements a third time during their course, a third and final letter will be issued and INIS will be informed.

If a student is absent for 2 weeks or longer, without a valid medical or compassionate reason, s/he will be required to see both the Director and the Director of Studies and take the placement test again on return.

DELS reserves the right to suspend or expel any student who does not fulfil their visa requirements. Further details are available either from administration upon request, or directly from the GNIB website. Students’ attendance and grade records are readily available.

Apart from low attendance, other criteria related to expulsion are

– Violation of the school’s code of conduct rules

– Consistent disruptive or threatening behaviour

– Possession of drugs

– Violent physical conduct against a member of staff or another student

In the event of any of the above criteria, with the exception of physical violence, after which expulsion is immediate, the expulsion process is as follows

The student in question will receive a verbal warning from the Director, which will be documented and kept on file. At this stage they will be informed of the details of the incident and the unacceptability of their behaviour.

Should the situation persist, they will be issued with a formal written warning which will contain a further description of their conduct, as well as outlining the possible consequences of their behaviour, which could result in their being expelled from the school and they will be informed that their fees in the event of expulsion are non-refundable.

If there is no improvement in said student’s behaviour, they will be asked to attend an expulsion hearing, at which they will be informed that they will no longer be permitted to attend the school. At this hearing their conduct will again be ex-amined and the student will have the opportunity to justify their continuing behaviour. In the event that there is no acceptable justification for their conduct, the consequences of expulsion will be explained again to them and they will not be allowed to continue with their course. INIS will also be informed of this decision and documented copies of all stages of

the process will be forwarded to them.

Holidays/Breaks for long-term students

With the exception of weekends, holidays/breaks as in compliance with the Department of Justice, no unscheduled breaks are permitted except in documented cases of illness or close family bereavement. All requests for unscheduled leave must be submitted to the DOS. These are then kept on record.

Students are entitled to take 8 weeks’ holiday during or at the end of their 25-week course. Students are allowed to take a week’s holiday for every three weeks studied. Students are given a holiday allocation sheet along with an information pack on their first day of school. They then have two weeks to complete and return the form.

Copies of class notes/materials will be provided on their return. If students require one- to-one sessions to cover what they have missed, these can be arranged at their expense as these sessions will not be included in the overall fees.

The school closes in August for ILEP students, with the exception of students who have studied three months or less before the end of July.  These students will have to continue their studies through August

Registering of Exam

All ILEP students need to register for their exam by the end of their first week.  The exam can only be taken at the end of the course.

NB If you attend less than 75% of your course within the first 6 weeks, we are duty bound to report  you to the local GNIB officer.