Student Information – What to do before your arrival !
On this page you can find all the information you need for your arrival to school. Please ensure that you complete each of the actions below before you arrive at Horner School of English.
Step 1. Read the ELE Ireland Advisory on how the Covid-19 virus is spread.
Step 2. Read the frequently asked questions below.
Step 3. Answer the “Student Health Questionnaire” below.
Step 4. Do the online grading test before arrival.
Step 5. You must complete the ZOOM Video Call Interview before arrival. This is a short “one to one” interview with our Director of Studies, to check your spoken level. You will receive an email invitation to the Zoom Call in the week before your arrival.
Your class level will be determined by your Online Test Result and the result of your Zoom Speaking Interview.
All students will receive an invitation to a ZOOM Call (Online Speaking Interview), approximately 1 week before their arrival at the school. Once you have completed your Zoom Interview, you will then receive by email, your class timetable and class level information. On arrival at the school you will receive your textbook, welcome pack (maps & information) & will be shown to your classroom.
1. How Covid-19 is Spread
The virus is primarily spread between people during close contact, most often via small droplets produced by coughing, sneezing, and talking. The droplets can also fall onto surfaces which can then become a possible source of infection.
2. Frequently Asked Questions About Starting An English Course at Horner School.
Will all courses be available with face to face classes ?
Yes, all courses are available with face to face teaching. However some courses do also include a small element of online teaching (blended courses). Blended courses involve a combination of face to face classes (morning lessons) in combination with some part-time online teaching taking place in the afternoons.
The following courses have an element of blended delivery (i.e. 20 lessons face to face + 6 lessons online):
- Standard Plus Fluency – 20 lessons face to face + 6 lessons online
- Standard Plus IELTS – 20 lessons face to face + 6 lessons online
- Cambridge First Course – 20 lessons face to face + 6 lessons online
- Cambridge Advanced Course – 20 lessons face to face + 6 lessons online
Blended delivery courses consist of morning face to face classes taken here here at the school in combination with ONLINE afternoon classes where your teacher will be teaching using ZOOM & Google Classroom.
Online classes are delivered using the ZOOM platform in small online groups and our students also have access to Google Classroom where class assignments, homework and learner progress are recorded.
Yes, there will be new staggered arrival times and starting times for each class. Coffee break times and departure times will also be fixed according to each class. All students will receive their individual course timetable (by email) approx. 1 week before commencement. This staggered arrival method will help to minimise congestion in entrances, staircases and corridors during the entrance and exit times. We will also be reducing all lesson hours to 45 minutes during the duration of the pandemic. Example: So where a 20 lesson course is booked this will now be equivalent to 15 full hours of tuition.
If you have just arrived in Ireland from a Covid orange” or “red” or “grey” region, you will be asked to restrict your movements for the first 5 or 14 days after arrival. During the “restricted movement period” you should attend your classes using our online system. You will have access to your classes and interact with the class teacher using the ZOOM platform. Class materials and class assignments such as homework and progress tests will be delivered to you each day using Google Classroom. We will advise you of the arrangements for online classes as soon as you have completed the online testing procedures and allocated you to a class group. When you are no longer required to restrict your movements (after 5 days or 14 days according to the protocols, see below), then you can come to the school and join your classes every morning.
The Irish Government Protocols Say :
Staff and students will be required to keep a distance of at least 1 metres and to follow hand washing and respiratory hygiene guidelines.
Hand sanitiser will be available throughout the school. All staff and students will be asked to sanitise their hands on arrival and throughout the day.
Social distancing of 1 meter between student desks will apply. Students will be assigned their own desk in their classroom which no other student will use. Many classes will contain 6 to 8 students only. Students will be required to wear masks or face coverings in class.
Class start and finish times will be staggered to ensure that not all students are in the common areas at the same time. Individual timetables will be sent to each student by email approx. 1 week before arrival.
Classrooms will be cleaned and sanitised at the end of each day. Self-service cleaning stations will be positioned in every class to allow students and staff to clean surfaces and touch points, as they feel is necessary.
Teachers will be assigned to one class group only so as to reduce the risk of contamination .
Where possible doors and windows will be left open to maximise ventilation throughout the building and to reduce the need to touch door handles.
Reception and student services will be available on an online portal on the home page of our website, to allow our existing students to safely contact Horner School of English staff and to request documents for their stay. Use this page to ask our office staff for a Zoom Video Callback OR for a document that you urgently require (without needing to queue at reception).
Staff at the physical reception office will be located behind screens and only two students at a time can enter the Reception Desk area.
What are My Accommodation Options During the Covid Pandemic:
- Host Family (Arranged by Horner School)
- Student Residence (Arranged by Horner School)
If you do not need to restrict your movements after arrival, you can choose from any of the accommodation options on our website and you can start your face to face classes at school immediately (without restricting your movements). We can offer host family accommodation with selected families and/or we can provide student residence accommodation, with single bedrooms, private bathrooms and within walking distance of the school.
If you need to restrict your movements after arrival, we would strongly recommend that you choose residence accommodation for at least the first 2 weeks of your stay. You will undertake this restricted period at the residence and can join you classes online using Zoom & Google Classroom for the period of your restricted movement. The request to restrict your movements means avoiding contact with other people and social situations as much as possible. However it is allowed for you to go outside to get exercise, essential food, medicines and other supplies as long as you avoid interactions.
All accommodations are offered subject to availability, and we are happy to assist you with choosing the best accommodation according to your requirements.
What if I choose to book my own accommodation (independent from the school) ?
The Irish Government have advised that all English language students, should reserve at least the first 2-weeks of their accommodation, with their English Language School. This new public health instruction, is in place to ensure that all new students arriving into Ireland from overseas, will spend the required “restricted movement period” in safe school facilitated accommodation (accommodation that meets the minimum criteria to reduce transmission of the Covid-19 virus).
The school understands that some students prefer to rent their own accommodation, independently of the school. So, if it your intention to find your own accommodation, we would ask that you reserve 2 weeks in Horner School Accommodation, then move to your own accommodation, after the “restricted movement period” is completed.
At all times, you must abide by the following guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic.
- Please ensure that your accommodation is not overcrowded and therefore might present a danger during the pandemic.
- Please do not accept accommodation where you will be required to share a bedroom with more than one other person.
- Please ensure that your accommodation is maintained in a clean and safe condition and that all health and safety guidelines are followed
How do I know if I need to Restrict Movements on Arrival ?
Ireland has implemented the EU’s ‘traffic light’ system for travel, which lists EU regions as ‘red’, ‘orange’, ‘green’ or ‘grey’ based on weekly Covid updates prepared by the European Centre of Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). A map showing the designation of each region is published each week. You can access the latest map HERE. All passengers arriving at Dublin Airport must complete a Public Health Passenger Locator Form in advance of arriving to Ireland.
Passengers arriving from ‘orange’ countries do not have to restrict their movements for 14 days if they carry proof of a negative PCR test result gained within the previous three days. Passengers from ‘red’ regions, and countries outside the EU, will be able to stop restricting their movements after 5 days if they get a negative PCR test result on day five (or more) days after arrival.
Further detail on travel advice, can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/8868e-view-the-covid-19-travel-advice-list/
Further detail on how to restrict your movements after travel can be found here: https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/b4020-travelling-to-ireland-during-the-covid-19-pandemic/#advice-on-restricting-movement
The Irish Government have asked that all students arriving into Ireland, to study at an English Language School should reserve an Airport Pick-Up Service through their language school, rather than taking any form of public transport service. Horner School of English have been working with a professional Airport Transfer Company for many years. We can confirm that this company do currently comply with the best practice protocols for providing a transport service, during the Covid pandemic.
Our drivers carry ID and meet their students in the arrival hall on arrival. All drivers wear face masks for the duration of the journey from Dublin Airport to the school provided accommodation. In addition all cars are fitted with Perspex screens to separate the front and back seats of the car. Please contact us by email if you wish to arrange this service on arrival – admin@hornerschool.ie
Please bring enough masks or face coverings and some personal hand sanitiser. Face coverings are mandatory on public transport in Ireland, and in supermarkets and shops. You will be required to wear a face covering in class and while on the school premises.
We strongly recommend that you bring a tablet or laptop with you as we will be providing some blended courses, online social activities and online materials.
We would also recommend you pack a thermometer to be able to monitor your own body temperature each day.
And don’t forget to bring pens and paper for your own use in the classroom.
During the Covid-19 period, we will be operating a reduced programme of activities which will mainly include outside tours and online activities. Obviously it will be somewhat difficult to operate our normal full programme of coach tours but we will keep a close watch on current government guidelines and we hope to return to normal operations as soon as possible.
- Stay home if you are unwell or experiencing symptoms. Do not come to work/school.
- Immediately inform Horner School of the situation – use the emergency 24 hour number: +353 86 3886071
- Contact a GP in order to arrange a Covid-19 test. * School recommends, D2 Medical Centre Ph +353 1 6314500
- Self-isolate while waiting for the test and the test results.
- Contact Horner School again as soon as the test results have been received.
It is important to inform Horner School of your test outcome as soon as possible because further measures (contact tracing etc.) may need to be undertaken at the school, if the test result is positive.
If you experienced symptoms of Covid 19 but your doctor did not recommend a test appointment, you should stay home for 10 days (from onset of symptoms) please ensure that you have no further symptoms of illness and have maintained a normal body temperature for at least 5 concurrent days before returning to work/school again.
You must complete another “Student Health Questionnaire” before returning to class.
Information on How to Get Tested : https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing/how-to-get-tested.html
You may cancel your course for any reason up to 08 days before your course start date and receive either a full refund of your tuition fees or a tuition voucher, valid for 1 year.
In the event of a lock-down request from government or a whole class quarantine request from public health authorities, your classes will be moved online.
In that event, the online classes
● will be conducted using video meeting software such as ‘Zoom’.
● will follow a similar format as our normal English classes.
● will be of same total duration and lesson length.
● will be divided by level (which means you will continue studying in your level).
● will have a maximum of 15 students per class.
● will be live interactive classes, taught by the same experienced and fully qualified teachers.
● will have a collaborative and task based approach, focusing on speaking and language production, and
● will be supplemented by a Learning Management System (such as Google Classroom).
If you would like to read our FULL Terms and Conditions, please follow this link: Terms & Conditions (Horner School of English)