Clongowes Wood College - Residential Programme 2025
29th June to 27th July
11-17 years old
Clongowes Wood College, Kildare
English & Multi-Activities
Residential
Clongowes Wood College Residential Programme
Just 40 minutes from Dublin Airport and Dublin City Centre, Clongowes Wood College is one of Ireland’s most famous Residential Boarding Schools. Students attending our International Junior Summer Camp at Clongowes Wood College will experience life on this amazing campus. Students are immersed into the way of life in a historic Irish Boarding School and learn new life skills, challenge themselves and gain confidence, respect and independence.
Award Winning School
We were delighted to be awarded Best Language School 2024 at The Education Awards. In 2019, we were voted Best Language School in Ireland by the Education Stars Award, based on Google and Facebook reviews. The Fingal Business Excellence Awards named us finalists for Business of the Year 2023. The Education Awards also shortlisted us for ‘Best Language School’ in 2023, 2022, and 2021. In 2015, we became the first language school in Ireland to be shortlisted for the Study Travel Magazine Star Awards – Junior Course Under 18’s Global Industry Award. We have also been honoured by Malahide Chamber of Commerce with the ‘Service Excellence Award’ for a clear demonstration of excellent and consistent customer service and with the ‘Organisation of the Year’ Award.
Perfect Location
Our location, just 40 mins to Dublin City Centre and Dublin Airport, offers students the best possible Dublin experience. Students can enjoy the city’s highlights while living in our beautiful campus residence. Our camp allows students enjoy the benefits of seeing the highlights of Dublin, but living on a large estate in the countryside and benefit from ‘A Perfect Location’. This ideal location a safe place within easy reach of Dublin, offering parents and students peace of mind.
Choosing Dates
We are flexible regarding arrival and departure days and times. The majority of students arrive on a Saturday or Sunday and begin school on a Monday and leave on the corresponding Saturday or Sunday e.g. Sat to Sat or Sun to Sun. (We may sometimes also accept weekday arrivals and departures e.g. Mon to Mon, Wed to Wed etc. but please contact us pre-booking to advise). Extra nights are also available if necessary. We operate professional airport transfers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by a member of our staff should you require this service.
Residential Accommodation
In Clongowes Wood our residential accommodation is in the school so students experience the true feeling of living on this beautiful campus. Students of the same age and gender stay together and we mix nationalities. All our rooms/cubicles in Clongowes are either single or twin rooms, with shared toilet and shower facilities adjacent to the rooms. Student Laundry once a week is included.
Sample 2 Week Timetable
Each Week Includes:
- 15 hours English tuition per week: Mon – Fri 8.45am – 12.00pm
- Lunch: 12.00pm – 12.45pm
- 5 half-day activities per week
- 1 dinner in a Dublin city restaurant during your Camp
- 1 full day excursion to discover Ireland
- 1 campus relaxation/fun day with Evening BBQ
- 3 evenings skills programme
- 4 evenings fun and team building
Activities
What's Included
All Inclusive
We believe in offering an all inclusive course price. Everything is included, there are no extra charges for assessment registration or administration. All activities, travel passes, entrance fees and meals are included.
Classes
Tuition:
We have a specially designed Junior Syllabus to encourage your child’s progression and confidence. We believe in real materials and growing to love the language by living it. Classes are International.
- Hours: 15 full hours tuition per week
- Times: 9.15am – 12.30pm each week day with a 15 minute break.
- Maximum class size: 15 students
- Entry levels: All levels from beginner to advanced
Intercultural Irish Teenage Programme
As part of our continuous efforts to maintain high quality classes and to enhance our student’s intercultural experience, we have weekly lessons called the Intercultural Teenage Programme. Irish teenage students will join lessons to lead an exercise alongside the teacher which allows our students the opportunity to connect with Irish teenagers, their peers, and we have had an incredibly positive response to this programme.
Student Report & Certificate
Students receive a Certificate of Attendance and Attainment at the end of their course and also an individual hand written teacher report on their progress.
Accommodation
Accommodation: Residential
In Clongowes, our residential accommodation is in the school so students experience the true feeling of living on a historic campus.
Students will be accommodated in a mix of single and twin (bunk rooms). Some of these rooms are stand alone, others are in a cubicle format and open onto a larger recreational area. There are shared toilets and showers on the floors. Female and male students will be in separate areas.
Meals
At Clongowes the food is one of the highlights of student’s stays. The catering staff provide hot meal options at Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with an evening Snack.
The food is of high quality and locally sourced and a great variety is on offer. On arrival students also receive a refillable water bottle for their stay.
We can cater for special dietary requirements on request.
We also bring students out for 1 special dinner at a Dublin city restaurant.
Activities
Weekday Activities
Students have a full schedule of activities and tours. We believe it is essential for residential students to have lots of opportunities for off-site tours and activities to ensure a rewarding and enjoyable stay in Ireland. Clongowes is located just 40 minutes from Dublin City Centre.
Students are off campus 2-3 afternoons per week including 2 tours to Dublin City Centre per week and 1 dinner in Dublin during their stay.
On site we use the amazing sporting facilities. In addition we have an evening skills programme for requiring new skills and other team building and fun activities.
Full Day Trips
Each Saturday our students have a full day trip accompanied by an ICE Leader to see the best of Ireland. Examples of day trips are Glendalough, Kilkenny, UNESCO Cliffs of Moher, Galway and Dublin City.
Relaxation Day with BBQ
On Sunday’s our students have the opportunity to relax, do fun activities on campus followed by an evening barbeque.
Prices
2 WEEKS
Clongowes Residential Programme3 WEEKS
Clongowes Residential Programme4 WEEKS
Clongowes Residential ProgrammeAirport Transfers: € 95 each way
Junior Photo Gallery
Frequently Asked Questions
The students are busy all day long and have an enjoyable educational timetable with some free time between activities. Breakfast, English Classes, Lunch, Activity, Dinner, Evening Activity/Skill Programme, Snack, Bedtime.
At any one time we normally have between 15 and 27 nationalities represented at our school.
The programme is all inclusive with no extra costs. Most students bring between 80 and 100 euro pocket money per week for souvenirs, sweets etc.
We base a 2 week stay on 14 nights accommodation, 3 weeks on 21 nights and 4 weeks on 28 nights. Most students arrive on Sun and depart on the corresponding Sun. We offer airport transfers meet and greet service. We can organise airport transfers for arrival/departure between 8am and 8pm on Sundays. Should you require dates or transfers outside of these times, please check with us for availability and pricing.
There is a maximum of 15 students per class with on average 13 students per class
All our teachers have a Bachelors Degree and a further Teaching English Qualification and all our teachers are recognised as qualified English Language Teachers under ACELS.
We test students pre arrival and on their first day, their teacher will access if they are in the correct level.
We monitor student’s progress including weekly tests.
Students are able to move levels should we feel they are not in the correct level.
We have from A1 to C1 Level catering for beginners to advanced learners.
Yes, we offer a 24 hour emergency contact number and are always available to help.
On arrival students will be shown to their room and given a tour of the campus. They will then be tested and given welcome information. They will then join in the timetabled activities and will be shown to their correct level class the next morning.
Yes, we provide letters for all students coming from outside the EU who need a visa to enter Ireland.
Yes, but during classes, activities and after lights-out, mobile phones must be turned off. Our camp is about communication and building fluency.
A deposit of 200 euro on booking is paid. The remainder of fees are due 4 weeks pre arrival.
Our ‘Book with Confidence Guarantee’ allows individuals and groups travelling to Ireland, to cancel free of charge until 7 days before arrival. If you need to cancel within 7 days of arrival we will offer a free postponement of course which will be valid until the end of 2024, no refunds will be given for stays cancelled within 7 days of arrival.
Yes, we do laundry once a week for all students.
Yes you will receive a packing list within the student handbook pre arrival.
No, students are not allowed to leave campus without permission, except Sundays when students can visit the local village once they have permission from our team.
No, you will need to book your own flights
Approximately 40% of our students arrive as individuals and the rest come as pre-organised groups. Individuals will be placed together for afternoon activities and are separated by age so it is easy to make new friends.
No, our age range is from 11 to 17 years of age. However, under certain circumstances, if a child turns 18 and is still in high school up until the summer of the camp, we may accept them on the programme.
Yes, all students receive a Student Handbook which includes a Packing List pre arrival.
We are always here to help and assist in whatever way we can to ensure your child is happy.
Whiles we have staff 24 hours a day on campus, students are not always supervised and will have free time..
We have a member of our staff wait for your child at the airport with a sign. We also ensure we have your child’s mobile number and they have our driver’s number and also our emergency number in case of any delay etc.
Yes, just request help on departure and our driver will help your child check in and bring them as far as security if you wish and there is no extra charge for this.
Yes, we are happy to do any sign ins at no extra cost. Please let us know at the time of booking.
Yes we can cater for some special diets within reason, just check with us pre-booking and sometimes a supplement will apply.
Yes, this is your choice. We would however advise all children to have our airport transfer service meet them at the airport for safety reasons. Also Immigration at Dublin Airport states that all children under 18 years of age should have someone to meet them at Dublin Airport.
Yes, we will coordinate a time with the residence.
Your child will receive a certificate of attainment and attendance and also an individual teachers report on their progress.
In Clongowes rooms are varied in size and modernisation. The majority of rooms are singles and twins (twin beds or bunk beds) in standalone rooms, or cubicles in larger dormitories.
The majority of rooms are not ensuite, they have shared toilets and shower areas.
Yes, boys and girls in different areas of the residence.
Yes, both our residences are within the main building.
Yes, there is always a hot option available for breakfast, lunch and dinner and students have a snack before bed.
Yes, on arrival students are given an eco water bottle which they can refill throughout the day at one of the many school water stations.
House masters sleep in rooms next to each student area and are on call. In addition, a night supervisor is always awake throughout the night.
The CEFR is the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, which was developed to provide a common basis for the explicit description of objectives, content and methods in second/foreign language education. All of the programmes at ICE are aligned to this scale. For more information on the CEFR and levels within ICE, please click here.
Yes, all of our programmes are aligned to the CEFR and we offer levels from A2 to C1 e.g. Beginner to Advanced Learner across our programmes.
Your end of our course Certificate will record the number of hours you have studied at our school and it will note that you have progressed with reference to the CEFR descriptors at a certain CEFR level.
E.g. Sofia Rodrigo has attended an English Language Course for 40 hours and has progressed with reference to the CEFR descriptor at Upper Intermediate Level (B2)
