Why do Students Choose Host Families?

Students are proven to benefit hugely from staying with a host family during their learning experience in Dublin. They are given the opportunity to converse in English daily, and encounter new cultural experiences in a natural and warm environment.

At DCE we ensure that Host Families are of the highest quality with warm and welcoming homes, as we feel that this is a key part of each student’s experience. Each Host Family has extensive experience in welcoming international students into their home, and has been carefully selected by our administrative team. Host families provide practical assistance when needed whilst providing privacy and security simultaneously.

Many students find staying with an Irish family a very rewarding experience as it offers them a unique insight into Irish culture and provides the perfect opportunity to improve their English.

What service will students receive?

Groups of students arriving on the first day are collected by bus at the airport and taken to the school where they will meet their new host families.

Host families will show the student where they can catch the bus to go to school, or the route to walk. Young learners will always be situated close to other students in Host Families nearby and can travel together. Most families are situated on a convenient bus route to the school and city centre.

Host families provide full-board accommodation, with breakfast, evening meal and a packed lunch from Monday to Friday, and breakfast, lunch and evening meal at weekends. They will also provide a room with a study desk, and laundry facilities.

Safety and Welfare

At DCE we have an experienced and highly motivated team. Our aim is to provide a safe and controlled environment for our students to learn English during their stay in Dublin. Staff are highly trained in taking care of young learners and all have police clearance to work with junior students.

Support for students

From the moment the student arrives in Dublin they will be looked after by our team. Students will be met by one of our staff members at the airport and brought directly to their host families. Students are given information packs on arrival to Ireland. The following day, students will be given an informative presentation by the Director of Studies. DCE students are encouraged to communicate with DCE staff and host families should they require any assistance. 24/7 support is available to all students during their stay in Ireland.

Student supervision

All DCE staff receive child protection training. The administration team are always available to help students when needed. We encourage our staff members to get to know students and create a caring, family community in our school.

Our teachers will supervise and be involved in all afternoon/evening activities in the programme. This allows students to build strong relationships with staff and reinforce the feeling of family.