Policies and Regulations of our courses and programmes

Corona Safety Measure Policy

In Ireland, COVID-19 travel restrictions were lifted. Students are not required to provide proof of vaccination, recovery from COVID-19 or a negative PCR test result when enrolling to any of our programmes and courses.

Life in Ireland has returned back to normal: all shops, cafeterias, restaurants, museums, and cinemas are open. The main streets in Kilkenny have been remodeled to allow for more distance between people. All activities can resume, for example visits to the castle park, shopping, use of public transport to name a few.

We have worked diligently in conjunction with Ireland´s National Health Service and our governing bodies to ensure our school in Kilkenny is a safe place for our students and staff. Our school has large, spacious classrooms, common areas both inside and outside that are adequately sized to safely accommodate our students and our staff.

We will continue to follow all government guidelines on social distancing and will ensure common areas are maintained to a high degree of cleanliness.

Child Safeguarding Policy

mackdonald language academy welcomes international students to our courses and programmes throughout the year.

We recognise that we have a fundamental duty of care to all of these students as they are living away from home and without their normal support networks.

We also recognise the additional duty of care for all under 18 year-olds.

Our safeguarding policy represents our belief that it is always unacceptable for a child or young person to experience abuse of any kind and it is the responsibility of all adults in contact with young people to safeguard their welfare.

We recognise that:

the welfare of the child/young person is paramount.
all children, regardless of age, disability, gender, racial heritage, religious belief, sexual orientation or identity, have the right to equal protection from all types of harm or abuse.
working in partnership with children, young people, their parents, host families, agencies, leaders and teachers is essential in promoting young people’s welfare.

Please view mackdonald language academy’s complete policy on child safeguarding here.

Admissions & Attendance Policy

mackdonald language academy (mla) accepts all learners of English onto its ESL programmes. We run classes at all levels from A1 to C2.

Our English programmes are for students who are learning English as a second or other language. They are not designed for native English speakers.

If a student has an issue which may affect their learning, such as dyslexia or ADHD, or a disability such as loss of sight or hearing, we would invite them to contact the Academic Manager to discuss ways in which we can help you to undertake a language course with us.

At the start of their course, students have a meeting with the Academic Manager, who will talk to them about their individual learning plan. This will help them to set learning goals and ensure they successfully engage with the programme.

Sick-Leave Policy

If you cannot come to school during your course because of an illness or injury, you must inform the school by emailing office(at)mackdonald(dot)com on the first day of your illness. You must send an email to office(at)mackdonald(dot)com every day you are sick.

You must have a doctor’s letter or sick cert for any sick leave you take.

On the first day you return to class after you have been sick, you must give a certificate from a doctor to the Academic Manager.

Any days you take off because you are ill without having a doctor’s letter is regarded as absence.

A student who does not follow the above procedure and who absents themselves from the school for a period longer than three days will be warned about their non-attendance in accordance with our policy on absenteeism.

Punctuality and Attendance Policy

Students will only be given attendance for the classes they attend.

Students will not be given attendance for holidays or for sick leave.

Each teacher has a list of the students in their class and they will mark attendance for each class.

Attending only one of two classes in a day will only give students 50% attendance for that day.

Any student who leaves class before the end will not receive attendance for that class.

The Academic Manager reviews all attendance on a weekly basis, and records an electronic copy of all attendance.

All students must maintain an attendance of 85%. Persistent attendance less than this will result in warnings being issued and may lead to expulsion.

Students who have authorised, documented sick leave/ compassionate leave will be allowed extra days class at the end of their course equal to any classes that they miss, so long as these classes can all be taken within the current study visa (in the case of visa required students).

Enrolment Protection Policy

Medical Insurance Policy

Students from the EU who study at mla are covered by European medical insurance. EU students should apply for an E111 card before they arrive. This will entitle them to the same public medical cover which they receive in their own country.

Students from outside the EU should organise medical insurance before they arrive.

Should you wish, mackdonald language academy can organise medical insurance for you. Our medical insurance is provided by O’Driscoll O’Neill.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Policy

Our mission is to value the ability, individuality and cultural background of all students by providing everyone with the opportunities they need to reach their full potential as active members of society within an inclusive ethos/culture.

mackdonald language academy is committed to supporting, developing and promoting equality and diversity in all of its practices and activities and aims to establish an inclusive culture free from discrimination and based upon the values of dignity, courtesy and respect.

mla is committed to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief (including lack of belief), sex and sexual orientation and to fostering good relations between different groups.

This policy strives, not only to comply with legal requirements, but to use these to ensure that mla follows best practice.

At mla, we value diversity and recognise that we are greatly enhanced by the disparate range of backgrounds, experiences, views, beliefs and cultures represented within its staff and student bodies.

For full disclosure of mackdonald's Diversity, Equality and Inclusion policy click here.

External end-of-course Exams Policy

Complaints and Grievances Policy

We hope you enjoy every part of your experience at mackdonald language academy. Should you have any issues, the following procedure is there for you to help you resolve any complaints or grievances you may have.

Complaints are any issue or problem you have with your experience at mla. It includes, but is not limited to, issues with classes, classmates, teachers, accommodation or activities.

All complaints are dealt with confidentially.

If you have a complaint or a grievance about any aspect of your experience with us at mackdonald language academy you should follow the guidelines below:

If you have a complaint, you should first try to resolve it informally, before following the procedure below.
Keep a record of your complaint/ grievance. Include who you talk to aobut it, and when.
Complaints and grievances are initially presented to the Academic Manager (office(at)mackdonald(dot)com).
The Academic Manager completes the appropriate form with the student/teacher/staff member.
The Academic Manager seeks to resolve the complaint and meets again with the person filing the complaint within 3 working days.
If the complaint is not resolved to the complainant’s satisfaction, it is referred to the owners of the school.
The owners meet with the complainant within 3 working days and record any details in addition to the original complaint form.
The owners seek to resolve the complaint and consult with the complainant.
If the complainant is not satisfied with the outcome, a further meeting may be sought with an independent respected member of the sector.
At all stages, the complainant can have a witness present when meeting with other parties.
If the original complaint is against the Academic Manager then the complaint goes directly to the school owners.
If the original complaint is against the school owners, then stages 6-8 are void and the complaint proceeds directly from stage 5 to 9, if it has not been resolved at stage 5.

The maximum time for dealing with complaints is 10 working days.

General Data Protection Regulation Policy

This policy is intended to ensure that personal information is dealt with correctly and securely and in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR).

It will apply to all information regardless of the way it is collected, used, recorded, stored and destroyed, and irrespective of whether it is held in paper files or electronically. All staff involved with the collection, processing and disclosure of personal data will be aware of their duties and responsibilities by adhering to these guidelines.

mackdonald language academy will comply with applicable GDPR regulations as a data processor when they take effect on 25th May 2018.

Working in conjunction with our partners, host families, employees and students we will explore opportunities within our services offerings to assist our customers to meet their GDPR obligations.

For full disclosure of our GDPR policy click here.

Contacting us