Holidays & Breaks/Bereavement

During the Academic Year learners will engage in a programme of study at Liffey College with one of the following schedules depending on their timetable:

33 Weeks of Course (Timetable)
Schedule A1 Week of Induction Holidays25 Weeks of Class7 Weeks of Holidays
(1/2 weeks after 12 weeks of classes and 5/6 weeks at the end of the course)
Schedule B1 Week of Induction Holidays25 Weeks of Class
(+ 2 Weeks of Christmas Holidays)		5 Weeks of Holidays (at the end of the course)
  
1. The course includes 25 weeks of study + 8 weeks of holidays = 33 weeks in total.
2. Holidays are non-consecutive: 1 week at the start of the course + 7 weeks at the end. 1-2 week of holidays are flexible (i.e. may be taken after 12 weeks of classes of the course); all other holidays are fixed and cannot be changed.
3. Courses which include the Christmas holidays will have 1 week at the start of the course + 2 weeks during the Christmas holidays + 5 weeks at the end.

Please note:

  • By default all learners will have one week induction holidays at the start of their course/programme.
  • The date indicated on the Acceptance Letter is the date of the induction, not the first day of class.
  • You can check the appropriate Course Calendar here: https://liffeycollege.ie/college-calendar/
  • Learners who wish to take their flexible holidays earlier in their course must submit a holiday request online via their login: https://student.liffeycollege.ie/login
    Holiday requests must be for the full week, i.e. from Monday to Sunday, and must be submitted by 5 pm Thursday of the previous week.
  • Holiday requests are subject to the following conditions: learners must have completed 12 weeks of study and have satisfactory attendance (minimum 85%) at the time of the request.
  • Learners who interrupt their studies with their flexible holidays will have to study proportionally longer in order to complete 25 weeks of study in total. It is the responsibility of the learner to ensure that they are aware of their holidays, attendance and overall absences to ensure they do not fall afoul of Immigration rules. (this information is available in their login).
  • Learners returning from holidays cannot be guaranteed that they will return to the same classrooms (subject to availability).
  • Dates when the college is closed (Bank Holidays, National Holidays, etc.) are listed on the College Notice Boards and the College Calendar.
  • Any and all discrepancies in respect of attendance must be brought to the attention of the college no later than 15 working days or three weeks of the occurring period
  • Liffey College’s holiday policy is based on ILEP requirements: Holiday periods cannot at any point exceed 1/3 of the total weeks elapsed (front loading of holidays will not be permitted) and the programme must operate for a minimum of 25 weeks over a 7-month period.

No unscheduled breaks are permitted except in the following circumstances:

  • Close family bereavement or major illness
  • Illness of a dependent family member.
  • Participation in legal proceedings or administrative procedures that require a learner’s presence
  • Injury or illness that is too severe and/or contagious for the learner to attend class (Only on provision of Medical Certificate/s).

The above exceptional cases may be considered justified absences. Note: An justified absence will not result in the learner being marked present for the day(s) missed; s/he will, however, not receive warnings related to the absence. In order for an absence to be excused, the learner must provide the College with all relevant documentation – such as a doctor’s note/medical certificate, etc. – in a timely manner.

Holiday Policy in extenuating circumstances:

In certain extenuating circumstances, learners may take up to 7 weeks’ holidays without being constrained by the normal holiday requirements (the number of weeks, i.e. 2 to 7 weeks, available to learners will depend on their course dates and whether they include the Christmas holidays). Liffey College can waive the normal requirements for holiday requests – i.e., that the learner must have completed 12 weeks of study and have at least 85% attendance – in the following extenuating circumstances:

  • Sickness of a close relative
  • Death of a close relative

Within the terms of the policy (close relatives are defined as) mother, father, sister, brother, wife, husband, civil partner, daughter, son, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, step parent, step child, step sister, step brother, foster child, legal guardian, domestic partner or fiancé/fiancée To have any of the above authorised you must provide the College with written evidence, e.g. doctor’s note/medical certificate, letter from the Embassy, etc.

Learners without 85% attendance will not be eligible for requests related to holidays.

Responsible Department: Academic and/or Operation Department
Telephone: +353 (0)1 444 4447 / Email: info@liffeycollege.ie