Ideal for wanting to be right in the heart of Dublin surrounded by its famous pubs, history, music and culture.
Not ideal for students looking for a cosy family atmosphere. This is a huge school.
The good
- Excellent self-learning centre
- Business courses offered for specific professions
- Courses for different age groups, such as 12-17 years, 18-29 years, 30+ years
The bad
- Can feel a bit impersonal with such an amount of students at the school.
Date of my inspection visit at Centre for English Studies (CES) Dublin: May 1, 2024
My overall take
Centre for English Studies Dublin (CES) is an excellent school for generally younger students seeking an active, vibrant environment to learn English whilst exploring Dublin. This is one of Dublin’s most centrally located schools: a 5-minute walk to the main shopping streets, a 4-minute walk to Trinity College Dublin, and surrounded by infamous pubs, bars and restaurants.
The things that make CES unique are the school’s history (having over 40 years of experience), its particular focus on the quality of teaching, and being the main exam centre for IELTS, Cambridge and TOEIC exams. This means CES can provide a comprehensive experience for students who want to complete their studies in one place. Some students praised the creativity of particular teachers, particularly teachers who would use presenting and projects in their teaching. On the other hand, a specific law student (from Chile) mentioned that even though the teaching was good, some teachers’ methods could have been more varied and interactive.
Concerning “chill-out areas”, there is a large communal cafeteria where the activity team is also based, and students can buy food from the cafeteria at an affordable price. Additionally, there is a beautiful rooftop terrace that is used for BBQs during the summer.
The classrooms are large and a little outdated, but mostly with full-sized tables, comfortable chairs and plenty of natural light; the maximum class capacity of 14 students is one of the least in Dublin, allowing for more speaking time within classes.
I recommend this school to students from 20 to 30 looking for a friendly atmosphere in the affordable heart of Dublin.
Book Centre of English Studies (CES) Dublin with exclusive discount
Centre for English Studies (CES) Dublin at a glance
| Rating of former students | 4.3 (478 reviews) |
| Class size | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Max. 14 students in Standard English course |
| Diversity of nationalities | Lingo Traveller rating: Average Diversity No nationality more than 20% Top nationality: Turkish |
| Learning intensity | 2.5 hours of homework per week, students are also encouraged to work independently on the e-learning platform |
| Number of students | 450 adults in July 290 adults in January |
| Minimum student age | 16 years |
| Accreditations | Eaquals, ACELS |
| Course range | General English, Intensive General English, Combination Course, Multi Destination Course, University Pathway Programme, Standard General English & Business, English for Professionals, CELTA Online/Full-time Course, FCE, CAE, IELTS Exam Preparation |
| Accommodation types | Homestay, Student Residence, Student House |
| Price | |
| Standard Group course 20 lessons/week: 55min/lesson | 1 week: €335 3 weeks: €1005 |
| Additional fees | Inscription fee: €85 Course material fee: €35 |
| Price level – Standard Group course (based on 3 weeks incl. all fees) | €20.50 per 60min tuition |
My tour of the school & video review
Student voices
Unfiltered comments from random students I met at the school and asked about their experience.
“I learned that you must be outgoing and very social to make many international friends. You don’t need to hesitate to speak during class, and this made me more confident in developing my English skills.“
Suman
25 years from South Korea
Questions to school director
Excerpts below from my conversation with Jonathan Quinn, Marketing Director of Centre for English Studies Dublin.
Me: “What sets your school apart from others in the city?“
Jonathan Quinn: “We have three centres in the very heart of Dublin City. We have a fantastic nationality mix. Excellent teachers, all of whom are university graduates, CELTA qualified or higher. We are an IELTS, Cambridge, OET and TOEIC test centre. Any student that wants to do an exams we can take them through the process from start to finish.”
Me: “Is there a particular type of student for whom your school is especially suitable?
Jonathan Quinn: “Our age bracket has gone up ever so slightly, so students who are in university or have just finished university. In Ireland, we have a lot of long-term students… So a student who is independent, who is looking for something in a busy capital city. Students who are eager to learn and eager to explore.“
School inspection report
Classrooms
There are 32 classrooms split between 3 different buildings and the classroom sizes range vastly. Some are large (specifically in building no. 2) and some are much smaller. Overall, the classrooms are not extremely modern but they all have natural light and heating, and some even have air-conditioning.
Facilities
Although the school is split between 3 buildings, the main communal areas are all in the second building. These facilities include a very aesthetic rooftop terrace (divided over two floors and equipped with a BBQ for summer parties) and a basement cafeteria where they sell cold food and snacks at student-friendly prices.
Surrounding area
CES Dublin is surrounded by restaurants, pubs and bars. The main building is also located on one of the busiest high streets in the city (Dame Street). The other two buildings are near the main shopping streets of Dublin. The bus stops are right opposite the school or a maximum of 2 minutes walk from each building.
Social activities
The social activity list can also be found online.
Residence
Heyday Student Residence is one of the popular residence options for those studying at CES. The facilities are all updated and modern, including a cinema, a gym, study rooms and study cubicles, a games room, a courtyard, and a multi-purpose room.
The residence also arranges activities for the students that stay there, for example, an Easter egg hunt, Christmas events, St Patrick’s Day events, Ramadan celebrations, breakfast events, and a Bon Voyage event at the end of the year. They provide these activities once a month, which is much more than many other student accommodations in Dublin.
Rest assured that there is 24-hour security, and a keycard is required to get access everywhere. However, there are strict rules regarding guests; CES Dublin only allows students on a minimum four-week course to have overnight guests. Only two guests are permitted to stay for free in a week, extra guests have to pay extra, and ID is held for every guest that stays overnight. If guests visit during the day, they must leave by 10 pm.
Trusted student ratings of Centre for English Studies (CES) Dublin on the web
| Total | 4.3 (478 reviews) |
|---|---|
| LanguageCourse.net | 4.3 (207 reviews) |
| ESL | 4.3 (249 reviews) |
| Boa Lingua | 4.4 (22 reviews) |
Ratings as of June 19, 2024
Why no Google or Facebook ratings? Schools may have requested Facebook, Google or Trustpilot reviews only from those students that previously gave positive after-course evaluations. I only trust ratings from independent booking platforms/agencies, that allow exclusively clients who booked via their platform to rate the schools. I have checked each of these sites above and they have no disproportional number of positive vs negative reviews.
