Our Terms and Conditions

Booking Enquiries & Enrolment Procedures

Enquiries can be made directly through ACE English Malta or our agents. A reply confirming availability will be sent by the school within one working day.

Once the school has all the required information, we will send you a Booking Confirmation and an Invoice. Once the school has all the required information, we will send you a Booking Confirmation and an Invoice. A minimum of 25% must be paid within 7 days from when we receive the booking or the full amount of the invoice must be paid within 24 hours to the school in case the course starts in 6 weeks time. If a deposit is paid, then the balance must be settled at least 4 weeks prior to arrival at the school.

Minors

Enrolments for students under 18 years of age must be accompanied by the school’s signed Parental Consent Form.

Students with Special Needs

Students with any illness, learning disability, or special needs and/or conditions are obliged to inform the school upon registration providing all of the relevant details. Extra facilities and/or personal attention may incur additional charges.

Payment

The total fee paid by the student covers various components, predominantly the Tuition Course, Accommodation and Transfers. It is hereby agreed that the deposit remitted by the student/agent will be exclusively allocated to the Tuition Course. Allocating the deposit to tuition does not exempt the student from fulfilling the entire fee, encompassing all relevant services.

Payment can be made by major credit/debit cards, by bank transfer (SWIFT) or in cash. Payments by credit card incur an extra charge of 4% of the total invoice. Our bank details are provided on the school’s invoice. Please note that bank transfers may take 5 to 6 working days to reach our account. Payment can be made in any currency which will be converted to Euros at the rate of exchange on the date payment is made. All additional foreign and/or local bank fees and charges must be paid by the student/agent. If bank charges are not fully paid, it is ultimately the responsibility of the student to pay any outstanding fees. Students/ agents must advise the school by email when any payments are made, clearly stating the student’s full name and invoice number.

The school reserves the right to deny entry from classes until the full payment is received

Visas

Students are responsible for their study visas and must ensure that they apply for the required travel documents in plenty of time before they travel. The school will provide a Booking Confirmation and Visa Letter after the full payment has been received to facilitate the student’s visa application. A Visa Administration Fee of €40.00 will apply. Visa applications that are requested less than four weeks prior to the expiry date of the stay in Malta will incur a charge of €80.00 for the visa application to be processed. The school cannot be responsible for any late applications which are consequently refused by Malta Immigration Office.

If a student has to cancel their booking due to a visa refusal, they must send the school a copy of the visa refusal letter and the school will refund the fees, less €145.00 (non-refundable deposit) and any other costs directly related to the visa application (eg. bank charges, courier fees, visa letter fee, etc). Refunds will only be made to the person who paid the original fees and using the same method of transaction. No refunds will be provided for visas refused by Malta Immigration for absenteeism from school or any other student-related issue.

Airport Transfers

Students booking return airport transfers must provide arrival and departure flight numbers and times at least 7 days prior to their arrival in Malta. The school will not be responsible for missed transfers if details are not sent in time and no refunds will be granted.

Arrival and departure transfers are booked as group transfers, and may be paired with other ACE students arriving (or departing) on the same flight, or any flight arriving (or departing) within a 15 minute range of your flight. 

ANY STUDENT WHO BOOKS AN APARTMENT OR HOST FAMILY ACCOMMODATION MUST ALSO BOOK BOTH ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE AIRPORT TAXI TRANSFERS.

Refunds & Changes of Dates / Postponement & Cancellation Fees

Students may Change the date / postpone their booking by giving the school a minimum of 14 days’ notice prior to arrival date in Malta. The first such Change of date / postponement of any booking will be free of charge. Every further Change of date / postponement will be charged an administrative fee of €100. If a student Changes their dates /postpones less than 14 days prior to arrival date in Malta, the normal cancellation fees shall apply. Changes of dates, Postponements or cancellations are not possible when a visa is in process, or after the visa has been issued related to the course, or in cases of a signed booking confirmation was sent by the school, or where the student has utilised school booking confirmations to gain entry into Malta or the Schengen area or where the course has already begun.

Cancellation of a booking must be received in writing and is subject to the following cancellation fees:

  • More than 14 days before the start of the course: €145.00 Non-Refundable Deposit + Bank Charges + Visa Administration Fee (where applicable)
  • Less than 14 days before the start of the course: 1 week’s course + 1 week’s accommodation (where applicable) + Registration Fee + Accommodation Reservation Fee + Bank Charges + Visa Administration Fee (where applicable).

The school will not give refunds once a student has started their course or accommodation. No refunds on any course or accommodation will be provided if a student’s study visa is rejected / revoked / cancelled due to the student’s absenteeism from school and the minimum lesson attendance required or any other student-related issue.

A booked course type may not be exchanged for any other course type except in exceptional circumstances and at the school’s sole discretion. Once a course has begun, it may not be paused or frozen for any reason. 

Students who are absent for lessons will not get a refund for any missed lessons. There will be no refund given if the student decides to terminate the course earlier than booked. Under no circumstances can a student transfer unused lessons or accommodation to other students. The school strongly suggests that students purchase an insurance policy in case they are unable to start or finish their course for reasons outside their control (e.g. illness, family emergencies, work commitments, etc).

Course Book

Students on an adult course are provided with one course book throughout their stay at the school. Students will need to purchase additional coursebooks when they move up to a higher level or change course. 

In the event that students require a change of level within their first week, students are able to exchange their coursebooks for a new book as long as the original book remains in the same condition with which it was provided. 

Students who are unable to physically collect their course book prior to their first lesson may receive a code to access their book online. In such cases students should then collect their physical book from the school on the first day they are able.

Students are required to have their specific physical book or digital book used by ACE English Malta in order to attend their General English lessons. ACE English Malta reserves the right to deny entry to class if a student does not have a book. 

Level of English

We strongly recommend that students do their Placement Test prior to their arrival in Malta as they will then be able to speed up the process of registrations and collecting class information. Lesson time may be reduced on your first day of school, due to the intake and registration process.  . The Placement Test will be sent to you or your agency by email. If a student does not have the minimum level of English required to follow a specific course as determined by the test, then the school reserves the right to move the student to another appropriate course.

If students make no request to change their level within their first week of arrival, they have to wait for the minimum of 4 weeks in the level before they can do the Progress Test. Only those students who have been in the same level for one month and have attended at least 80% of their course are eligible to take the Progress Test. If students fail the test, different rules may apply. The school reserves the right to implement changes and improvements when needed.

Our courses are levelled in accordance with CEFR guidelines:

  • Beginners = A1
  • Elementary = A1+
  • Pre-Intermediate = A2
  • Intermediate = B1
  • Upper-Intermediate = B2
  • Advanced = C1
  • Proficiency = C2

Reduction of Lessons

If less than five students are taking part in a particular course, then the amount of lessons will be reduced. As soon as there are additional students in class, the normal lesson times will be resumed. The lessons will be reduced as follows:

For ACE Group 20, ACE Group 30, ACE Kids 20, ACE Teen 20, ACE Business, ACE Exam Preparation and ACE Teacher-Training Courses please refer to the following table indicating the number of lessons that will be provided.

20 Lessons Booked 30 Lessons Booked 40 Lessons Booked
1 Person 10 Lessons Received 1 Person 15 Lessons Received 1 Person 20 Lessons Received
2 to 4 People 15 Lessons Received 2 to 4 People 20 Lessons Received 2 to 4 People 30 Lessons Received
5+ People 20 Lessons Received 5+ People 30 Lessons Received 5+ People 40 Lessons Received

Holiday Breaks

Long-stay students are entitled to a holiday break whilst studying at ACE English Malta. The length of their holiday depends on the duration of their course. There is no holiday entitlement for courses shorter than 8 weeks.

Courses

  From 8 to 23 weeks. can request 2 weeks of holidays

From 24 weeks or more can request 2 weeks of holiday for every 12 weeks of the course.

Note That 

  • The school will extend the student's course enrollment (if requested) free of charge.
  • The school will NOT expand student accommodation. If the student stays in our accommodation, they must pay the brochure price to extend their accommodation
  • The school can only extend accommodation subject to availability.
  • The school does not guarantee that students returning from holiday will be offered the same class, teacher, or accommodation.
  • Students requiring a visa for study purposes should ensure that their visa is issued for the correct dates including holidays.
  • Holidays should not be taken without first informing the school. If students do not notify the school, they will be marked absent and the school may need to notify the Visa Immigration office, which could make it difficult for students to retain or extend their visa. In these cases, no refunds will be made.

Public Holidays

ACE English Malta will be closed for some Public Holidays in 2023 & 2024. Lessons will not be made up. Only One-to-One private lessons will be made up in full. The following are the public holidays in 2023 and 2024 when the school will be closed. On all other public holidays that fall during the week, the school will be open for classes as usual.

2024

CLOSED Monday, 1st January 2024 - New Year's Day
CLOSED Tuesday, 19th March - Feast of St Joseph
CLOSED Friday, 29th March - Good Friday
CLOSED Wednesday, 1st May - Workers' Day
CLOSED Friday, 7th June - Sette Giugno
CLOSED Thursday, 15th August - Feast of the Assumption
CLOSED Friday, 13th December - Republic Day
CLOSED Wednesday, 25th December - Christmas Day

Reissue of Lost/Damaged Student Certificates or Cards

€25.00 (+ postage where applicable)

Changes to Booking

The school reserves the right to change any part of the student’s package to another type of similar, or better, standard where circumstances beyond the school’s control necessitate such changes. Changes may include but are not limited to changing from face-to-face lessons to online lessons, changes of accommodation type, changes of course type. In such cases, no charges will apply and no reimbursements will be given.

Lesson Scheduling

Lessons may take place in the morning, afternoon or evening. The school will do its best to match students with their preferred schedule, however the final timetable for each individual student will be decided solely at the discretion of the school, depending on operational requirements and availability. The school reserves the right to change a student’s lesson times at any time at its own discretion even after a course has begun. 

The School may implement policies to facilitate students who require specific lesson schedules attending at the requested time. Such policies will be listed in the student handbook and may be modified and/or revoked at the school’s sole discretion. 

Attendance Policy & Discipline

It is the policy of ACE English Malta that no student is allowed into their classroom if they are more than 15 minutes late for class. They will, therefore, miss the relevant lessons on that day. This is to minimize disruption to other students and the teacher. Lessons missed due to lateness are not replaced.

ACE English Malta students are required to attend at least 80% of scheduled classes.

Students who are unable to attend their lessons due to illness are required to submit a medical certificate to the school by email on the first day of their illness, as well as the original copy of the medical certificate on their first day back at school. Students who provide a medical certificate will have their attendance updated to reflect their time spent recovering, which will not reduce their overall attendance rate.

The school reserves the right to deny entry to any student, at any time,at its own discretion for reason’s  including but not limited to health concerns, disciplinary concerns, security concerns, and legal concerns.

All students are bound to abide by the policies and rules of ACE English Malta and by the laws governing the country. When a reservation is made by an agent or third party, the person making the booking is responsible for informing the student about the school’s terms, conditions, policies and rules. The school’s policies and rules are provided in the Student Handbook. Ignorance of the policies and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for non-compliance and may lead to expulsion of the student from the school and/or accommodation. No refunds will be due in the case of expulsion due to non-compliance with the rules.

Failure to do so may result in the withholding of their end-of-course certificate. If a student does not attend a minimum of 80% of the lessons booked, then disciplinary action may be taken. In the case of any student requiring a visa to study in Malta, and failing to attend a minimum of 80% of the classes, the appropriate authorities will be informed by ACE English Malta of their absenteeism. Absenteeism which confirms less than 80% of the lessons are being attended, could lead to the student being expelled. No refunds on any course or accommodation will be provided if a student’s study visa is rejected / revoked / cancelled due to the student’s absenteeism from school and the minimum lesson attendance required by Malta Immigration Office is not met. The use of mobile phones in the classroom is only allowed for educational tasks and activities when requested by the teacher. Aside from these activities, mobile phones should be turned on silent and placed in the students' bag at all times. ACE English Malta’s teachers reserve the right to ask a student to place their mobile phone aside unless it is used as part of the lesson.

ACE English Malta expects all students to maintain decent and reasonable standards of behaviour at the school and in the accommodation. If a student misbehaves or causes disturbance of any kind or fails to observe school policies, guidelines, rules and regulations, they will be subject to any disciplinary action that ACE English Malta may deem fit. The school has every right to demand fees from the student in such cases and the student will have no right or claim to any refund whatsoever.

Policies & Rules

All students are bound to abide by the policies and rules of ACE English Malta and by the laws governing the country. When a reservation is made by an agent or third party, the person making the booking is responsible for informing the student about the school’s terms, conditions, policies and rules. The school’s policies and rules are provided in the Student Handbook. Ignorance of the policies and rules will not be accepted as an excuse for non-compliance and may lead to expulsion of the student from the school.

ACE English Malta reserves the right to implement or adjust any or all of its rules or policies at any time.

Expulsion

The school expects all its students to be well-motivated, polite and considerate towards staff, host families, other students and the public in general. The school may, without being held liable in any manner whatsoever, exclude students from any service applied for, if, in the opinion of the Directors, Management, or Staff they appear likely to endanger their own health, safety or comfort, or that of other students, or damage the property or reputation of the school, subcontractors or third parties.

If a student regularly disregards school and/or accommodation policies and rules, the Directors, Management, or Staff reserve the right to expel the student. There will be no refund, and in the event of repatriation, the school shall have the right to reclaim any costs incurred.

Self-Catering Apartment Accommodation

Minors below the age of 18 may not reside in ACE self-catering apartments unless being supervised by an accompanying adult staying in the same room.

House Rules

  • Please keep the apartment clean and tidy; the school will provide a cleaning service once per week. Excessive cleaning will result in extra charges.
  • Please take the garbage out on the correct days at the appropriate time (before 08:00 in Swieqi & St Julians, after 20:00 in Sliema). Do not leave garbage inside the common areas of the building. Garbage bags should be properly tied and closed.
  • Smoking inside the apartment or common areas is strictly forbidden.
  • You will receive one set of keys in your welcome pack, lost or damaged keys must be paid for.
  • Guests are not allowed inside the apartment in the evenings between the hours of 22:00 and 09:00. 
  • Keep noise levels to a minimum, especially after 23:00
  • Parties in the apartment are strictly forbidden
  • Do not hang any clothes on the balcony, fan or curtain rails. This may cause unnecessary damage to the facilities.
  • Please take care of the furniture in the apartment. Do not leave any furniture outside on the balcony/terrace.
  • Any damage found inside the apartment must be paid for by all students inside the apartment unless someone takes responsibility. If the damage occurred before your arrival, it must be reported in writing within your first 24 hours.
  • Please do not touch or place items on beds or rooms which are not assigned to you. If you wish to change your bed or room you must send a written request to the school.
  • Kindly close all windows and lock your doors before leaving the apartment or room.
  • The school cannot take any responsibility for personal items found missing. Please always store your possessions securely.
  • Excess consumption of water or electricity will be charged for. Please use water and electricity responsibly. Switch off lights & appliances including Air conditioners when they are not in use.
  • Air Conditioning is available in every room at additional charges for consumption. Any tampering with the machines will result in fines and/or expulsion from the accommodation in addition to charges for the consumption. No refunds will be due in such a case.
  • Please respect the lift capacity and do not overload or jump in it. Any abuse of the lift and resulting damages will be charged for.
  • The school provides an emergency call-out service to provide assistance to the students staying in school accommodation. The school reserves the right to apply additional call-out fees in cases where the service is abused. 
  • The school reserves the right to change allocated rooms or apartments at its own discretion at any time.

Apartment Deposit

A refundable deposit of €100.00 (payable in cash) is required from every student staying in self-catering apartments. This must be paid at school reception on the first day of school and will be returned on the last day, pending any issues relating to the apartment.

Failure to comply with the Self-Catering Apartment Accommodation House Rules as described above and detailed in our Student Handbook will result in penalty charges which must be directly paid in cash to the school. If a student does not pay for any damages he/she is responsible for, the school has every right to expel the student and/or deduct the amount being requested by the school from the number of course and/or accommodation weeks. The penalty charges are listed in our Student Handbook. In the event that damages are not paid in cash, and it is not possible to deduct the requested amount from course and/or accommodation weeks due to insufficient remaining weeks, the school reserves the right to deducted these charges from your accommodation security deposit solely at the school’s Discretion. .

The accommodation security deposit must always have a minimum cash balance of €100.00. Deposits not collected will be sent by bank transfer and an administration charge of €15.00 shall be applied.

House Rules

Staying with a host family is a very rewarding experience as you have the opportunity to practise your English and learn more about local culture and traditions through interaction with family members. Always keep in mind that you are not staying in a hotel so you should be considerate towards the family’s wishes and policies and respect their privacy at all times.

 

  • Smoking is not allowed unless you have express permission from your host family.
  • Do not make any disturbance, especially after 23:00.
  • Always keep your host family informed of your general movements and advise them daily as to what time you expect to be home.
  • Make sure you advise your host family if you will not be having dinner on any day.
  • Clear up and clean the kitchen and the bathroom after you use them.
  • Leave your room clean and tidy at all times.
  • Wi-fi service is not included unless confired by the school at booking stage.
  • On the day the host family cleans your room, it should be left clear so they can do their work. Your room must be left unlocked otherwise it will not be cleaned.
  • Always switch off lights, fans, A/C’s and other electrical equipment when not in use and especially before you leave your room.
  • Guests are not allowed in your host family accommodation at any time.
  • If you are in a sharing room do not leave your things on the other bed even if it is not being used.
  • It is up to the individual host family to decide whether they let you have a key or not. Students are responsible for their keys. Lost keys will be replaced at a charge.
  • Any damages must be replaced or paid for immediately.
  • School management and the host family reserve the right to enter your room at any time if necessary.
  • The host family is also allowed to enter your room for weekly cleaning and in preparation for new student arrivals.

Malta ECO Contribution Tax

All students, of any nationality, aged 18 years and older, staying in apartment or host family accommodation must pay an ECO Tax of €0.50 per night with a maximum of €5.00 per stay. By law, all English language schools must collect this tax on behalf of the Government of Malta. Students must pay the ECO Contribution Tax on their first day at school. This does not apply to students who have not booked any accommodation with the school.

Student Complaint Procedure

If a student needs to make a complaint or has any unresolved issues with the school, they must contact school administration without delay. Complaints that have not been brought to the attention of school administration during the student’s stay will not be addressed at a later date.

Concerns regarding courses, accommodation or any other service provided by the school or its subcontractors are to be registered with the relevant members of the school administration in writing within 24 hours. Queries, problems or issues cannot be resolved unless this procedure has been followed. No complaints and/or claims for compensation will be accepted by the school if queries, problems or issues are brought to the school’s attention after 24 hours of occurrence or after the enrollment end date.

Insurance & Liability

All international students who study at ACE English Malta are strongly encouraged to have adequate health and travel insurance. Students are advised to purchase insurance, including medical insurance, to cover all eventualities before leaving their own country. Students may be held liable for any loss, damage or injury to persons or property, no matter how this is caused.

Should a student be ill and require medical assistance, the school will do its utmost to help and will put the student in contact with a qualified doctor at a local pharmacy. The doctor will charge the student directly. Prices for a home consultation visit are in the region of €30.00 per visit. The school should be notified in advance if a student has an existing medical condition, allergy, etc. It is strongly suggested that EU citizens get a European Health Insurance Card. If a student needs to take out additional insurance while in Malta, this can be arranged by the school.

Force Majeure

ACE English Malta shall and cannot be held responsible or found liable for default or delay in performance of its obligations to the extent that such default or delay is a direct or indirect result of an event or series of events that are beyond ACE English Malta’s reasonable control or due to Force Majeure. “Force Majeure” shall include, but not be limited to, and one or more of (a) fire, flood, earthquake, pandemics, public health emergencies, elements of nature, acts of God, natural or man-made disasters; (b) wars (declared and undeclared), threats of war, acts of terrorism, sabotage, riots, civil disorders (for example general strikes), rebellions or revolutions; (c) industrial action, failure of suppliers or subcontractors, labour disputes, unusually adverse weather conditions, (d) acts of any local or foreign Governmental Entity or Authority with respect to any of the foregoing, or (e) any event or occurrence which is beyond ACE English reasonable control.

Safety & Security

Although a number of security measures are in place to ensure that the school and accommodation are safe, all personal possessions are solely the student’s responsibility. Students are advised to take care of their belongings and never leave them unattended. Students’ possessions are not covered by the school’s insurance policy and the Directors, Management or Staff cannot be held responsible for the theft, loss, or damage to students’ valuables, even while being held for safekeeping.

Damages

The full cost must be paid by students who cause any damage to the school or place of accommodation, or during any service provided by the school or its subcontractors. In the case of damages caused in shared accommodation, all students in that respective accommodation will be held equally responsible if no single student accepts responsibility. Breakages and damages will be charged as they arise. The school retains the right to withhold the damage deposit paid on arrival.

Data Protection

By submitting their information, students agree to the storage and use of that information by ACE English Malta. This information will only be used when necessary to provide the services the student has enrolled for and for any other purpose associated with these services.

Photography & Filming

Students will be asked to sign a consent form on their first day in accordance with new GDPR regulations. It is automatically assumed that pictures taken during lessons or activities or any pictures given to the school or its staff can be used in ACE English Malta brochures or other printed or online promotional materials, unless the student objects at the time the photograph is taken. The school will not charge the students for any photos taken during their stay, and the school will owe no remuneration or compensation to students who are photographed or filmed. Should students wish to refrain from being photographed or filmed, they are kindly requested to let the school know and the school will ensure that photos of such students will not be used for promotional purposes.

Agents

These Terms and Conditions are applicable to direct students and agents unless variations are expressly agreed between the two parties in writing.