Terms & Conditions

General Terms and Conditions

1. All enrolments are subject to written acceptance and Further Learning Ltd (hereafter referred to as the Garden Design Academy of Ireland) reserves the right to decline any enrolment application for any reason it sees fit.

2. If an enrolment is declined, irrespective of the reason, the prospective student will receive a full and complete refund of any course fees paid.

3. Course places are assigned on an individual basis and are not transferrable to a third party either during or prior to course commencement.

4. If a home study student decides to withdraw from their course within 14 days of enrolment they can request a full and complete refund of course fees paid. No refunds will be issued after 14 days.

5. If a classroom student decides to withdraw from their course for any reason they can request a full and complete refund of course fees paid if the request is made within the following timeframes:

• Before the second class for Saturday classroom students
• Before the third class for weeknight classroom students

No refunds will be issued outside of the timeframes specified above.

6. As our classroom-based courses are part-time, they do not qualify for a student visa. There may be other visas available to students, but we cannot assist with any visa applications. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure they have the required visa to study in our part time classroom courses. It is not the responsibility of the Garden Design Academy of Ireland to determine the eligibility of students for classroom study nor to arrange visas. No visa is necessary for our home study courses.

7. If the number of students enrolled in a class does not reach the minimum required by the academy, we reserve the right to cancel the class. In the event of cancellation, the academy will notify students as soon as possible and provide a full refund of any fees paid.

8. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to make changes and improvements to course content, curriculum, structure, assessments and assessment criteria without prior notice.

9. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to make changes to accrediting partners without notice.

10. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to terminate a student's enrolment at any time if we deem their behaviour inappropriate and/or unacceptable. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland has discretion as to whether fees should be refunded in whole, in part, or at all, in such circumstances.

11. While the Garden Design Academy of Ireland makes every effort to ensure that a student is assigned to the same tutor throughout their course, circumstances may arise which will result in some assignments being marked by another qualified tutor.

12. If a student wishes to continue their study beyond the standard study period, it may be possible to extend their course for a year for an extension fee, subject to restrictions and limits depending on the level of the course.

13. If a classroom student wishes to move intake, or graduate early from the classes, they are liable for a moving fee.

14. A qualification will only be granted upon successful completion of all assignments for the given course.

15. In the case where assignments do not meet the required standard, the student will receive support from their tutor and be given the opportunity to resubmit the relevant assignments subject to the Resubmission Policy available through the Online Learning Centre. 

16. The student agrees to grant to the Garden Design Academy of Ireland, in respect of any course work produced by them for an assignment as part of the course a perpetual royalty-free licence.

17. Where a student brings materials, equipment and/or personal items to his/her classes, or on class trips, the student will take full responsibility for the safety and security of these items. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland will take no responsibility for the safety and security, including damage to or loss of any student property.

18. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland will endeavour to deliver classes to the agreed schedule.  If you enrol in a physical classroom course and we must cancel one or more classes due to circumstances outside our control (e.g. COVID-19 restrictions, travel disruption, red weather warning etc), we will provide these classes online at no extra charge, and no refund will be applicable.   

If unable to facilitate an online class in lieu of a physical class, the Garden Design Academy of Ireland will reschedule any class that is cancelled due to any unforeseen circumstance beyond our control.  The Garden Design Academy of Ireland will reschedule the class to a date and study mode based on venue and tutor availability. The choice of rescheduled date and venue is at the discretion of the Garden Design Academy of Ireland.  No full or partial refunds will be given for rescheduled classes. 

19. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland does not permit video recording during classroom sessions. Students are encouraged to take notes and audio recording during classroom sessions is permissible.

20. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to record and retain a student's personal data on the company's administration systems. This data includes but is not limited to the student's name, postal address, email address and telephone number.

21. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to record and retain a student's course work, tutor feedback and results on the company's administration system.

22. The student agrees to adhere to all of the Garden Design Academy of Ireland's QA Policies and Procedures available to view within the Online Learning Centre. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to amend policies and procedures without prior notice. It is recommended that students periodically review these.

23. The student agrees with the privacy policy which we publish on the website and outlines in more detail our use of your data. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to amend the policy without prior notice in line with relevant legislation.

24. For students on Pearson BTEC Higher National courses, the Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to share personal data with Pearson which includes but is not limited to name, postal address, email address, telephone number, course work, tutor feedback and results.

25. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to take photographs of students and student work in class and on class trips for use internally and to post on the Student Forum and on the Garden Design Academy of Ireland's closed social media platforms.

26. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland reserves the right to amend and/or update these Terms and Conditions. It is recommended that students review these Terms and Conditions upon enrolment and through the Online Learning Centre.

27. Students enrolling on Pearson BTEC Higher National courses will be 'Pearson Applicants' until they complete the first unit of their course as an 'induction unit'. Once they have completed the first unit they will be registered as Pearson students through Edexcel. This is a Pearson requirement.

28. The HND classes are split into two semesters of 15 classes each, with a break in between to allow you to work on your assignments. The second year of the HND blended learning class session will take place on Saturdays only and start in September of the year following the year of enrolment e.g. Enrol in February 2022, second year takes place in September 2023. 

29. In the event that there are not enough students enrolled on a HND Part 2 (second year of HND blended learning class session) the Academy will endeavour to facilitate the class sessions via our Live Online delivery model. These sessions will take place on a Saturday during normal, previously published hours. 

30. Where applicable, promotional discounts apply to all new enrolments of all courses offered by Garden Design Academy of Ireland. Promotional discounts are not valid for any additional fees, materials, or certifications purchased separately.

Work Placement Terms and Conditions

1. Work placements are available to all graduates of the Postgraduate Diploma, Postgraduate Certificate, Higher National Certificate and Higher National Diploma. Information on placements is available on request from the Garden Design Academy of Ireland.

2. Students must have a CV ready to send to the Garden Design Academy of Ireland Work Placement Coordinator. The Work Placement Coordinator will then work with the student to develop their portfolio.

3. All work placements are guaranteed within set cities. These cities are Dublin, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Melbourne, and Sydney. Every effort will be made to facilitate requests for a work placement outside of these areas but it cannot be guaranteed. Students must be eligible to work within the area of the work placement offered. It is not the responsibility of the Garden Design Academy of Ireland to determine the eligibility of students for work placement nor to arrange work visas.

4. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland aims to place a student within six weeks of finalising their CV and portfolio.

5. The Garden Design Academy of Ireland must be informed of any unavailability during the work placement period - holidays, other work and family commitments etc., that might impinge on the student's ability to accept certain posts.

6. Students have three months after graduating to put themselves forward for work placement.

7. Work placement payment is at the discretion of the company that is hiring the student. The position may be paid, unpaid, or have travel expenses covered. The student will need to ascertain these details at the time of interview with the company.

8. Work placements can take place with a variety of different organisations or individuals.

9. As good work experience and work placement opportunities are in high demand the Garden Design Academy of Irelandrequires students to reply to any offers promptly. We will notify the student by email and/or telephone. If an offer is not responded to within 48 hours it is relinquished and the student will be removed from the listing.

10. If the student fails to attend a scheduled interview or appointment, without good or sufficient reason, they will not be eligible for any future positions.

Class Trips Terms and Conditions

1. The student recognises that the Garden Design Academy of Irelandassumes no responsibility for any damage or injury that may be caused by the student, the employees and contractors of the Garden Design Academy of Ireland or any third party that may result from the student's participation in any class trip organised by the Garden Design Academy of Ireland.

2. These terms and conditions release the Garden Design Academy of Ireland from any liability, personal injury, death, property damage, destruction of property, that may be the result of the student's participation in any class trip.  

3. The student releases and discharges the Garden Design Academy of Ireland, its employees and contractors, from any claim, including legal costs associated with any claim, which may arise from the student's participation in any class trip organised by the Garden Design Academy of Ireland, its employees or contractors.

4. Where a student participates in a class trip, he/she will be participating in the class trip of his/her own free will.

5. The student confirms that he/she is 18 years or older.