EU Funding, Socrates-Comenius Programme

All teacher development courses are eligible for EU Comenius funding.

Individual grants for language teacher training courses

Grants are available to enable you to participate in courses lasting between one and four weeks, which take place in a country where the target language is spoken and taught. Contact your National Agency for full details.

Who may participate?

To be eligible for a training grant to participate in an in-service course for language teachers, you must be one of the following:

• A qualified and practising teacher of an official language of the EU (or Irish or Luxembourgish) as a foreign language
• A trainer of foreign language teachers
• A teacher re-training as a foreign language teacher
• A primary or pre-primary teacher whose responsibilities include or will in the future include teaching foreign languages
• A teacher of other subjects through the medium of a foreign language
• A language teacher re-entering the profession after a period away from teaching
• An inspector or advisor in the field of language teaching

The maximum grant is currently 1500 Euros.

What financial support is on offer?

The grant awarded will be calculated to help cover:

• Travel costs to and from the country where the course is organised
• Subsistence costs
• Preparation costs (including language preparation)
• Course fees where appropriate

How and when to apply for a grant?

The procedure to apply for a grant is as follows:

1. Choose the course that you would like to attend. You should then obtain information about availability of places direct from Bell and send in your registration form. For question 4d tick the box 'I have applied for an EU grant. I will confirm my place when I have been accepted.'
2. Once you have registered provisionally with Bell, apply to your National Agency for support to attend your chosen course. Details of how to contact your National Agency are on the Comenius web site.
3. When you complete your application form, keep in mind that priority will be given to applicants who show:
   
   • how they will use the skills and knowledge gained on the in-service course to the benefit of their school or institution
   • how the experience could help them to set up school partnerships with other schools in Europe
   • how the course will give them a better understanding of school education in Europe and increase the European dimension of their work
4. Remember that on a Bell course you will meet teachers from many different European countries, learn about the way of life in their countries and make lasting professional relationships.
5. Please note that there are no Comenius course codes for courses starting after 1st August 2003. All Bell courses are eligible for grants
6. Submit your completed application forms by the appropriate closing date to the National Agency in your country
7. As soon as your National Agency approves your application, inform Bell and you will be registered for your course We will keep your place until four weeks before the start of the course. After that date, you will be registered if places are still available

Our other Adult courses

Special Groups

Bell develops and runs courses in the UK to meet the specific training needs of special groups of teachers sponsored by government departments or teaching institutions.

Project UK

Bell can provide tailor-made programmes for groups of children from the same school during term-time. The study programme is planned together with the school and can be designed to complement the school syllabus.