Grade Level Expectations​

Each grade level is designed to build upon the previous year’s learning with increased complexity and responsibility.

Grade 7:
Focus on strengthening core academic skills and developing critical thinking. Students are introduced to more specialized subjects and expected to engage in independent work.

Grade 8:
Students deepen their understanding of key subjects and begin exploring their academic interests through elective choices. This year emphasizes organizational skills, time management, and personal responsibility.

Grade 9:
As students prepare for high school, they engage in more rigorous coursework and begin considering their future academic and career pathways. Focus is on mastering foundational knowledge that will support success in the upper grades.

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  Our school provides a school-based learning environment for students enrolled in home education (homeschooling) programmes.

 

Families choose our school primarily for the following reasons:

• Individualised attention and small class sizes

• An international, English-medium educational framework

• Open, efficient communication between families, students, and teachers

 

Students continue their home education programmes while working alongside teachers and peers in our school setting. The curriculum we follow is the Finnish National Core Curriculum, applied by the Ministry of Education and Culture in all schools across Finland.

 

Homeschool status carries certain legal responsibilities, which are outlined below as they are important for all families to understand.

Admission Process

Before enrolling a student, we arrange an introductory meeting with the child and their family. During this meeting, we gather information about the student's learning background, individual needs, and future plans.

 

The introductory meeting serves the following purposes:

• Understanding the student's individual needs

• Assessing whether our learning environment is the right fit for the family

• Preventing unforeseen difficulties further down the line

What Families Need to Know: Legal Responsibilities

In Finland, students in home education are officially monitored by a designated municipal school in their area of residence. It is the legal responsibility of parents to keep official home education documents and progress records up to date.

 

While your child is studying at our school, you are required to maintain and regularly update the documentation provided to you by the municipality.

About the Documents We Issue

Our school does not issue an official Finnish school certificate. The official graduation certificate (päättötodistus) is issued by the municipal school responsible for monitoring the student.

 

However, our school can provide its own progress reports, which may support:

• Students wishing to continue their education abroad

• Students transitioning to Finnish state lower secondary schools

 

Important: An official graduation certificate is required to apply to upper secondary school (lukio) in Finland. We kindly ask that you take this into account when choosing a school for your child.

Important Information for Students in Grades 7–9

We would like to understand your family's long-term plans in Finland. This is particularly important for students currently in grades 7–9.

 

Students who complete grade 9 in Finland must pass the Finnish final examination and obtain an official graduation certificate in order to apply to upper secondary school (lukio). Without this certificate, students are not eligible to apply to a Finnish state upper secondary school under standard conditions.

 

This certificate is not required for students who plan to pursue upper secondary education abroad.

Post-Grade 9 Education Options

Vocational Education and Training (Ammattikoulu / Ammatillinen koulutus)

These are hands-on vocational training programmes that do not require an upper secondary diploma for admission. They offer training in a wide range of fields including culinary arts, IT, healthcare, construction, beauty, and fashion. Some programmes also offer support in English.

 

Example institutions:

• Stadin ammatti- ja aikuisopisto (Stadin AO)

• Keuda

• Omnia (Espoo)

Discretionary Applications (Harkinnanvarainen haku)

Students without an official graduation certificate may apply to certain schools through an individual assessment process. In this process, the student's competence and motivation are evaluated. As conditions vary by institution, it is recommended to contact the student services department of the relevant school directly.

English-Medium Education Options

The number of schools offering fully English-medium upper secondary education in Finland is very limited. These include:

• Helsinki International School (under Laajasalon opisto)

• Ressun lukio (IB programme — Finnish language proficiency is required)

• Helsingin Saksalainen Koulu

 

Admission requirements and language conditions vary between these schools.

Adult Upper Secondary School (Aikuislukio) — Ages 18 and Over

Students who have turned 18 can enrol in an adult upper secondary school to complete missing courses and sit graduation examinations. This route may take longer, but it provides access to higher education in Finland.

 

Example institutions:

• Helsingin aikuislukio

• Itäkeskuksen aikuislukio

• Espoon aikuislukio

Further Information

For detailed information on home education in Finland, please visit:

www.suomenkotikouluyhdistys.fi/ohjeita-ja-julkaisuja/

 

Yours sincerely,

Norden International School of Helsinki