International School of Helsinki
Web: www.ish.edu.hel.fi
2007-2008
The International School of Helsinki is an independent, coeducational day school which offers an educational program from kindergarten through grade 12 for students of all nationalities. The School was founded in 1963. The School is permitted to operate by the Finnish Ministry of Education and is accredited by both the New England Association of Schools and College and the Council of International Schools. The lower school (Grades K-5) and upper school (Grades 6-12) operate on trimesters which run from August 6 to May 31.
Organization: The School is governed by a 9-member School Board, elected annually by the Parents' Association, which sponsors the School. The Parents' Association is a formal association registered with the Finnish Ministry in accordance with local legal requirements.
Curriculum: The curriculum is internationally focused and is aligned with the philosophies of International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). The School is authorized to offer all three programs of the IBO: Primary Years Program (PYP), Middle Years Program (MYP) and the IB Diploma Program. The language of instruction is English. Students with limited or no English are supported through the English-as-an-Additional Language (EAL) program. The School also offers limited special education support. Second languages taught are French, Finnish and Spanish. The curriculum emphasizes meeting the individual needs of students in small classes. There is an After-School Activities Program for grades 3-12.
Faculty: In the 2007-2008 school year, there are 59 full-time faculty members.
Enrollment: At the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year, enrollment was 288 (K-5: 140; and grades 6-12: 148).
Facilities: The School moved to its present facility in August 1996. There are 25 classrooms, 2 science labs, 2 computer labs with networking and Internet access, an art suite with darkroom/kiln, a music suite, a cafeteria/auditorium, a full-size gymnasium, a library for 18,000 volumes together with a media centre, and a sports field. There is also a school radio, a TV channel and satellite TV access.
Finances: In the 2007-2008 school year, the School's income derives from regular day school tuition and fees, and Finnish government grants. Annual tuition rates are as follows: Kdg. 1-Kdg. 2: €11,036; grades 1-5: €12,106; grades 6-8: €12,781; grades 9-10: €13,447 and grades 11-12: €14,444. The School also charges a first-time registration fee of €3,000 and, in some cases, a non-residency fee of €2,309 for grades 1-9 and €2,077 for grades 10-12. The first-time registration fee is a one-time payment. These fee are payable in U.S. dollars. (All fees are quoted in euros.)
