Selkämerenkatu 11, 00180 Helsinki, Finland, 00180, Helsinki, Finlandia Meridional, Finland.
Selkämerenkatu 11, 00180 Helsinki, Finland, 00180, Helsinki, Finlandia Meridional.
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| Category | Detail |
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| Scope | Private |
| Faith | Secular |
| Differentiation | Coed |
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| Educational Model |
General Curriculum |
| Attention to diversity |
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The International School of Helsinki (ISH) is a not-for-profit, co-educational international day school in Helsinki. It was founded in 1963 as a British preparatory school, took its current name in 1976 and, after several moves, has occupied its present building on Selkämerenkatu in the Ruoholahti area since 1996; work on a new annex began in 2026. The school is run by the Parents' Association of ISH, operates within conditions set by the Finnish Ministry of Education and charges tuition fees, with partial grants from the Finnish and US governments. ISH teaches children aged 4 to 18, from the Early Years programme through Grade 12, and its community includes more than 50 nationalities, serving diplomatic, expatriate and local families. It is the only school in the Helsinki area authorised for all three International Baccalaureate programmes: the Primary Years Programme from Early Years to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme in Grades 6 to 10 and the Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12, and in 2005 it became Finland's first school with all three. Graduates also receive a high school diploma equivalent to an American one. ISH is accredited by NEASC and the Council of International Schools.
Educational System of International School of Helsinki
Method
Pedagogical method general Curriculum
School values
ISH aims to be a school where every student is known, inspired and challenged, and where connection, care and shared ambition help everyone go further than they expected. It describes itself as a global community connecting people and ideas through learning, with four core values: curiosity, courage, connection and care. Student empowerment and individualised, inquiry-based learning are central to its approach.
PTA
Tutoring
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Attention to Diversity at International School of Helsinki
Attention to diversity
Educational Stages of International School of Helsinki
Nursery
Preschool
Primary
Middle School
High School
Vocational Training
Information about the educational stages of the International School of Helsinki
Children start in the Early Years programme, Discovery at age 4 and Explorers at age 5, and enter Grade 1 at age 6, with 1 September as the cut-off date. The Lower School covers Early Years to Grade 5 under the IB Primary Years Programme. The Upper School comprises the Middle Years Programme from Grade 6 to Grade 10 and the Diploma Programme and High School Diploma in Grades 11 and 12.
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Languages and International Programs at International School of Helsinki
Spanish (Half)
English (Instructional)
Finnish (High)
French (Half)
Information about languages of the International School of Helsinki
English is the language of instruction, and English as an Additional Language support helps students who arrive with little or no English up to Grade 8; high school applicants need sufficient English. Finnish is offered both as a mother tongue and as a foreign language, and Finnish citizens are required to study it. French and Spanish are taught as foreign languages, and the school supports students in keeping up their home languages.
IB (International Baccalaureate)
American Curriculum
Information about international degrees and programmes of the International School of Helsinki
ISH offers the full IB continuum. The Primary Years Programme runs from the four-year-old Early Years class to Grade 5 and, in the early years, is combined with the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care curriculum. The Middle Years Programme is taught as a full five-year programme from Grade 6 to 10. In Grades 11 and 12 all students who meet graduation requirements earn the ISH High School Diploma, equivalent to an American diploma, and can complete additional requirements for the IB Diploma.
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Extracurricular Activities at International School of Helsinki
Arts activities
Music
Information about extracurricular activities of the International School of Helsinki
ISH runs an after-school activities and athletics programme for Kindergarten to Grade 12, organised in autumn, winter and spring seasons, with sports, arts and music clubs and up to four activities per student each season. Middle and high school students can compete in sports and academic events of the Central and Eastern European Schools Association (CEESA) and the Nordic international schools network, travelling abroad and hosting visiting teams in Helsinki.
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Services and Facilities of International School of Helsinki
Dining room
Dining room - External catering
Other services
Field trips / retreats
Information about the services offered by the International School of Helsinki
Student support services cover additional educational needs, English language acquisition and social, emotional or behavioural needs, with learning support teachers and a wellbeing team that also runs workshops for students and parents. The school has a hot lunch programme. There is no uniform and no boarding. The Parent-Teacher Organization welcomes new families with coffee mornings, a handbook and language coordinators.
Facilities
Gym
Facilities
Library
Information about the facilities of the International School of Helsinki
Since 1996 the school has been based in a modern multi-storey building on Selkämerenkatu in the Ruoholahti district of Helsinki, and construction of the ISH Annex began in May 2026. The school has a gymnasium used for physical education and a library that forms part of the specialist programme. Lower School pupils use iPads and laptops, and every Upper School student works on a personal laptop.
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