The International School of Helsinki is an independent, co-educational,

international school An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body a ...

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. It was founded as the British Preparatory School in 1963. ISH is an

International Baccalaureate The International Baccalaureate (IB), formerly known as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a nonprofit foundation headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and founded in 1968. It offers four educational programmes: the IB Dip ...

World School, with IB programs offered from

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

to Grade 12. The school was first authorised to offer the

IB Diploma The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

program in 1993. Instruction is in English, with the school divided into a Lower School (Kindergarten through Grade 5) and Upper School (Grades 6-12). The school has a full-day program. Its school years run from early August to early June.

Accreditation and Authorization

Accreditation

In addition to the International Baccalaureate, the school is also accredited by the following organizations: *

New England Association of Schools and Colleges The New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC) is a United States' regional accreditation association providing educational accreditation. NEASC serves over 1500 public, independent schools, and technical/career institution ...

Council of International Schools The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a membership organization aimed at international education. CIS was formed in 1949. It has over 1,360 institutional members consisting of over 740 schools and 610 colleges/universities, located in 122 ...

Authorization

ISH became the first school in Finland fully authorised to offer all three of the International Baccalaureate Programme: the

Primary Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students in grades Kindergarten to Fifth grade. While the programme prepares students for the IB Middle Y ...

(PYP), the

Middle Years Programme The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) is an educational programme for students between the ages of 11 to 16 around the world as part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum. Middle Year Programme is intended to pr ...

(MYP), and the

Diploma Programme The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year Curriculum, educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification fo ...

in November 2005. The school's strategic plan, the philosophies of the International BaccalaureateN.a. "Our Learning Philosophy - International School of Helsinki." Ishelsinki.fi. 10 Feb. 2017. Web. 6 Feb. 2017. Programmes, along with the Finnish education regulations and the standards set forth by the accrediting agencies mentioned above all contribute to the structure and operation of ISH.

Structure

The school has approximately 415 students of whom some 28% are Finnish nationals. The rest of the school's population is made up of different nationalities. The school is divided into two sections:

ISH Lower School

* 1 Programme: Primary Years Programme (PYP), 4 years old - 11 years old.

ISH Upper School

* 2 Programmes: ** Middle Years Programme (MYP), 11 years old - 16 years old. ** Diploma Programme (DP) 16 years old - 19 years old. All three programmes share the same campus.

Administration

The school is administered by a Board of Governors elected by the ISH Parents Association to two-year terms.

Facilities

ISH moved into its purpose-built structure in the

Ruoholahti Ruoholahti (; sv, label=Swedish, Gräsviken; both meaning "Grass Bay") is a quarter in Helsinki, part of the Länsisatama neighbourhood and Kampinmalmi district. It is located in the southwestern part of the central city area of Helsinki, clo ...

district of Helsinki in 1996. The school's facilities include ICT labs, a gymnasium, sports field, library, and media center as well as classrooms equipped with Smart-Boards and other media devices. The school also has a combined cafeteria/auditorium.

Extracurricular activities

The International School of Helsinki offers a variety of activities. The After School Activities(ASA) Programme is divided into three seasons: Autumn, Winter and Spring. The intended goal of the ASA Programme is to offer students both competitive and non-competitive activities and athletics options. The school is a member of CEESA which allows older students to take part in events alongside students from other international schools in central and Eastern Europe. These include various sports events including soccer, basketball, and volleyball tournaments. Lower School students have a variety of clubs to choose from, which include arts, comics, dancing, drama, games, music, and various sports.

References

External links

International School of Helsinki

International Baccalaureate Organization

Central and Eastern European Schools Association
{{International schools in Finland Schools in Helsinki

International schools in Finland International Baccalaureate schools in Finland Educational institutions established in 1963 1963 establishments in Finland