Norden International School vs The English School - Grades 1–6 and Preschool

	N Norden International School Helsinki, Finland	T The English School - Grades 1–6 and Preschool Helsinki, Finland
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year €9,850	Fees / year €673 - 11,314
Age range	Age range 5 - 16 years	Age range 4 - 12 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum, Finnish Curriculum	Curriculum Bespoke Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE
Pupils	Pupils —	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 11	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English, Finnish	Instruction language Finnish, English
Opened	Opened 2013	Opened 1945
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service No
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location Helsinki, Finland (Malmi) and Brussels, Belgium (Rue de la Fusee 66, 1130 Bruxelles). Helsinki is easily accessible by public transport.	Location The English School has two campuses in Helsinki, Finland. Grades 1–6 and Preschool are at Mäntytie 14, 00270 Helsinki. Grades 7–9 and High School are at Valimotie 17–19, 00380 Helsinki.
Stages	Stages Helsinki: pre-school to Grade 9; Brussels: primary education.	Stages Two-year preschool, elementary school, middle school and high school.
School type	School type Private international school	School type The school is a private bilingual school offering education in Finnish and English.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support Psychological counseling services; additional support provided through partner Arem.	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Finland (Helsinki campus); Belgium (Brussels campus)	Country affiliation Finland
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure Helsinki: 10:00–14:00 official hours; Brussels: 12:00–13:00 official hours (Mon-Wed and Friday).	School day structure Lessons last 75 minutes. The lunch hour lasts 30 minutes. Lunch is served in three groups due to staggered times; High School lunch is from 11:35 to 12:50; the Middle School and High School have partly separate lunchtimes. The School Office at Valimotie is open on weekdays from 9.00–14.00.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application / Registration fee - One-time registration (application) fee: EUR 750. This fee must be paid to complete enrollment and confirm the student's place. Tuition fees (annual and per term by school section) — amounts exclude VAT - Pre‑School (Grade 0): EUR 8,500 per year. Per payment instalment (4 instalments per year): EUR 2,125. - Primary (Grades 1–6): EUR 9,850 per year. Per payment instalment (4 instalments per year): EUR 2,462.50. - Secondary (Grades 7–9): EUR 10,500 per year. Per payment instalment (4 instalments per year): EUR 2,625.00. Mandatory and regularly applied additional fees - Book fee: EUR 500 per year (charged in addition to the tuition fee). - Value added tax (VAT): The listed tuition and service prices do not include VAT. The school indicates an applicable VAT rate of 25.5% to be added where relevant. Optional services and their fees - Afternoon Club (optional): EUR 200 per month plus VAT; includes arts/crafts materials and a light snack. Afternoon program runs from 14:15 and students leave between 16:00 and 16:45. - School transport: Transport from Espoo, Vantaa and Helsinki is available and billed separately; transport is not included in the tuition fee. Discounts - Sibling discount: 5% discount on tuition for qualifying additional children. Billing schedule and payment terms - Payment schedule: Tuition fees are to be paid in four instalments over the school year (four equal payments). The registration fee must be paid to confirm enrollment; other additional fees (book fee, optional services, transport) are charged separately. - Timing of instalments: Fees are invoiced and payable in four instalments during the school year (the school specifies a four‑instalment schedule but does not publish specific calendar dates for each instalment on the published admissions information). Boarding fees - Boarding is not offered; the school operates day programmes and provides optional transport and an afternoon club rather than boarding accommodation. Other costs or incidental fees - School uniforms, special trips, external exam fees or other incidental costs are not explicitly listed in the published tuition summary; optional activities and transport are charged separately where applicable. (The book fee and afternoon club are listed separately from tuition.) Refund information - No specific refund policy or refund conditions for tuition, registration, or other fees is published within the school's publicly available admissions and registration information. The registration fee is stated as required to confirm enrollment.	Fee details Application & entry fees - Registration fee: EUR 20.00 payable when submitting a registration form. (Applies to Preschool and Grades 1–9). - Entrance test fee: EUR 60.00 (applies to Preschool and Grades 1–9). - Administration fee: EUR 50.00 payable when a new student is enrolled. Tuition fees (all year groups: Preschool – High School) - Standard tuition fee for students resident in Finland: EUR 673.00 per academic year. - Term split: Fall term EUR 336.50 and Spring term EUR 336.50 (i.e., the annual EUR 673.00 is billed as EUR 336.50 per term). - Included in the standard tuition: daily warm lunch. Tuition fees for upper secondary (high school) students from third countries - For students who become subject to tuition fees (students from third countries beginning studies in or after August 2026), the tuition fee for the 2026–2027 academic year is EUR 11,314. - The EUR 11,314 figure is calculated to cover: the average unit price of upper secondary education, learning materials including a computer, meal fees, projected cost increases, and the school's annual fee of EUR 673.00. - If a student who begins in autumn 2026 completes a typical three-year upper secondary programme, the total tuition over three years would be EUR 33,942. Billing schedule and payment terms - Standard tuition (EUR 673.00) may be paid in two parts: at the beginning of the Fall semester and at the beginning of the Spring semester (i.e., the two term instalments). - For upper secondary students from third countries, payment of the tuition fee is a prerequisite for participating in instruction. Boarding fees - Boarding accommodation is not offered; boarding fees are not applicable. (No boarding or residential fee schedule is listed for the school.) Other costs and incidental charges - School supplies and textbooks: Pupils receive textbooks, workbooks and other materials from the school for their use. Pupils are responsible for their materials; books used for more than one year are returned at the end of the year. Guardians may be required to cover replacement costs for lost or damaged school property. Standard compensation for lost or damaged books is EUR 10.00; replacement library card fee EUR 5.00. - Camp schools and certain longer trips: The school does not finance camp schools; guardians may jointly collect funds for camp schools and voluntary fundraising may be organised for these activities. Participation in fundraising is voluntary, but camp schools and some longer trips may require additional guardian contributions. - School attire and equipment: Indoor shoes labelled with the pupil's name and appropriate clothing for physical education are required; special clothing requirements are set by PE teachers. (No separate uniform fee is specified.) Refund information - Refunds for upper secondary tuition charged to students from third countries (students who start in or after August 2026) are specified as follows: - Withdrawal by the last day of the 1st period: 4/5 of the tuition fee refunded. - Withdrawal by the last day of the 2nd period: 3/5 refunded. - Withdrawal by the last day of the 3rd period: 2/5 refunded. - Withdrawal by the last day of the 4th period: 1/5 refunded. - No separate general refund schedule for the standard EUR 673.00 annual fee is detailed in the published school fee information for regular resident students; the above refund schedule applies to the specified upper secondary tuition for students from third countries. Fee payment options and invoicing - The standard tuition is billed per academic year and may be paid in two instalments at the start of each semester. Specific payment instructions and accepted payment methods are provided through the school's finance office and on school invoices. Contact details for the school's finance office are published in school materials.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details English is the primary language of instruction at Norden International School of Helsinki, with Finnish language education provided as a secondary focus. The Primary Curriculum (Grades 1–6) is designed for a well-rounded education that emphasizes academic achievement, creativity, and personal growth, with Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies (exploring history, geography, and the community), Arts & Crafts, and Physical Education. Social Studies focuses on history, geography, and the community to help students understand the world. The Secondary Curriculum (Grades 7–9) is more challenging and specialized, combining core subjects, electives, and opportunities for personal growth to promote independence, self-discipline, and collaboration. In Norden Brussels for 2026–27, English remains the language of instruction, with French and Flemish taught as additional languages; class sizes are small (10–12 students) and the program emphasizes personalized education, reading culture and libraries, performance tracking and support, arts, sports and handcrafts, a stress-free, technology-enabled learning environment, parental involvement, and psychological well-being support.	Curriculum details Truly bilingual curriculum across preschool to high school with instruction in Finnish and English. The High School offers two study programs: the bilingual English–Finnish Language and Culture Program, where studies are conducted in both Finnish and English (English taught by native speakers), and a General Upper Secondary English program. Both programs follow the Finnish national curriculum and culminate in the Finnish Matriculation Examinations (in Finnish for the bilingual program; in English for the English-language track). The school's curriculum is anchored in Christian values and emphasizes global citizenship, cultural understanding, respect for diversity, ecological sustainability and responsible citizenship.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio Small class sizes in Norden Brussels: 10–12 students per class.	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression Most graduates advance to well-known universities in Finland and abroad. Guidance counselors assist students in planning higher education and studying abroad after high school, if requested.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented Gifted pathways include additional diplomas in Music and Visual Arts (Music Diploma and Visual Arts Diploma), with extra music courses and arts opportunities available for dedicated students.
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Fill in the registration form. You will receive a confirmation message stating that you have received a place for the level assessment. The assessment date will be announced afterward. The application form is available online. 2. Take the level assessment. All prospective students have to go through a level assessment. Level assessments are arranged upon request. The level assessment is a required part of the admissions process. 3. Pay the registration fee. The one-time registration fee is 750 Euros. The annual school fee is 9,850 Euros plus VAT and an additional 500 Euros for books. This fee covers all expenses except for the one-time registration fee. 4. Sign the school contract. Enrollment is completed upon signing the school contract. The contract formalizes the enrollment and confirms the placement. This completes the enrollment.	Admissions —
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist A waiting list is established based on entrance test results when openings exist; entrance tests are conducted for grades with available openings, and the waiting list is used to sequence offers.
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