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Taught languages Finnish, French, English, Swedish, Spanish, German
Typical class size 23
Strengths Languages, Visual and Creative Arts, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Leadership and Professional, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Preschool, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, Sixth Form
Introduction
Lycee Franco-Finlandais d'Helsinki is a Finnish public language school delivering bilingual Finnish–French instruction within the Finnish education system. The school follows the Finnish national curriculum, with instruction in Finnish and French across basic education and upper secondary. In basic education, Finnish is taught as a mother tongue from grade 1; A1 French starts in grade 1; A2 English in grade 4; B1 Swedish in grade 6; B2 Spanish or German in grade 8. Upper secondary splits into French L1 and a mission-specific track; the L1 program aligns with the Finnish matriculation exam, while the mission track offers flexibility for strong French skills, requiring at least 24 French units and 16 units in other subjects. The school provides DELF B2 and DALF C1 certifications, a range of French studies, francophone projects, and exchanges. About 800 students study here, with small teaching groups and an international cooperation network, including study trips abroad.
Lycee Franco-Finlandais d'Helsinki has 811 pupils, typical class sizes of 23, instruction in Finnish, French.
Location
The school is in Helsinki, Finland, located at Raumantie 4, 00350 Helsinki. It is in the Munkkivuori area of the city. The campus serves as a public language school with Finnish and French language communities nearby and within the public education network. The address and location are published as Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu / Lycée franco-finlandais d'Helsinki, Raumantie 4, 00350 Helsinki.
Stages
Preschool, primary (classes 1-9), and upper secondary (lycée).
Type
Public language school with bilingual Finnish–French instruction.
Additional learning support
Language support courses are organized based on student needs. A specialist teacher guides students to identify individual learning strategies and to develop study skills. The school psychologist conducts assessments and, when needed, refers students to further evaluation or specialists.
Country affiliation
France.
School day structure
For classes 1-5, the day runs from 8:15 to 14:45 with a midday lunch and short breaks. For classes 6-9 and the lycée, the day runs from 8:15 to 16:15 with longer periods and breaks. The school cafeteria serves a daily lunch.
Fees
Annual tuition at Lycee Franco-Finlandais d'Helsinki ranges from up to EUR 5,700 for 2026/27.
Application fees - There is no application fee for entrance to Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu. Language placement tests and entrance tests used for admissions are free of charge to applicants.
Tuition fees (by school stage, per term / per year) - Esikoulu (preschool): No tuition charged — 0 EUR per term, 0 EUR per academic year. The preschool day is provided without tuition charges. - Perusopetus (basic education, grades 1–9): No tuition charged — 0 EUR per term, 0 EUR per academic year. Education in the school's preschool, primary and lower-secondary sections is provided as a state-maintained service without tuition. - Lukio (upper secondary / lycée): No tuition charged — 0 EUR per term, 0 EUR per academic year. Upper secondary studies are provided without tuition.
Paid supplementary services and typical fees (other than tuition) - Esikoulun iltapäivähoito (preschool afternoon care): Charged by the school's parent association (Ranskalaisen koulun ystävät ry) at 475 EUR per month (listed amount before any state allowance/subsidy). Kela's private childcare subsidy may be available to families; the subsidy is paid directly to the service provider and the family is invoiced for the remainder. - School meals: Daily school lunch is provided as part of the normal school day. In Finland, pupils in compulsory education and upper secondary are entitled to a school meal at no charge; school lunch is provided daily as part of the service. - Exchange trips and class outings: The school organises exchange visits (notably for 4th and 8th grades and for certain lycée exchanges). These exchange trips and other voluntary trips are arranged periodically and involve costs that are covered by families (class fundraising activities to offset costs are common). Specific trip charges vary by trip. - Materials / activity fees and extracurriculars: No regular school-wide tuition or mandatory material fee is published for any year group. Individual optional activities, clubs or trips may carry separate charges; those charges are set on a per-activity basis. (The school provides a library and curriculum resources as part of instruction.)
Billing schedule and payment terms - Regular tuition invoices: There are no regular tuition invoices because basic and upper-secondary education at the school is provided without tuition charges. - Paid services (example: esikoulun iltapäivähoito): The stated fee is presented as a monthly charge (475 EUR / month before subsidies). Kela's private-care subsidy is applied and paid to the service provider; the provider invoices families for the remaining amount after subsidy. The parent association sets the registration and invoicing rules for the paid afternoon care program. - School invoicing method for any billable items: The school receives only electronic invoices (verkkolasku); the school's billing identifiers and electronic invoice operator are published for invoice routing.
Boarding / accommodation fees - The school operates as a day school (preschool, primary, lower secondary and upper secondary) and does not operate a boarding/overnight residence. Families are responsible for pupils' travel arrangements to and from school. No boarding fees apply.
Other costs (examples parents commonly meet) - After-school / afternoon care (esikoulun iltapäivähoito): 475 EUR per month (before any state subsidy) for the 2025–2026 listing of the service; subsidy arrangements reduce the invoiced amount. - Voluntary trips, exchanges and extracurricular activities: Variable charges; families typically pay travel and participation costs and may be asked to support activities through fundraising. - No compulsory school uniform fee is listed in published school materials; the school's standard communications do not identify a mandatory uniform purchase.
Refund information - Tuition refunds: Not applicable because the school does not charge tuition for preschool (day), basic education or upper secondary. - Refunds for paid services (example: afternoon care): Refunds, cancellations and any proration for paid services follow the terms set by the fee-charging provider (Ranskalaisen koulun ystävät ry for the esikoulun iltapäivähoito). Kela childcare subsidy is paid to the provider and reduces the billed amount; the handling of refunds for amounts already invoiced is determined by the provider's rules.
Fee payment options - School (Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu) billing: The school accepts electronic invoices (verkkolasku) only; the school's business and e-invoice identifiers are published for routing invoices. For any billable items invoiced by the school administration, payment is via the electronic invoicing channel. - Paid services operated by third parties (examples): The preschool afternoon care is organised and invoiced by the parent association (Ranskalaisen koulun ystävät ry); Kela's private-care subsidy is paid directly to that provider and the provider issues invoices to families for the balance. Payment methods for provider invoices are set by the provider.
If you need a concise list of the numeric fees above in a specific field format, they are: Esikoulun iltapäivähoito 475 EUR / month (before subsidy); all school tuition 0 EUR per term and 0 EUR per academic year for preschool day, basic education (grades 1–9) and upper secondary (lukio).
The Finnish national curriculum is followed. In basic education, Finnish is taught as a mother tongue from grade 1; A1 French begins in grade 1; A2 English begins in grade 4; B1 Swedish begins in grade 6; B2 Spanish or German begins in grade 8. In upper secondary, there are two tracks: French L1 and a mission-specific track. In French L1, modules from the national program lead to the Finnish matriculation exams; the mission-specific L1 offers a flexible program for students with strong French, requiring at least 24 French units to be validated and allowing other national-program units. The school provides a wide range of courses for French studies, including projects and francophone units, supports exchanges and trips, and offers official language certifications such as DELF B2 and DALF C1 recognized by the French state. Small teaching groups in upper secondary support students' needs, and the international cooperation network enables visits, exchanges and study trips.
Exam Results
Spring 2025 matriculation exam results were the best in the country in STT's high school comparison.
Higher Education Progression
Studies at Helsinki French-Finnish School provide good preparation for further studies in Finland and abroad.
Admissions
Admissions
1. Eligibility and basis for admission. The Lycée franco-finlandais d'Helsinki accepts students for preschool and for grades 1–9 on the basis of a language test in Finnish and in French. Admission to preschool is possible without a language test if the applicant comes from the preschool of the Friends of the French School. Tests are conducted by the school's teachers and are free.
2. General application timeline and ongoing admissions. Applications for the preschool and for grade 1 take place in January. A continuing admission procedure is available during the school year, subject to space. Places are allocated according to admission criteria and within the limit of available places.
3. Transportation and student support. The Lycée franco-finlandais d'Helsinki is not a local school under the law; transportation costs are the responsibility of the parents. The school's mode of support is group-specific; individual student support is not provided.
4. Preschool admissions (internal): Admissions for preschool occur in January. A parent information meeting is organized in January. Enrollment is not required for students coming from the Friends of the French School preschool, but a registration form via the Admissions page must be completed so that the student's information is transmitted to the school registry. The headteacher makes the admission decision in February–March. The decision is sent electronically and parents must confirm acceptance within 14 days.
5. Preschool admissions (external): For preschool admissions from outside the school, January is the intake month. The application is made electronically via Wilma; the link for the application is provided on the Admissions page. The preschool capacity is a minimum of 20 pupils, depending on language test results.
6. Preschool language testing and selection criteria. Language tests are held on January 31, 2026. Admission criteria are based on equal opportunity: to have a language test accepted, a candidate must score at least 50% in both Finnish and French. An applicant whose tests in both languages are accepted may obtain a place. If more candidates have accepted tests than there are places, priority is given to students with siblings at the school, and the remainder are drawn by lottery among those who passed the tests. If places remain, admission may be granted only by the Finnish language test (minimum 80% in the Finnish section).
7. Grade 1 admissions (internal): For students coming from the LFF preschool, there is no separate school enrollment for Grade 1, but parents must fill a registration form so that information about the student is transmitted from the preschool registry to the school registry. A language test in Finnish and French for students coming from the preschool is conducted no later than early March; a decision on admission is made by early June. The decision is sent electronically and parents must confirm acceptance within 14 days.
8. Grade 1 admissions (external): External applicants for Grade 1 apply in January via Wilma. A Finnish and French language test is organized for external applicants on Saturday, January 31, 2026. Admission decisions follow the same equal-opportunity criteria as preschool, with priority given to siblings where applicable and remaining places allocated by lottery if needed.
9. Classes 2–6 admissions. New students are admitted to classes 2–6 if there is space and if the applicant demonstrates sufficient Finnish and French language ability in the school's language tests. Applications are made electronically via Wilma (continuous admission). Language tests are organized individually by teachers and are free. The headteacher's admission decision follows the language test, and parents must confirm acceptance within 14 days.
10. Classes 7–9 admissions. New students may be admitted to classes 7–9 if there is space. Applications are made electronically via Wilma (continuous admission). Language tests are usually held in spring and again in August if places remain; tests can also be arranged during the year for students moving from abroad. For Finnish-diploma applicants, only the Finnish test is required; for foreign-diploma applicants, tests in both Finnish and French are required. The language test includes oral and written components. The headteacher decides after the tests and informs parents electronically, with acceptance required within 14 days.
11. Lycée admissions (final years) and centralised application. Admission to the lycée is via the centralised admission system Opintopolku. Students in the final year of basic education and those in 10th grade receive application instructions from their guidance counselor. The lycée offers two tracks: Mission spéciale (45 places) and Ligne générale (15 places).
12. Lycée Mission spéciale track details. For Mission spéciale, language and aptitude testing occurs on April 21–22, 2026. Invitations to the test are sent by email; those who pass are selected based on the average of academic subjects. Open day for lycée applicants is on January 13, 2026 from 13:00 to 15:00 at Raumantie 4. Parents' information evening for lycée is on January 21, 2026 via Teams at 18:00.
13. Lycée Ligne générale track details. Ligne générale offers 15 places and selects applicants based on the average of subjects; applicants must have a French language A grade in their final certificate. It is possible to apply to Ligne générale if French A1 or A2 was studied; applicants can apply to Mission spéciale if they have strong French-language skills acquired elsewhere.
14. Additional lycée information and contacts. Open house information and parent events are provided, with details available from the guidance counselor (e.g., Anna Mäenpää). For further questions, applicants should contact the school's guidance office.
Waitlist
Waitlist/pool system: If more candidates pass language tests than there are places, priority is given to applicants with siblings at the school, and the remaining places are drawn by lottery among those who passed the tests. If places still remain after the lottery, admission may be granted only by the Finnish-language test for preschool with at least 80% in the Finnish portion. The language test for preschool is scheduled for January 31, 2026. The school may contact the applicant's former preschool or school as needed to complete registration.
FAQs
What curriculum does the Lycee Franco-Finlandais follow?
The school follows the Finnish national curriculum with bilingual instruction in Finnish and French. Students can take DELF B2 and C1 French proficiency exams for direct university admission in France.
How many students attend the school?
Approximately 811 students attend the Lycee Franco-Finlandais d'Helsinki from primary through upper secondary level.
What recognition has the school received?
The school won STT's autumn upper secondary ranking in the large schools category and holds UNESCO school status with Label France Education certification.
When was the school founded?
The school was founded in 1938, making it one of the oldest bilingual schools in Helsinki.
What French language certifications are available?
DELF B2 and C1 French proficiency exams are offered, enabling direct university admission in France for qualifying students.
