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Finland, Helsinki
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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/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.
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.
