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Finland, Helsinki
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1938 Catherine Servé founded Helsingin ranskankielisen leikkikoulun (the French-speaking kindergarten) in Helsinki. In 1947 the kindergarten expanded into a four-year French-speaking primary school. In 1949 the Ranskalaisen koulun ystävät association was founded. In the 1950s the school organized its first pupil study trip to France (1953), and in 1956 the first class of the Helsinki French–Finnish joint secondary school began, with the Laivurinkatu building designed by architect Aino Kallio-Ericsson completed. In 1964 the school sent its first graduates, and in 1977 Helsinki switched to the basic education system, the school was nationalized and gained its present name and structure; in 1994 it moved to Munkkivuori into a building designed by Toivo Korhonen and a new building by architect Aarne von Boehm.
Helsingin ranskalais-suomalainen koulu is a traditional state-maintained bilingual school where instruction is given in Finnish and French. It includes a preschool, primary, middle and upper secondary, with about 800 students; at the end of upper secondary, students take the Finnish matriculation examination. A student council represents all students, with separate councils for the elementary and the secondary, guided by teachers Sébastien Caillault (lower) and Mirva Alm (upper). Exchange trips to France are organized for 4th and 8th grades, and home–school cooperation is supported through Wilma for communications, attendance, and notices. After-school care is provided by the City of Helsinki, and school clubs operate throughout the year.
Parent representation sits on Helsingin ranskalais-suomalaisen koulun johtokunta, with Pihla Ranta as chair. The France–Finland Associations liaison (Eija Raitala) and Helsinki City Education representative (Taina Tervonen, vice-chair) also sit on the board, together with a teacher representative (Julie Barret), other staff (Olli Rantala), and a student representative (Nikolai Brummer). An expert from the National Agency for Education (Anu Halvari) and a representative of the Institut Français (Clotilde Tachon) participate. The principal (Johanna Kumenius) and the secretary (Margareta Bergheim-Johansson) are also on the board. The board guides policy and strategic collaboration with parents and France–Finland partners.
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.
