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VBU International High School

Sweden, Ludvika

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 16 - 18 years
Type Co-educational
Opened 2024
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum IB (DP)
Taught languages Swedish, English, German, Spanish, French, Japanese
Strengths Languages, Visual and Creative Arts, Sport
Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Secondary School, Senior Secondary School
Introduction

VBU International High School is a subschool of Västerbergslagens utbildningsförbund (VBU) on Högbergsskolan campus. It delivers IB Diploma Programme (DP) in English, with a Sweden‑specific Prep Year in Swedish curriculum taught in English. Prep Year includes Swedish national courses and language instruction, ensuring students build bilingual academic foundations. In DP1 and DP2, students select six IB courses across Groups 1–6, with three courses at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Two languages and mathematics are required. The Diploma Core – Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service – forms a central element of the program, with CAS integrating community engagement and personal development. DP aims at university access worldwide, including Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, and Sweden's medical program. The school sits within the education association, serving 3,000 students with 250 staff across Malmenskolan, Högbergsskolan, and Smedenskolan. The program supports exchanges, such as with Schloss Hagerhof in Germany.

The Essentials

VBU International High School has instruction in English.

Location
Located at campus Högbergsskolan in Ludvika, Sweden. VBU International High School is a subschool of VBU, a municipal association overseeing upper secondary and adult education with campuses in Ludvika, Smedjebacken, and Grängesberg. The school emphasizes collaboration, intercultural understanding, and respect as core principles within its community.

Stages
Prep Year; DP1 and DP2 (IB Diploma Programme). Prep Year follows the Swedish national high school curriculum, but all subjects are taught in English. In DP1 and DP2, students choose six IB subjects (three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level), with the sixth subject from Groups 1-6 or from Groups 1-4; in the final year, students sit externally assessed IB exams.

Additional learning support
Individualized Educational Plans (IEPs) are formulated for students identified for special educational assistance. The school follows IB guidelines for inclusive access arrangements to ensure fair assessment. Access arrangements may include extra time, adjustments to presentation of material, use of assistive technology, and other accommodations. Applications for inclusive access arrangements are processed by the DP Coordinator through the online platform, with requests to be submitted at least six months before the examination session. Supporting documents include a psychological/educational/medical report and school evidence. The school upholds confidentiality of all records and aligns its practices with IB policies and Swedish law. IEPs are reviewed yearly, and parents can initiate support requests. When transferring schools, relevant documents are transferred to ensure continuity.
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
Västerbergslagens utbildningsförbund (VBU) was formed in 1994 and is the country's oldest municipal education federation that organizes upper secondary education. VBU has two member municipalities that are also owners of the federation: Ludvika and Smedjebacken. VBU operates municipal upper secondary schools and offers a wide range of national programs as well as the introductory program; Malmenskolan in Grängesberg, Högbergsskolan in Ludvika, and Smedenskolan in Smedjebacken are part of its gymnasium network.
Fees
Application fees
- There is no application fee for a student to apply for VBU International High School; applications and placement in Swedish gymnasieskolan are not subject to a student application charge.

Tuition fees by year group
- There are no tuition fees charged to students for VBU International High School. Education at the gymnasial level is publicly funded and no per-term or per-year tuition is levied on enrolled students.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Routine municipal charges and incidental fees (where applicable) are issued and collected through VBU's normal invoicing procedures; VBU uses electronic invoicing (Peppol/e‑faktura) for official invoices and maintains standard reminder and late‑payment procedures.
- Term-based activity fees that apply (for example to Kulturskolan) are billed per term; Kulturskolan's term fee is collected each term and the school has published term due dates (example: spring term due date shown for 2026). Kulturskolan moved to Swish payment for term fees from spring 2026.
- Incidental fees (replacement cards, exam/prövning fees, late fines, equipment‑purchase charges) are charged when the condition triggering the fee occurs; VBU issues invoices or payment requests and applies reminder fees and interest for unpaid amounts in line with municipal procedures.

Boarding (inackordering)
- VBU does not operate a fee‑based boarding (internat) program. For students who need to be in‑boarded on grounds of distance, the home municipality provides inackorderingstillägg (boarding allowance) or travel support rather than VBU charging a boarding tuition. The agreed compensation levels for inackordering and related allowances (used for municipal support/settlement) include amounts such as 1 960 SEK per month for distances of about 44–125 km and 2 068 SEK per month for greater distances, plus travel and meal allowances where applicable. Matersättning (meal allowance) and reseersättning (travel allowance) amounts are also specified in the municipal fee schedule.

Other costs and fees (examples and standard amounts)
- Prövning (examination by the school for grading/prövning) fee: 500 SEK.
- Utköp av elevdator (option to purchase a student device): 700 SEK (one‑off purchase price as specified in the municipal schedule).
- Avgift för ej återlämnade läromedel/böcker (fee for unreturned textbooks): 250 SEK per book.
- Skolkort (school travel card) replacement fee: 250 SEK for a lost card.
- Kulturskolan (optional cultural education) fees: 100 SEK per term per subject for children and youth up to and including age 20; adult fee: 1 200 SEK per term; instrument hire: 300 SEK per term. Kulturskolan payment is per term and collected via Swish as the routine payment method.
- School meal / cafeteria charges where applicable (lists of set amounts for certain meal offerings and staff lunches appear in the municipal fee schedule).

Refund information
- The prövning (examination) fee is non‑refundable if the examination does not take place. Where VBU or a sub‑service has an explicit non‑refund rule, that rule applies to the specific fee (for example prövning). Other refunds or adjustments (for example where a Kulturskolan charge should not have been levied) are handled case‑by‑case under VBU's billing and administrative procedures.

Fee payment options
- Kulturskolan term fees: Swish (term‑based Swish payment routine adopted from spring 2026).
- Municipal invoices and official charges: electronic invoicing (Peppol/e‑faktura) and standard invoice/OCR payment processes; VBU accepts Peppol e‑invoices to its public sector address for official invoicing. For ad‑hoc charges or replacements, VBU issues invoices and follows normal municipal collection practice (reminder invoices and interest on late payments).

Summary statement
- VBU International High School does not charge tuition or student application fees; the only routine charges that parents/students may encounter are incidental or optional fees (textbook replacement, prövning, Kulturskolan term fees, instrument hire, travel‑card replacement, equipment purchase), and municipal billing procedures determine how and when those amounts are invoiced and paid.
Academics

VBU International High School teaches IB (DP) for students aged 16 to 18.

Curriculum
IB Diploma Programme is offered as a university‑preparatory program taught in English. Prep Year is mandatory in Sweden; the program lasts three years in total. In Prep Year, students study Swedish national courses, with English as the language of instruction. In DP1 and DP2, students choose six courses according to the IB framework: three courses at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL); students select one course from Groups 1–5 and the sixth from Group 6 or another course from Groups 1–4; two languages and mathematics are required. The Diploma Programme includes three core components—Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). The DP leads to access to top universities worldwide and in Sweden, with examples such as Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Sorbonne, the Stockholm School of Economics, and Sweden's medical program.

Higher Education Progression
The Diploma Programme is a university-preparatory credential recognized worldwide. After completion, access to top universities worldwide and in Sweden is possible; examples include Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Sorbonne, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the medical program in Sweden.
Parent Experience

History
Västerbergslagens utbildningsförbund (VBU) was formed in 1994 and is the country's oldest municipal education association that organizes upper secondary schooling. It has two member municipalities that own the federation: Ludvika and Smedjebackens kommun. The federation today serves about 3,000 students and employs over 250 staff. It operates three schools: Malmenskolan in Grängesberg, Högbergsskolan in Ludvika, and Smedenskolan in Smedjebacken. VBU's gymnasium offers 15 national programs plus the introductory program.

Community
VBU hosts and participates in local cultural events and film-related activities. An international workshop, Filmdagar på VBU, produced short films by students from Croatia, Ireland, Greece, Germany, and Sweden, shown at a Scensommar film night on August 27, 2026. On September 17, 2026, Dalarnas Filmfestival came to Ludvika for the first time; 32 films were shown, and VBU students Alicia Norman and Meja Flink won four prizes. The school also joined Fagersta's silent minute on August 28, 2026 to honor victims and affected families.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
VBU International High School is a subschool of VBU located at Högbergsskolan campus in Ludvika.

Academic Facilities
VBU International High School is a certified International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the Diploma Programme. The Diploma Programme is taught in English. Prep Year is taught with English as the language of instruction, following the Swedish curriculum. There are three mandatory DP components: Theory of Knowledge (TOK); Extended Essay (EE); and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).

Extra Curricular Facilities
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is a mandatory component of the IB Diploma Programme.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers the IB Diploma Programme as an IB World School. In the Prep Year, the Swedish national high school curriculum is followed, but all subjects are taught in English, including Swedish 1/Swedish as a second language 1/Swedish from the beginning, English 1, Modern Languages (German, Spanish or French), History 1b, Mathematics 1b, Civics 1b, and Physical Education 1. For DP1 & DP2, students study six IB subjects (three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level) across Groups 1–6, with the sixth subject taken from Group 6 or from Groups 1–4. The DP Core consists of Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service, with CAS described as extracurricular activities emphasizing community service, creativity, and physical activity.

Arts & Creative
Film is offered as a Group 6 arts option (HL or SL). The DP Core includes Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), which provides opportunities for creative project work and other creative activities as part of the diploma requirements.

Cultural & Language
In Prep Year, languages offered include Swedish 1/Swedish as a second language 1/Swedish from the beginning, English 1, and Modern Languages: German, Spanish or French. In DP, the language groups include English A: language and literature, Swedish A: language and literature, English B, Swedish B, Swedish ab initio, and other language study options within Groups 1–4. The program is taught in English. The school has an international focus and operates student exchanges, including a program with Schloss Hagerhof in Bad Honnef, Germany.

Community & Service
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is a mandatory part of the DP Core, with extracurricular activities focused on community service, creativity, and physical activity.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
Physical Education 1 is part of the Prep Year. The DP Core includes CAS with a focus on physical activity, contributing to student well‑being through active engagement and wellness.
Languages

Language Provision
Language provision includes English and Swedish as languages of instruction. English A and Swedish A are offered as language and literature courses at HL/SL, while English B, Swedish B, and Swedish ab initio are offered in language acquisition. German B, French B, and Spanish B are available as modern languages. In Prep Year, Swedish language and literature and English are taught, with modern languages offered as part of the program.

Bilingual Teaching
The school teaches in English and Swedish. The IB Diploma Programme is offered and is taught in English. In the Prep Year, students follow the Swedish national curriculum but all subjects are taught in English.
Reputation

Awards
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Accreditations
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Admissions

Admissions
1. Eligibility and prerequisites. The IB Diploma Programme is offered in Sweden as a three-year upper secondary education that includes a Prep Year. Applicants must have completed 9 years of schooling. If schooling was in Sweden, applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for the Swedish national programmes SA-programmet or NA-programmet. A passing grade in Swedish or Swedish as a Second Language from Grade 9 is not required for admission to the Prep Year. International applicants must complete an English proficiency test.

2. Application routes and timeline overview. The application period for the IB DP uses the spring cycle of Gymnasieantagning; Prep Year courses follow the Swedish national curriculum but are taught in English. Overseas applicants should contact the IB DP Coordinator and Head of School directly for information about eligibility and the application process.

3. Diploma Programme year structure. DP Year 1 and DP Year 2 involve choosing six subjects: three at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL) across Groups 1–6, with final exams externally assessed. The Core comprises Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). The Diploma is an internationally recognized high school qualification earned through this programme.

4. Fees and admission milestones. Education is provided free of charge to EU/EEA or Swiss citizens and to those who hold a Swedish residence permit. Overseas applicants may be contacted for online interviews and entrance tests. Final admission notices are issued after the process, with preliminary steps such as Week 15 notices and changes allowed through Week 16 to May 9; final admission results are published by the municipalities in the first week of July. For Sweden-based applicants, the Swedish national system Gymnasieantagning handles the initial application; for international applicants, direct contact with the IB DP Coordinator is available for next steps.
School Events
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