Finnish International School of Tampere set to open its doors next autumn

20.01.2012 15:21

The Finnish International School of Tampere is set to open its doors next autumn in Amuri. The new school starts in phases by including first, third and fifth grade students in the new curriculum in the autumn of 2012. The committee for children’s and youth services made the decision on the matter on 17 January 2012.

The Finnish International School of Tampere (FISTA) will be founded in the Amuri school facilities that will be renovated and extended in 2013–2015. The Amuri school will change into the Finnish International School of Tampere in phases between 2011–2015. Until now, the Amuri school has offered teaching in English as one of the city’s curriculum focuses.

All grades (0–9) of the International School will follow the new curriculum from the beginning of school year 2015–2016.

The Finnish International School of Tampere is based on the internationally appreciated Finnish school system and follows a Finnish curriculum in its teaching. The school now being founded offers education flexibly adjusted to the needs of different kinds of learners. In addition, the curriculum has been compared with those of Great Britain and the state of Massachusetts, USA, in order to facilitate the school attendance of students moving to Tampere from another country or vice versa.

Students from all municipalities in the Tampere city region can apply for the Finnish International School of Tampere. The teaching language is English. There will be both Finnish and foreign students with sufficient English skills. Also English preschool education arranged by the city of Tampere will be offered in connection with the school.

Students will be selected for the first grade by means of an aptitude test, including a test of English. Aptitude testing is also available for enrolment to the seventh grade of the International School. A child may also study at the International School if they have studied in English abroad for at least 12 calendar months or if the mother tongue of both parents and the child is English. Language skills are always verified before accepting a student.

Transition class offering customised teaching for children living in Finland temporarily

A transition class is also available in the Finnish International School of Tampere, intended for foreign children residing in the Tampere region on a temporary basis. A child or a young person whose English skills are not sufficient for the International School and who does not have the ability to learn in Finnish may be admitted to the transition class. The transition class focuses on English and mathematics.

Teaching in English will continue in Tammela

In the Tammela school, teaching in a foreign language will continue as a curriculum focus in grades 1–6. Teaching in Tammela will continue to follow the general curriculum of basic education and its guidelines concerning teaching in foreign languages. Aptitude tests are also required for enrolling to the English-language teaching programme at the Tammela school. The proportion of teaching in Finnish grows towards the ninth grade in order to ensure that students master the central concepts of different subjects also in Finnish, thereby reaching an equal position with students studying in Finnish at the end of basic education.

After the sixth grade, students following teaching in English in the Tammela school will continue at Amuri until school year 2014–2015. After this, they will continue at Tammerkoski school that will start offering teaching in English for grades 7–9 as a curriculum focus.

Further information

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