Language studies
The main language of tuition at FISTA is English. All students also take Finnish lessons, and Swedish lessons from sixth grade onwards. In addition, students can pick optional languages, and study their home language.
English studies
The main language of tuition for all FISTA students is English, meaning that most subjects are instructed in English. In addition, all students take English lessons from first grade onwards (so called A1 language).
Students in grades 7-9 can choose between the bilingual and international lines of study. You can read more about them on the page Study lines and optional courses.
Finnish studies
Following the Finnish national curriculum, all FISTA students take Finnish lessons. Depending on their Finnish skills, the pupils study Finnish in groups with other students with a similar skill level. Finnish is a mandatory subject on every grade level.
Most students whose first language is Finnish join Finnish as a first language lessons. However, if for example the family has stayed abroad for a long time and the students need extra support in their Finnish studies, they can also attend Finnish as a second language classes.
Students whose mother tongue is not Finnish can join Finnish as a second language classes at their own level. To learn Finnish well, it's important to use and practise it outside of school, too. Students can be promoted to the next grade level even when their Finnish skills are still limited.
However, in order to get the full Finnish primary and lower secondary education certificate at the end of year 9 (last year at FISTA), all students need to achieve at least a passing grade in Finnish studies. The criteria for grades are set in the national curriculum.
If a child starts at FISTA towards the end of their basic education studies and without knowing any Finnish, meeting even the minimum criteria for Finnish language skills by the end of year 9 is very hard. Therefore new students in grades 8 and 9 who don’t speak Finnish yet will initially join a preparatory education class when they start at FISTA, to help them learn Finnish. You can read more in the Preparatory education section below.
Preparatory education for grades 8-9
Starting in August 2025, the Finnish International School of Tampere will start offering preparatory education for new students in grades 8 and 9 who don’t speak Finnish yet, to support the start of their schooling in Finland. The goal of preparatory education is for new students to learn basic Finnish skills and become familiar with the Finnish school system. Knowing Finnish is important for further education and everyday life in Finland. Preparatory education is called valmistava opetus in Finnish.
Students can study in the preparatory class for a maximum of one year before transferring to a regular class. Students who start in the preparatory education class at FISTA must also first pass the FISTA language test, like all new students. See the Admissions page for details.
FISTA has grades 1-9, and at the end of grade 9 students get a primary and lower secondary education certificate (perusopetuksen päättötodistus in Finnish). Students need this certificate to qualify for upper secondary education in Finland. In order to get this certificate, all students need to achieve at least the minimum passing grade in all subjects, including Finnish studies. The criteria for grades are set in the national curriculum.
However, students at FISTA use relatively little Finnish compared to students in Finnish medium schools, because English is the main language of tuition. Moreover, students also use English during breaktimes, afterschool clubs and with the friends they make at school. If a child moves to Finland and starts school in grade 8 or 9 in the Finnish school system without knowing any Finnish, meeting even the minimum criteria set in the national curriculum for Finnish language skills by the end of year 9 can be very hard, or even impossible. With preparatory education, we want to ensure that all our students learn enough Finnish to be able to pass their courses and get eligibility for upper secondary education at the end of grade 9. Without a passing grade in Finnish, a student cannot move on to further studies in Finland.
The preparatory education class is smaller than regular classes and has around 10 students. During preparatory education, the focus is on learning Finnish. The students also study other subjects, including weekly English lessons. In some subjects, students can be integrated into regular classes at FISTA. Every student in preparatory education has an individual learning plan.
Preparatory education usually lasts for one year, but the duration is individually flexible. After preparatory education the student can join regular classes at FISTA. It is also possible for the student to continue their studies in their local Finnish medium school at that point, if the family chooses so. After preparatory education some students may be placed one year lower than their peers, to make sure they have enough time to learn everything in the curriculum.
If you are sure that you will be staying in Finland for a very short time only and your child will definitely not be applying to upper secondary education here, it is also possible to join a regular grade 8 or 9 class at FISTA without joining the preparatory education class at first. In that case the student will only get a regular school year report at the end of grade 9, not the full primary and lower secondary education certificate (perusopetuksen päättötodistus), and they will not be eligible for upper secondary education in Finland. However, if you then end up staying in Finland longer term after all, the child will have to participate in the preparatory education later, to learn enough Finnish to get the full primary and lower secondary education certificate.
Swedish studies
Following the Finnish national curriculum, all students in basic education grades 6-9 also study the second national language, Swedish.
Optional languages
It’s possible for students to start an optional language (so called A2 language) in third grade. The options offered at FISTA follow the City of Tampere language plan and are Spanish, French or German. Different groups may start in different years. The optional language is studied for two lessons per week for the rest of basic education (grades 3-9).
Home language lessons
In addition, the City of Tampere organises optional instruction in the students' own home languages. The two weekly lessons are free of charge and might be at FISTA or at another school.