Trondheim · School search
Choosing a school in Trondheim: English education to 16, then an IB route
Birralee serves ages 6–16 in English and ends with IGCSE. Trondheim Katedralskole offers public Pre-IB and the IB Diploma in upper secondary.
Listen to this page
These schools can form consecutive stages, but admission from one to the other is not automatic.
Birralee International School, at Bispegata 9c, is a state-supported English-medium school for ages 6–16. It uses the International Primary Curriculum, the International Middle Years Curriculum and Cambridge IGCSE. The nearby bilingual kindergarten for ages 3–6 has its own application. Birralee does not offer the IB Diploma, so families of older pupils need a 16–19 plan.
Trondheim Katedralskole, at Munkegata 8, is a public county upper-secondary school. Its Pre-IB year broadly corresponds to Norwegian Vg1 and is followed by a separate application to the two-year International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Pre-IB is not a guaranteed route into the Diploma.
The published policy requires Diploma applicants coming directly from lower-secondary Year 10 to complete Vg1 studiespesialisering or an equivalent first. It also requires a Norwegian residence permit and a registered address in Trøndelag, although conditional offers may be possible for a family moving in. Confirm how these rules apply to an IGCSE pupil.
Dates and costs
Birralee’s admissions page listed 2026 monthly fees, while an older range remained on the home page. Use the dated admissions schedule and add any care outside the free allowance for younger pupils.
Katedralskole’s Pre-IB page listed 30 places, a 1 March deadline and the Vigo application code. The live page stated NOK 6,500 a year in IB examination charges but did not label the amount 2026–27. Confirm the next deadline, residence evidence and current charge.
Both are day schools. Test the two central Trondheim addresses, then compare them with the municipal school serving your home. A child who will remain in Norway may value earlier Norwegian immersion; a mobile child may benefit from curriculum continuity.
The Trondheim hub, Norway guide and school profiles contain the source links.
Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.
Other school profiles
Trondheim
Birralee International School
Birralee provides an English-medium route from Year 1 to IGCSE in central Trondheim. It receives state support and publishes modest monthly fees, but pupils must move elsewhere for upper secondary school and the IB Diploma.
TrondheimTrondheim Katedralskole
Katta offers Trøndelag’s public Pre-IB and IB Diploma route. Pre-IB is a 30-place Vg1 programme; the Diploma is a separate Vg2–Vg3 admission with published academic and residence requirements.
BergenBergen Katedralskole
A public upper-secondary school in central Bergen offering English-taught Pre-IB and IB Diploma routes. The pupil and parent or guardian must live in Vestland. Direct MYP entry has exact grade, project and two-year conditions.
SageneDeutsch-Norwegische Schule Oslo
Choose DENOSO for sustained German–Norwegian education, not an English-medium international curriculum. The complete Grade 11–12 route, after-school costs and absence of a school bus matter before committing to Sagene.
Keep reading
7 min
IB, A-Levels, Bac, Abitur: understanding school-leaving qualifications
Start with the qualification your child would actually receive. Then check its subjects, language demands, and recognition in the countries where they may study next.
7 minHow to choose a school in Europe
Start with your child and the family's likely plans. Define the non-negotiables, verify the school's claims, compare three realistic options and visit with specific questions.
7 minHow to read a school fee schedule
Tuition is only one line of the budget. Separate charges from advance payments, record what each figure includes, and ask the school to confirm your calculation in writing.
7 minTen questions for a useful school visit
A useful visit should help you picture your child’s school day and resolve the questions that matter to your family. Ask for concrete examples, then separate what you observed from what you were told.