Finland · Helsinki
ISH offers English-medium education for ages 4–19 in Ruoholahti, with IB programmes from the early years to the Diploma. Annual tuition for 2026–27 ranges from €12,432 to €16,608 when paid in one sum. Families should check the child’s language placement, any non-residency surcharge and the support available before applying.
The International School of Helsinki (ISH) is at Selkämerenkatu 11, 00180 Helsinki, in Ruoholahti. It is an English-medium day school for ages 4–19. The school provides no boarding or accommodation: each child must live with at least one parent or a designated guardian, and the school requires that arrangement to be verified.
ISH is worth considering if your child needs English-medium education and an International Baccalaureate (IB) route in Helsinki. It is not a specialist school for complex additional needs. Admission depends on whether ISH can meet the child’s educational needs and the child can meet its attendance and behaviour expectations.
The history page names November 2020 as the last joint re-accreditation by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). It also records Parents’ Association approval for the ISH Annex, an additional school building, in March 2026, with construction dated May 2026. Ask how the project affects the child’s classroom, playground and daily movement around the site.
The school describes iPads and laptops in Lower School and a laptop for each Upper School pupil. There is a hot-lunch programme, no school uniform, and campus video surveillance for security, according to the privacy notice.
Early Years: Discovery and Explorers. ISH is a licensed early-childhood provider in Finland. These groups combine the Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care curriculum with the IB Primary Years Programme framework; the school says teachers are trained in both. The age cut-off is 1 September: children must be four for Discovery, five for Explorers and six for Grade 1.
Primary Years Programme (PYP), Discovery through Grade 5. Pupils learn through connected inquiry units alongside mathematics, languages, art, physical education, music and information technology. Language provision includes Finnish as a home or foreign language and French.
From Grade 1, pupils who are not Finnish citizens, not receiving English as an Additional Language support and not receiving Learning Support choose Finnish or French as an additional language. They are expected to keep that language through PYP. A change requires exceptional educational circumstances and school approval.
Middle Years Programme (MYP), Grades 6–10. This is the full five-year IB programme. Pupils entering Grades 6–12 take placement assessments for language-acquisition courses; a writing sample also helps determine placement in Language and Literature.
Grades 11–12. Pupils meeting the school’s graduation requirements receive the ISH High School Diploma, which the school describes as equivalent to an American high-school diploma. Students may undertake the additional requirements of the IB Diploma; those who earn it receive both qualifications. Neither qualification is the Finnish matriculation examination, ylioppilastutkinto. Check the relevant university or transfer requirements for the intended route.
The IB bilingual diploma has two possible routes, subject to the overall Diploma requirements:
These conditions come from the IB’s assessment guidance. Ask which route and subject combination ISH can provide for the child.
English is the main teaching language. The learning pages also list Spanish, French and Finnish as foreign languages, and Finnish language and literature.
The 2025–26 language policy, citing education permits dated 4 October 2021 and 21 September 2023, says Finnish citizens must study Finnish as mother tongue from Grade 1 and continue Finnish Literature in the Diploma Programme. The school bases this requirement on citizenship, not the home language recorded in the Population Information System.
For a Finnish citizen whose Finnish is below the expected level, the school says it assesses the child’s profile and determines suitable provision. Ask what that means for lesson placement and support. The policy describes the obligation as a statutory administrative action rather than an appealable school decision; request a written explanation of how the rule applies to the child.
The policy says Swedish as the second national language must be offered under the school’s permits, while also making Upper School provision dependent on sufficient enrolment and resources. Confirm whether Swedish is actually running for the relevant year group.
Pupils who are not Finnish citizens may join Finnish or Swedish courses where appropriate and viable. Those with sufficient Finnish may join Finnish Language and Literature.
English as an Additional Language (EAL) has different entry expectations by stage:
The language policy identifies potential EAL candidates as pupils whose first language is not English and/or who have fewer than three years of English-medium schooling. Discuss the actual support proposed for the child’s year.
For home-language development, the policy lists Independent Language Studies in MYP Grades 9–10 and School-Supported Self-Taught Literature with online tutoring in Grades 11–12. Ask whether a tutor and the necessary course are available in the child’s language.
Applications are made through OpenApply. Admission is possible during the year if a place is available, and the expected minimum stay is generally one semester. Final placement rests with the school, considering age, previous grade and education system, school-year calendar and English proficiency.
The requirements page asks for documents in English, or originals with translations:
The application fee is €350 per pupil, payable by card only. Discuss possible support needs before paying. Incomplete or inaccurate disclosure, including undisclosed learning needs, can lead to an offer or enrolment being withdrawn.
Interviews are used for Grades 9–12, learning-support applicants, unclear placement or documents needing clarification. Although the FAQ says there are no general entrance examinations, English and language-placement assessments still apply.
Student Support covers help accessing the curriculum, additional challenge for learners who need it, EAL, and social-emotional or behavioural needs. This does not guarantee every request can be met: admission remains conditional on the school being able to support the child within its programme. Ask for the specific support plan and any related costs.
ISH receives Finnish and US government grants, which the school says cover only part of its costs. The remaining funding includes tuition. An additional non-residency fee may apply where a child has no Finnish municipality of residence. The reviewed summary does not state its amount; request the current definition, exemptions if any, and charge from the Business Office.
The April 2026 fee summary lists these annual tuition amounts when paid in one sum. The total already includes both basic and supplementary tuition:
| Grade | Basic | Supplementary | Total 2026/27 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years | €12,432 | €0 | €12,432 |
| Grades 1–5 | €8,914 | €4,830 | €13,744 |
| Grades 6–8 | €8,914 | €5,656 | €14,570 |
| Grades 9–10 | €8,914 | €6,470 | €15,384 |
| Grades 11–12 | €8,914 | €7,694 | €16,608 |
The three-instalment option includes a payment-option fee. Its scheduled due dates are 30 June 2026, 31 October 2026 and 28 February 2027:
| Grade | Year total on this plan | 30 Jun | 31 Oct | 28 Feb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years | €12,612 | €4,411.20 | €4,411.20 | €3,789.60 |
| Grades 1–5 | €13,924 | €4,870.40 | €4,870.40 | €4,183.20 |
| Grades 6–8 | €14,750 | €5,159.50 | €5,159.50 | €4,431.00 |
| Grades 9–10 | €15,564 | €5,444.40 | €5,444.40 | €4,675.20 |
| Grades 11–12 | €16,788 | €5,872.80 | €5,872.80 | €5,042.40 |
The first due date has passed. Families joining later should obtain their own invoice schedule. Refund rules and the full non-residency conditions are in the complete terms linked from the fees page; do not infer them from the summary alone.
The €350 application fee is additional to tuition. For example, a new Grade 6 pupil paying tuition in one sum has €14,920 in tuition plus application fees, calculated as €14,570 + €350, before lunch, activities, trips and any applicable non-residency charge.
For Discovery and Explorers children with a Finnish municipality of residence, the school describes likely eligibility for private daycare support from Kela, Finland’s social insurance institution. Its estimate of about €500 per child per month for full-time care is not an award guarantee; the amount may vary with income and municipality.
Parents apply and tell the Business Office so it can submit the electronic WH2 provider information. If support is approved, Kela pays the school, which credits the family’s invoices. Ask how processing times affect the first invoices rather than deducting an assumed benefit from the initial payment.
After School Activities (ASA) cover sports, arts, music and trips in three seasons. Older pupils may join CEESA, the Central and Eastern European Schools Association, events and tournaments.
The published participation limits are four activities per season, reduced to three in kindergarten. Middle and high-school pupils are also limited to two events involving travel outside Finland. A club generally needs 10 pupils to run, with listed exceptions.
Activity prices appear on registration forms. ASA, CEESA trips and lunch cost extra, and trip invoices are issued six to eight weeks before travel. Ask for the options and charges relevant to the child.
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Official pages and documents we read. If a figure matters to your budget or your application, open the link and confirm it is still current.
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Compare English-medium IB, bilingual Finnish schools and German education in Helsinki. Check the actual campus, admissions route and residence-based fees before choosing.
7 minStart 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 minStart 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 minTuition 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.