Norway · Sandefjord and Tønsberg
Skagerak offers an English-medium IB route in Vestfold, but families must distinguish the Sandefjord and Tønsberg campuses. Its 2026 fee pages publish instalments rather than a clear academic-year total, and the site gives conflicting descriptions of the Tønsberg programmes’ IB status.
Skagerak International School is a non-profit day school with its main campus at Framnesveien 7 in Sandefjord and a second site at Baglergaten 16 in Tønsberg. It teaches in English and offers IB programmes from the primary years through the Diploma. It has no boarding provision, although its High School pages discuss help with accommodation.
The first question is which campus will teach your child. Sandefjord has the established kindergarten-to-Diploma route. Tønsberg has Primary and Middle School provision, but the school’s current website is inconsistent about those programmes’ IB status. An older Tønsberg Primary page says it became Norway’s first authorised PYP school in 2006, while the current navigation calls the Tønsberg Primary a PYP candidate school. The older Tønsberg Middle page still says it has been an MYP candidate since November 2022, while the current navigation calls it fully authorised. Obtain the programme name, campus and present IB status in writing before accepting a place.
The homepage still describes Skagerak as Norway’s only full-continuum IB school. That claim is best read as applying to the established Sandefjord route, not as proof that every programme at both sites has the same status.
The Sandefjord route covers kindergarten, the Primary Years Programme (PY1–PY6), the Middle Years Programme (MY1–MY4), a Foundation Year also described as Year 11 or Vg1, and the two-year IB Diploma Programme. Families comparing year labels should ask the school to map the child’s completed curriculum to the proposed Skagerak year.
For Foundation Year, an applicant must have the right to begin upper secondary education under Norway’s independent-school rules and must document completed lower secondary education or its equivalent.
For the Diploma Programme, the admissions policy expects 11 completed years of schooling: Vg1 studieforberedende, Skagerak Foundation Year/Year 11, IB MYP or an equivalent programme. The published priority order is current Skagerak pupils, children of staff, pupils with previous international or English-medium schooling, siblings, and then other applicants.
Entry to DP2 from outside the school is normally not accepted unless adverse circumstances apply. Internal progression from DP1 to DP2 requires at least 20 points in the DP1 summer examinations and no subject below grade 2. Pupils must also complete the first-year Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge, CAS and Group 4 requirements. The High School principal gives final approval.
The High School page advertised 1 March 2026 as the deadline for an August 2026 start. Applications after the general 1 March deadline are processed in arrival order for remaining places. For a later cycle, use the newly published year-specific date rather than assuming 1 March will remain unchanged.
Skagerak’s school fees are regulated under Norway’s friskolelova and may change with state subsidy decisions. The pages currently publish calendar-year 2026 figures, not a complete 2026–27 academic-year budget.
| Programme | Published 2026 figure |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | NOK 1,200 per month, 11 instalments |
| Primary PY1–PY6 | NOK 22,400 for January–April; NOK 5,600 per instalment |
| Middle MY1–MY4 | NOK 22,400 for January–April; NOK 5,600 per instalment |
| High School, pupils entitled to Norwegian state support | NOK 14,865 for January–April; NOK 3,716.25 per instalment |
Primary, Middle and High School also charge a non-refundable NOK 1,800 signing fee. Their pages say the remaining balance may be paid in eight instalments in January–April and September–December, due on the 15th. They also say the autumn 2026 rate is unchanged and that a new schedule starts in January 2027. Because the tables label only the January–April total and omit an explicit annual total, ask for a personalised invoice schedule rather than multiplying the spring figure yourself.
The High School table applies only to pupils entitled to Norwegian state support. International pupils must pay the full tuition in advance, but the page does not state that amount. This is a consequential omission: ask Admissions to confirm both eligibility for the subsidised line and the full payable total before signing.
Kindergarten fees are due monthly from August through June, with no July payment. The second kindergarten child receives 30% off and the third 50%. Food or drink, if provided, costs extra. The municipal maximum can change from 1 January.
Skagerak is approved by Lånekassen, and eligible High School pupils may apply for grants or a loan towards fees. Eligibility and payment come from Lånekassen, not the school, so do not treat possible support as a tuition discount until it is approved.
Sandefjord station connects with local bus 03 towards Framnes. The school says Torp airport is about 20 minutes away. Tønsberg is a separate daily journey, not an interchangeable classroom address. Check the timetable to the actual campus at morning and afternoon travel times.
For a family seeking a public Diploma rather than a private continuum, Sandefjord videregående skole is the relevant local comparison. Its IB route starts later and follows county admission rules, but it avoids Skagerak’s school fees.
Skagerak is a strong fit for a family that wants an English-medium IB pathway in Vestfold and is prepared to pay regulated private-school fees. The established Sandefjord route gives unusual continuity from early years to the Diploma. The current website, however, is not clear enough for a financial or campus decision. Tønsberg’s IB labels conflict, the High School international fee is missing, and the school tables do not show a clean academic-year total.
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.
Friendly orientation, not an application. Dates, fees, and programme details move. Confirm everything with the school.
Sandefjord vgs offers Pre-IB in Vg1 and an English-medium IB Diploma in Vg2–Vg3. Check county eligibility, subject compatibility and the application timetable before planning a transfer.
BergenA 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.
TrondheimBirralee 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.
SageneChoose 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.
Sandefjord offers two very different IB routes. Skagerak is an English-medium private day school from kindergarten through the Diploma. Sandefjord videregående is a county upper-secondary school with Pre-IB in Vg1 and a tuition-free IB Diploma in Vg2–Vg3.
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.