Finland · Helsinki
A private Finnish school teaching through English and Finnish from two-year preschool to the national matriculation examination. Basic-school entrants need both languages. Its new English upper-secondary route is not IB and has narrow eligibility rules.
The English School is a private Finnish school with two Helsinki sites. Preschool to Grade 6 are at Mäntytie 14 in Meilahti. Grades 7–9 and upper secondary are at Valimotie 17–19 in Pitäjänmäki. The school follows Finland’s national curriculum and ends with the Finnish matriculation examination, not the International Baccalaureate (IB).
English and Finnish are both central to the school. This suits a child who can develop academically in two languages and may remain in Finland through upper secondary. It is less straightforward for a short-stay family seeking an English-only curriculum that transfers directly into an IB or British school.
The school was founded by Catholic sisters in 1945 and has been run by the English School Foundation since 1996. Its current mission retains a Christian-values tradition alongside respect for diversity. Families for whom religious teaching or observance matters should ask how that ethos appears in the child’s daily programme.
Preschool lasts two years. Preschool 1 normally starts in the calendar year a child turns five, and Preschool 2 when the child turns six. The school publishes hours of 12:00–16:00 for Preschool 1 and 08:00–12:00 for Preschool 2. Play, movement and creative work sit alongside early English, Finnish as a second language, mathematics and science.
In Grades 1–4, the school describes its model as English immersion. Finnish is taught either as a first language or as Finnish as a second language. From Grade 5, the share of Finnish increases and academic terminology is developed in both languages. Ask about the demands of the target class; “bilingual” does not mean the same timetable at every age.
Grades 7–9 continue the Finnish national curriculum. Swedish is a compulsory subject for Finnish citizens in these grades, according to the school. It is not a third general language of instruction. French and German may be available in language sequences that begin at different stages. Check whether the relevant group will run and continue for the pupil’s cohort.
Upper secondary is a Finnish lukio. Students complete at least 150 credits and work towards the ylioppilastutkinto, the Finnish matriculation examination. Music, art and university-preparation activities supplement that qualification. They are not alternative diplomas. Optional PSAT preparation does not turn the programme into an American graduation route.
For 2026–27, the published Preschool 1 and 2 groups are full. Preschool 1 applicants are assessed in English or Finnish, including readiness for group work. Preschool 2 requires basic ability in both languages. The application fee is €20. A family remaining on the waiting list must confirm its interest each year in writing.
Grade 1 is also full for 2026–27. Most places normally go to children continuing from the school’s own preschool. An external Grade 1 applicant must be able to follow the English curriculum and show basic Finnish at level A1.3 on the scale used by the school.
Grades 2–8 take new pupils only when places exist. Applicants are tested in English and Finnish, and the school decides whether they can enter the relevant curriculum. Grade 9 applications are not normally accepted; discuss an exceptional case with the principal. The basic-school pages publish a €20 application fee and require annual confirmation from applicants without a place.
A fluent English speaker with no Finnish is therefore not automatically ready for a late primary or middle-school place. Send recent reports and learning-support documents before testing. Ask what level of Finnish the target class is using.
The school’s upper-secondary admissions page describes two routes. Their eligibility and selection rules are different.
The established bilingual route has 50 published places. For the 2026 joint application, selection used a weighted academic average in which English and Finnish counted twice. The published minimum was 7.50, but meeting it did not guarantee admission. An applicant with a foreign certificate equivalent to Finnish basic education could be considered through discretionary admission and sat written tests in Finnish and English.
The new English-language route has 20 published places. It belongs to Finland’s national upper-secondary system; it is not IB. The route is intended for applicants who have not had a realistic opportunity to acquire enough Finnish or Swedish for ordinary upper-secondary study. Applicants must meet the school’s educational and language conditions:
For non-EU or non-EEA applicants, the school also requires a Finnish residence permit on a ground other than study. Nationality alone is not the test.
Selection for the 2026 English route was entirely by an entrance examination in Finland on 21 April 2026. There was no remote sitting, and ties were resolved by a draw. Residence and school documents were due by 12 August 2026 for the relevant permit-based applicants. Those dates have passed; ask for the next cycle rather than reusing them.
The English route still includes compulsory Finnish. Students must take at least five matriculation tests, including Finnish as a second language and literature. The first national matriculation tests offered in English are scheduled from autumn 2028. This is an English-medium route to a Finnish qualification, not an English-only course.
For transfer during upper secondary or entry after the normal first year, contact the principal. Do not assume that a vacancy, prior credits or a foreign certificate will produce automatic placement.
The fee page publishes an ordinary private-school fee of €673 a year for 2026–27, split into two payments of €336.50. It applies from preschool through upper secondary and includes lunch. New pupils also have a €50 administrative fee. Preschool and basic-school applicants pay €20 to apply; the published entrance-test fee for preschool through Grade 9 is €60.
A separate upper-secondary charge applies to a defined group starting from August 2026. It concerns students from outside the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland whose Finnish residence permit is based on study. The published annual total is €11,314. That already includes the ordinary €673, a computer, learning materials and meals. Do not add €673 again.
The school also publishes a three-year total of €33,942 for the cohort starting in autumn 2026. The study-permit charge concerns the bilingual route; the new English route requires a permit on a different basis.
The school lists exemptions, including exchange students and some protection-based permits. A pupil whose permit basis changes from study to work can become exempt. This is a residence-permit rule, not a simple passport surcharge, so obtain the school’s classification of the pupil’s actual permit.
The school publishes partial refunds of the €11,314 charge for withdrawal by a study-period deadline:
| Withdrawal by the end of | Refund of the annual charge |
|---|---|
| Period 1 | Four-fifths |
| Period 2 | Three-fifths |
| Period 3 | Two-fifths |
| Period 4 | One-fifth |
Payment is a condition of instruction. Obtain the contract and refund calculation before accepting.
The school says it has about 700 pupils. The split-site model is unlike a single international campus. Test both commutes: younger children travel to Meilahti, while older pupils use Pitäjänmäki.
Helsinki’s after-school programme lists The English School among participating private schools. The current city fee is €100 a month to 16:00 or €120 a month to 17:00. It is primarily for Grades 1–2 and pupils with a formal learning-support decision. Places follow city criteria and are not guaranteed with admission. Activities follow school terms and do not run during the main holidays.
For 2026–27, school begins on 12 August 2026. The autumn break is 12–16 October, and autumn term ends on 19 December. Spring begins on 7 January 2027 and ends on 5 June 2027. The school calendar contains a weekday/year inconsistency around the May holiday; confirm that date before booking travel.
Lunch is included in the ordinary fee; public transport is not. Ask separately about supervision before school, learning-support capacity and optional trip or exchange costs. An older handbook is not a current contract.
Language fit is the main risk. Preschool, late basic-school entry, the bilingual lukio route and the new English route all apply different Finnish requirements. Identify the route first, then ask the school to assess the child against it in writing.
For a family using a study-based residence permit, the fee difference is material. Budget €11,314 as the published total, not €11,314 plus €673.
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.
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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.