Basic education in English

General info

Tiirismaa Comprehensive School offers bilingual education in Finnish and English for grades 1-9. The bilingual education follows the Finnish national curriculum, but English language is strongly integrated into many subjects. The proportion of instruction in English is approximately 70% in grades 1-6 and in grades 7-9 the aim is about 50%. The proportion of Finnish instruction increases in the upper grades so that the students can continue their education in a fully Finnish-speaking environment after comprehensive school.

In each grade the maximum number of students is 24. The education is primarily intended for children living in the Lahti area. The guardians are responsible for the student’s transportation to and from the school. 

Application and Student Selection

Applying for 1st grade

Applications for bilingual education are made for the first grade. The minimum class size is 16 students. The application period for the next school year is annually in January in conjunction with first-grade enrollment in Lahti.

The applicants will take an entrance exam which assesses their skills in both Finnish and English languages at a level that enables learning. The entrance exam for year 1 includes tasks in both Finnish and English. Applicants don’t need to know how to read or write. No preparation or practice is required for the exam.

For more information on the application periods and links, please follow the lahti.fi -website for bilingual education.

Application from 2nd to 9th grades

Application for grades from 2nd to 9th is possible if there are available student places. The application period for the next school year is in April – May.

The applicants will take an entrance exam which assesses their skills in Finnish and English at their age level. The entrance exam includes tasks in both Finnish and English.

For more information on the application periods and links, please follow the lahti.fi -website for bilingual education.

Student selection

To pass the entrance exam the applicant has to reach a set minimum score. The applicants must achieve predetermined minimum scores both in the Finnish and English sections. Up to 24 applicants who pass the entrance exam will be selected for the bilingual education based on their exam scores. Priority is given to applicants living in the Lahti area. If applicants receive the same score on the entrance exam, their order will be determined by a draw.

General info

Tiirismaa Comprehensive School offers basic education in English for grades 1-9. The English-language instruction will follow the Finnish national curriculum for basic education, but the students are taught in English. Each grade will also have Finnish language instruction to ensure that students have the option to continue their studies in Finnish after basic education.

The students are taught mainly in combined classes and the students are integrated into groups of the bilingual line (English – Finnish) where appropriate . The basic education in English is intended for children living in the city of Lahti. The guardians are responsible for the student’s transportation to and from the school.

Application and Student Selection

Application

The basic education in English follows the principle of continuous application. In the application phase the student is placed in the grade corresponding to their birth year.

Who can apply?

In order to get a student place, the student’s official home address must be in Lahti. If the student is moving to Lahti, they can be considered as a future Lahti resident during the entrance exam. If the child moves away from Lahti, their right to study in the English basic education program ends at the end of the current school year.

A student meets the application criteria if their official mother tongue is English or if they are moving to Lahti from an English-language basic education program.

Apply for the basic education in English here: Application for the basic education in English

Entrance exam and student selection

Student selection is based on an age-appropriate entrance exam. The entrance exam will be primarily held in person. If the exam takes place before the applicant has moved to Finland, it can be taken remotely using arrangements specified by the school.

The entrance exam assesses the applicant’s language skills appropriate for their age and their command of English at a level that allows learning.

To pass the entrance exam, the applicant must achieve a minimum of 60% of the total score.