New early childhood education space planned for Lauttasaari  district

In the growing Lauttasaari area, there is an increasing need for early childhood education places. The Finnish-language daycare centre is designed for 168 children and the Swedish-language one for 84 children.  

The new premises are intended to reduce the scope of Daycare Meri's operations so that Vattuniemi Primary School can be expanded into a comprehensive school with grades 1 to 9 at Vattuniemenkuja 4 in the future. The changes will be discussed with the children and their parents and guardians at parents' evenings in the coming years.

For more information, please watch the information video.  (Link leads to external service)

The new facilities foster learning and creativity 

According to forecasts, the number of 1 to 6-year-olds will continue to grow until 2033 in the Lauttasaari district. New early childhood education facilities are needed to meet the rising demand for services in the area.   

City of Helsinki wants to ensure that daycare centres will continue to be nurturing, promote learning and remain healthy and safe for all children. The aim is also to provide diverse pedagogical activities based on play, physical activity, arts and cultural heritage, and to enable positive learning experiences.  

Residents’ ideas welcomed for library and youth services  

Helsinki residents can participate in the planning of Lauttasaari's future library and youth services by responding to a resident survey and taking part in workshops at:  

• Lauttasaari Day on Saturday 30 August
• Lauttasaari Library on 1–10 September
• Lauttasaari Youth Centre's open house event on Wednesday 10 September at 18.00.  

A decision on new premises will be made in 2026 at the earliest  

A decision on the need for new daycare facilities is expected to be made by the Education Committee in spring 2026.   

After the decision, the preparations for the multipurpose building's project plan will start, and it will first be submitted to the Buildings and Public Areas Sub-committee. The Education Committee will give its opinion on the project plan, after which the decision will proceed to the City Council through the City Board.  

The local detailed planning is expected to start in spring 2026. A participation and assessment plan for the detailed planning process and a preliminary reference plan for the new multipurpose building will be made available for viewing. To find out how to get involved in the planning process, subscribe to the planning alert via email at hel.fi/suunnitelmavahti (in Finnish).  

An expansion of Vattuniemi Primary School's operations is being planned  

The expansion of Vattuniemi Primary School into a comprehensive school with grades 1 to 9 is being considered as the number of children of primary school age in Lauttasaari is rising.  The primary school currently provides grades 1 to 6.  

The change would ensure sufficient school space in Lauttasaari, particularly for children of lower secondary school age in grades 7 to 9. The change will become relevant after the completion of the multipurpose building in 2030. More space will be made available for the school after the operations of Daycare Meri at Vattuniemenkuja 4 have been reduced.  

If the plan to expand Vattuniemi Primary School's operations goes ahead, it will affect the boundaries of the school admission area. The boundaries of school areas are designed in a way that ensures sufficient school facilities and their appropriate use.​  

Members of the school boards, children and young people from the area, as well as their parents and guardians, will be invited to take part in planning the school district boundaries. The process will begin at the earliest a couple of years before the completion of Lauttasaari's multipurpose building.