Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages has been granted permission to offer upper secondary education in English. Teaching in the English-language programme will begin in autumn 2026.
A total of 25 students will be admitted through the joint application system. Admission to the programme is restricted and based on specific criteria. It is intended for students whose Finnish or Swedish language skills are not sufficient for completing the upper secondary school syllabus in those languages. A person can be considered to have insufficient language proficiency to complete the upper secondary syllabus in Finnish or Swedish only if they have completed studies referred to in the Basic Education Act for no more than three years.
Students admitted to the English-language programme will complete studies in accordance with the national upper secondary curriculum in English, but may also select other suitable courses from the wide range of studies offered at the Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages. It is also possible that providers of English-language upper secondary education will collaborate to offer some courses jointly online. The matriculation examination will be taken in English, but students are also required to complete either the Finnish as a Second Language or the Finnish as a Mother Tongue examination as a compulsory part of the matriculation examination.
Students in the English-language programme will be part of the school’s diverse and community-oriented international activities and may participate in school events and activities. Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages is, among other things, an Erasmus+ accredited school with one of the most extensive study camp programmes in the country. We also take part in the UNESCO Associated Schools Network. Our language offering is the most extensive in Finland. Your wellbeing is supported by, for example, youth workers, a sports coach and student welfare staff. The student council board and sports tutors organise a variety of activities for students.
