Bilingual education (Finnish-English)

Enrolling in the 1st grade and applying for Bilingual education (Finnish-English) takes place through the electronic Wilma service between 8th and 20th January, 2026 by filling in the form Application for 1st grade of Comprehensive School. If you are unable to use Wilma, you can fill in the paper form. The paper form must be submitted The Finnish Education Unit by 20 January, 2026 at the latest. The return address is informed in the form.

8-20 January, 2026

The form Application for 1st grade of comprehensive school can be found during application period on this page.

The entrance exam will take place on 29-30 January, 2026. Applicants will receive a separate invitation.

If your child is ill on the entrance exam day, notify the principal of the school organizing the exam before the exam begins. Provide the principal with a medical certificate or statement from a doctor or another healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) confirming your child’s illness. The principal will decide whether a new exam date can be arranged.

• Kilonpuiston koulu: 14 January 2026, 6 pm.
• Jalavapuiston koulu: 8 January 2026, 5:30 pm.
• Kuitinmäen koulu: 13 January 2026, 6:00 pm.
• Niittykummun koulu: 13 January 2026 5:30 pm. (Teams)

Some of the briefings are held via Teams. Please contact the school in question for additional information. The briefing material is available in Finnish and can be found at the end of this section.

You can choose the means of delivery for the decision when filling in the application form. There are two options:

1. The decision will be published in Wilma on 24 April, 2026. The decision will not be delivered by post.
2. The decision will be mailed on 24 April, 2026. The decision will not be published in Wilma.

It is possible to choose only one. The choice is binding!

Enrolling in the 7th grade and applying for Bilingual education (Finnish-English) takes place through the electronic Wilma service between 8th and 15th January 2026 by filling in the form Application for 7th grade of Comprehensive School. If you are unable to use Wilma, you can fill in the paper form. The paper form must be submitted to your child's current school in Espoo by 15 January 2026 at the latest. In case your child is attending a school in another municipality or a private school, please submit the paper form to the Finnish Basic Education Unit. The return address is informed in the form.

Do not fill in the form, if your child currently studies in the 6th grade in Kilonpuisto or Kuitinmäki joint comprehensive school and is continuing studying in Bilingual education in the 7th grade. Your child does not need to participate in the entrance examination.

8-15 January, 2026

The form Application for 7th grade of Comprehensive School can be found during application period on this page.

The entrance exam will take place on 21 January, 2026 at the school which is indicated in the application form as the first choice of preference offering Bilingual education. No separate invitation! All applicants must arrive by 8:45 a.m. at the latest. Note! Pupils studying in Bilingual education in the 6th grade do not participate in the entrance examination.

If your child is ill on the entrance exam day, notify the principal of the school organizing the exam before the exam begins. Provide the principal with a medical certificate or statement from a doctor or another healthcare professional (e.g., a nurse) confirming your child’s illness. The principal will decide whether a new exam date can be arranged.

• Nöykkiön koulu: 8 January, 2026 at 5:30 pm.
• Kuitinmäen koulu: Details will be available soon
• Haukilahden koulu: 13 January, 2026

Some of the briefings are held via Teams. Please contact the school in question for additional information. The briefing material is available in Finnish and can be found at the end of this section.

You can choose the means of delivery for the decision when filling in the application form. There are two options:

1. The decision will be published in Wilma on 8 April, 2026. The decision will not be delivered by post.
2. The decision will be mailed on 8 April, 2026. The decision will not be published in Wilma.

It is possible to choose only one. The choice is binding!

Please fill in the application form Kaksikieliseen opetukseen (suomi-englanti) vuosiluokille 1-9 hakeminen (only in Finnish). Submit the form and a report of your child's previous studies in Bilingual education or Enligh-language education to the school offering Bilingual education to which your child primarily applies. Contact information can be found down below. 

Information available Jan, 2026.

The form Kaksikieliseen opetukseen (suomi-englanti) vuosiluokille 1-9 hakeminen can be found during application period on this page.

No entrance examination

Please fill in the application form Kaksikieliseen opetukseen (suomi-englanti) vuosiluokille 1-9 hakeminen (only in Finnish). Submit the form and a report of your child's previous studies in Bilingual education or Enligh-language education to the school offering Bilingual education to which your child primarily applies. Contact information can be found down below. 

Pupils residing in other municipalities are not admitted during school year. 

No sepate application period

• Jalavapuiston koulu
• Niittykummun koulu

• Kilonpuiston koulu
• Kuitinmäen koulu

• Haukilahden koulu
• Nöykkiön koulu

• Jalavapuiston koulu: 25
• Niittykummun koulu: 25
• Kilonpuiston koulu: 25
• Kuitinmäen koulu: 25

The number of study places mentioned above is valid through grades 1-6.

• Haukilahden koulu: 24
• Nöykkiön koulu: 24
• Kilonpuiston koulu: 24
• Kuitinmäen koulu: 24

The number of study places mentioned above is valid through grades 7-9.

Admission is based on an entrance examination. The entrance examination consists of two sections:

1. Finnish language skills test (0–45 points)
2. A test of basic concepts and language proficiency in English (0–30 points).

The applicant must get at least 35 points as the overall score in the entrance examination. Applicants are admitted in the order of the overall score (0–75). When the applicants’ overall score is the same, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.

Applicants who meet the admission criteria but are not admitted due to the limited number of study places will form a waiting list in an order based on their overall scores on the entrance examination and so that applicants from Espoo take precedence. As student places become vacant, applicants will be admitted following the order of the waiting list until the end of August, at which point the waiting list will expire.

Applicants are admitted in the following order of priority:

1. Applicants who are in the 6th grade of bilingual education (Finnish–English) in Espoo.
   
   If the number of applicants is higher than the number of student places, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.
    
2. Applicants who are in the 6th grade of English-language education in Espoo.
   
   If the number of applicants is higher than the number of study places, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.
    
3. Applicants who are in the 6th grade of bilingual education (Finnish–English) elsewhere in Finland. 
   
   The guardian must present a certificate of enrolment in the education in question. If the number of applicants is higher than the number of study places, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.
    
4. Other applicants are admitted on the basis of the entrance examination. 
   
   The entrance examination consists of two sections: 1) English test (0–100 points), 2) Finnish test (0–50 points). The applicant must get at least 75 points as the overall score. Applicants are admitted in the order of the overall score (0–150 points) they have received from the entrance examination. If the applicants’ overall score is the same, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.
   
   Applicants who meet the admission criteria but are not admitted due to the limited number of study places will form a waiting list in an order based on their overall scores on the entrance examination and so that applicants from Espoo take precedence. As study places become vacant, applicants will be admitted following the order of the waiting list until the end of August, at which point the waiting list will expire.

Admission is based on the applicant’s previous studies in bilingual education (Finnish–English) immediately before applying. An applicant who has been in English-language education immediately before the application period may be admitted if the applicant’s Finnish language skills are sufficient for bilingual education (Finnish–English).

An applicant moving from abroad who speaks Finnish as their mother tongue and who has participated in early childhood education and care or teaching in English that is equivalent to basic education in Finland based on which their English skills are at a sufficient level may also be admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English). The applicant must present a certificate/report of such studies.

If there are more applicants than student places, the sibling criterion determines the order between the applicants. If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.

Admission is based on the applicant’s previous studies in bilingual education (Finnish–English) immediately before applying. An applicant who has been in English-language education immediately before the application period may be admitted if the applicant’s Finnish language skills are sufficient for bilingual education (Finnish–English).

An applicant moving from abroad who speaks Finnish as their mother tongue and who has participated in early childhood education and care or teaching in English that is equivalent to basic education in Finland based on which their English skills are at a sufficient level may also be admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English). The applicant must attach a certificate/report of such studies to their application.

If the number of applicants is higher than the number of student places, the order is determined by the sibling criterion (an applicant’s sibling is a pupil of the school’s bilingual education in a year other than the highest). If these applicants also meet the sibling criterion, their order is determined by drawing lots.

Applicants admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English) must start school within one week of receiving the decision. Otherwise, the decision will expire. School holidays are an exception to this rule.

Applicants living in other municipalities will not be admitted in the middle of the school year.

• Bilingual education (Finnish–English) is for pupils living in Espoo. You can apply to study from anywhere in Espoo.
• The application period for bilingual education (Finnish–English) is open annually at times determined by the City of Espoo. Applications submitted after the deadline shall be dismissed as late arrivals. If the application requires additional documents or applications, the guardian must submit them within the set deadline.
• Pupils are admitted based on either a passed entrance examination or previous studies in bilingual education (Finnish–English). An applicant who has been in English-language education immediately before the application period may be selected if the applicant’s Finnish language skills are sufficient for bilingual (Finnish–English) teaching.
• Entrance examinations are organised at times determined annually by the City of Espoo. You can only take the entrance examination once during the same year.
• Compulsory education begins in the year when the child turns seven. If the child applying to the 1st grade of bilingual education (Finnish–English) is not yet at compulsory education age, the guardian must apply for a separate permission for their child to start school one year earlier than provided by law.
• If the applicant is sick on the day of the entrance examination and cannot participate in it, a new entrance examination day may be arranged for the applicant. The guardian must notify the principal/director of the school organising the entrance examination and providing bilingual education (Finnish–English) of the situation before the entrance examination begins and provide a statement by a doctor or other healthcare professional (such as public health nurse) proving the applicant’s illness before the entrance examinations begins or immediately after receiving the statement. Only those applicants who were sick on the actual day of the entrance examination and were therefore unable to participate in the entrance examination can take a new entrance examination. The power to decide on arranging a new entrance examination day lies with the principal/director of the school.
• Applicants are selected for bilingual education (Finnish–English) for the duration of the grades taught at the school mainly from the beginning of the school year. In Espoo, 6th grade pupils of bilingual education (in a primary school that teaches grades 1–6) may continue in the teaching in question from the beginning of grade 7 until the end of basic education, provided that their guardian has chosen all schools providing the education as their application preference.
• Students admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English) can only be admitted to another school providing the education based on a particularly weighty reason related to pupil welfare or the pupil’s state of health. The guardian must present an expert statement (such as a doctor or psychologist) or a multidisciplinary report prepared at the school to demonstrate the reason in question.
• An applicant admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English) is not entitled to the school travel benefit (public transport ticket, transport subsidy or school transport) and their younger sibling does not have the right to get in the same school based on sibling criterion when applying to the local school.
• Applicants moving to Espoo during the school year are admitted after they have moved. If an applicant residing in another municipality intends to move to Espoo before the start of school in the following school year, the applicant can be taken into account like those living in Espoo. You must mention the move on the application form. Once admitted, the applicant will receive a conditional decision, and it will only enter into force if the applicant moves to Espoo by the deadline date the City of Espoo sets for each year and if their home address is visible in the Population Information System at the time.
• Applicants living in other municipalities can only be admitted if there are still vacant study places after the applicants who meet the Espoo criteria.
• The new teaching groups and the minimum and maximum number of pupils admitted for bilingual education (Finnish–English) are determined annually by the Board.

You must indicate on the form Application for 1st grade of Comprehensive School that your child is applying for Bilingual education as well as English-language education, and select the schools in order of preference. Your child must take part in the following entrance examitions:

1. The entrance examination for English-language education on 29 January, 2025 at the school which is marked as the first choice for English-language education.
2. The entrance examination for Bilingual (Finnish-English) education on 30 January, 2025 at the school which is marked as the first
   choice for Bilingual education. The entrance examination consists of two sections:

• A test measuring linguistic capabilities
• A test on basic terminology in English and English language skills.

Your chid will receive a personal invitation to the entrance examinations.

Please familiarize yourself with the instructions and admission criteria for English-language education before filling in the application form. The instructions and admission criteria can be found here.

You must indicate on the form Application for 7th grade of Comprehensive School that your child is applying for English-language education as well as Bilungual education, and select the schools in order of preference. Your child must take part in the entrance examition as follows:

• If your childs first preference is English-language education your child must participate to the entrance examination at Espoo International School on 22 January, 2025 at 9 am. No separate invitation. All applicants must arrive at 8:45 am at the latest.
• If your child´s first preference is Bilingual education your child must participate to the entrance examination at the school offering Bilingual education on 22 January, 2024 at 9 am. No separate invitation. All applicants must arrive at 8:45 am at the latest.

Please familiarize yourself with the instructions and admission criteria for English-language education before filling in the application form. The instructions and admission criteria can be found here.