Enrolment for pre-primary education for the 2026–2027 school year

My child needs support in learning Finnish and the child’s current day care centre has recommended that the child attend preparatory pre-primary education, check the relevant box on the application form. N.B. This does not apply to Swedish pre-primary education.

Preparatory education is offered in connection with pre-primary education to children who do not yet have Finnish language skills or who know some Finnish. Preparatory education is offered to children of pre-primary education age in Finnish-speaking municipal pre-primary education groups and  is provided free of charge for five hours a day.

Children attending extended compulsory education are not entitled to preparatory education. If the child has received or later receives a decision on extended compulsory education, the child’s placement will be changed to a pre-primary education placement.

Read more about preparatory education at the pre-primary age here.

If your child requires additional support for development, learning and/or wellbeing during pre-primary education, or if they have a specific need affecting their placement, check the relevant box on the application form.

Support will be provided in the child’s day-to-day pre-primary education and early childhood education. Some pre-primary education places are reserved for children needing support. An early childhood special education teacher will contact you to ensure your child is placed in a suitable pre-primary education group.

If your child’s sibling is currently attending the same day care centre or local school you are applying to, you can request priority placement based on this sibling connection. Specify this on the application form. A sibling connection may be relevant in the following cases:

1. You apply for a place in a day care centre in the child’s service area which a sibling attends at the time of making the decision and in the coming school year.
2. You apply for a place in a local school assigned by the city, which a sibling attends at the time of making the decision and in the coming school year.

For help with your application, contact the Early Childhood Education Service Guidance. Read more about service guidance in here. You can also get support for filling out the application in eVaka from Espoo-info.

Instructions for completing the application are also available on Espoo’s eVaka service YouTube channel, with videos in several languages, including Finnish, Swedish, English, Arabic, Farsi, Somali, and Russian. Access the video tutorials here.(external link, opens in a new window)

Assistance is also available at the Hello Espoo Info for foreign-language residents at the Iso Omena Service Centre. Check opening hours here.

Pre-primary education offers children the chance to explore, play and develop new skills. Social interactions with peers strengthen their social abilities, while activities such as play, movement, exploration, problem-solving and creative expression build self-esteem and encourage a love of learning.

The goal is to provide positive group learning experiences that inspire confidence and joy.

Before starting comprehensive school, children are required to complete one year of pre-primary education or an equivalent programme that meets the objectives of pre-primary education.

Decisions regarding pre-primary education placements for the autumn 2026 term will be made starting 25 March 2026. Applications for the current term will be processed as soon as possible.

You can view your decision in the eVaka service at espoonvarhaiskasvatus.fi(external link, opens in a new window). To receive notifications promptly, we recommend enabling the Suomi.fi messaging service.

Applications for Finnish and language-oriented pre-primary education are handled by the Early Childhood Education Service Guidance. If possible, the child will be offered a place in the child’s current early childhood education place.

Priority for pre-primary education places is determined as follows:

1. Children requiring additional support:  Includes growth or learning support, preparatory Finnish-language education, or other special needs directly affecting pre-primary education arrangements. Placement may not be in the guardian’s preferred location but in the unit best suited to meet the child’s needs.
2. Sibling connection: Priority is given to children applying for a place in a
   1. day care centre in their own service area, which their sibling attends at the moment of making the decision and in the coming pre-primary education year, or
   2. local school assigned by the city, which their sibling attends at the moment of making the decision and in the coming pre-primary education year.
3. Proximity and safety: Remaining places are allocated to ensure the shortest and safest possible travel routes for children. The safety of the route is assessed on the assumption that parents are responsible for their children’s transit to pre-primary education.

Indicate on the application form whether you are invoking a sibling connection.

The Growth and Learning Committee approved these criteria for Finnish pre-primary education placement at its meeting on 29 November 2023.

If there are more applicants than places, the order of priority described below will be applied. If there are equal candidates in the same group (groups 1 to 5) and not all of them can get a place, the places will be drawn by lot within the group.

1. Continuity when transitioning from daycare to preschool and when the pupil is moving within Espoo.

2. Reasons related to the child’s health or other special reasons

3. Children with siblings in the school who belong to the same catchment area.

4. Other children in Espoo

5. Children from other councils

If your family moves to or within Espoo, you can enrol your child in pre-primary education for the current term even after the enrolment period has ended. If your child also needs early childhood education connected to pre-primary education, this can be applied for on the same form. Please submit your application as soon as the need arises.e.

Municipal pre-primary education is provided by

• Espoo’s Finnish early childhood education (in municipal day care centres and schools)
• Espoo’s Finnish Basic Education (in schools)

Private service providers also offer pre-primary education in Espoo. All private providers are approved and monitored by the city.

A list of all Finnish and language-oriented municipal and private pre-primary education units for the 2025–2026 term can be found here.

Swedish pre-primary education is provided by Swedish Education and Cultural Services. Currently, there are no private Swedish-language pre-primary education providers in Espoo, except for Swedish-language immersion education offered in Finnish-language settings.

A list of all Swedish pre-primary education units is available here.