Schools start in Espoo on Thursday 8 August

Along with schools, afternoon activities will also start. Afternoon activities are intended for pupils in grades 1–2 and for pupils who have received a special support decision. The guided activities support the educational work carried out at home and school. This school year, a total of 4,160 children have signed up for Finnish-language afternoon activities and 512 for Swedish-language afternoon activities.

Read more about afternoon activities.

Espoo’s schools are multicultural communities with pupils of diverse backgrounds. The 8,500 multilingual pupils enrolled in basic education account for nearly one fourth of all pupils enrolled in basic education. Pupils in Espoo’s comprehensive schools have some 140 different mother tongues, and mother tongue instruction is provided in 47 languages. Espoo also provides preparatory education, which this year will be attended by 564 children or young people.

Espoo’s schools aim to provide children with high-quality language-aware instruction. We also have cultural instructors who support pupils, their families, and schools. In basic education, cultural instruction is available in several languages, such as Arabic, Kurdish (Sorani), Dari/Farsi, Somali, Chinese and Albanian. In addition, Espoo will publish its tenth multicultural holiday calendar. The calendar increases children’s and young people’s understanding of different religions and supports diversity. 

Schools’ autumn holiday is from 14 to 18 October 2024 (week 42). The autumn term ends on 20 December 2024. The spring term starts after the Christmas break on Tuesday 7 January 2025.

Check the term dates and holidays for schools and early childhood education.

Many guardians wonder how their young children will manage on their own before and after school. Children may still need an adult’s presence and guidance in everyday activities.

Residents’ parks are staff-supervised playgrounds maintained by the city. In the mornings and afternoons, young schoolchildren are also welcome to the parks. The parks offer children guided activities.

In the parks, children can play with friends and do fun things together. Children can bring their own snacks, or guardians can sign them up for a snack service (subject to a fee). Residents’ parks are open to all. You only have to sign up for guided activities and the snack service. We also recommend that you fill in the contact information form available at the parks.

Espoo has a total of 16 residents’ parks. The parks also post about their activities on social media. 

Youth Services in Espoo will start their autumn season on the first week of September. Youth centres will be open as usual, offering young people a relaxed and safe place to hang out with their friends, participate in different activities, or just unwind.

Some youth centres are already open. You can find youth centres’ opening hours on their Instagram pages. Youth Services will also organise its traditional pool party for young people at the Leppävaara outdoor swimming pool on 17 August 2024 from 17:00 to 22:00. Young people from 7th-graders to 17-year-olds are welcome to spend a fun summer evening at the pool! More information about the event is available via espoo.fi/en/youth, Instagram and Facebook @NuoriEspoo(external link, opens in a new window).

Wilma is the main channel of communication between home and school. Cooperation between schools and guardians is very important for the child’s learning and wellbeing. The Wilma system is a convenient tool for efficient and easy interaction.

Through Wilma, guardians can easily keep track of their child’s schoolwork, absences and assessments.

Espoo’s primary and lower secondary schools use a model for absence intervention and attendance support. The aim of the model is to support pupils’ wellbeing, growth and learning. We recommend that families take their holidays primarily when schools are on holiday so that pupils can focus on schoolwork during the school year. 

Read more about requesting temporary absence from school. (in Finnish)

Espoo’s Catering Services should be notified about a pupil’s special diet so that it can be taken into account when planning meals. This information will help us make sure that each child gets safe and healthy nutrition that supports their growth and learning. 

The notification should be submitted well before the beginning of the school year, but no later than 12 August. A pupil’s special dietary needs must be health-based, and the school requires a medical certificate stating the reasons for the special diet.

Submit a notification of a special diet.(external link, opens in a new window) 

The Someturva service provided through schools helps children and young people facing online bullying or harassment. Someturva also supports pupils and students during their free time. Guardians can also contact Someturva for help; they can report an incident on behalf of their child or together with them. The school principal will give guardians of first-graders / students starting general upper secondary school a code for using the service.

The safety of school journeys is particularly important at the beginning of the school year. The Western Uusimaa Police Department urges all road users to be extra cautious, especially around schools and day care centres. Guardians are encouraged to discuss safe routes and traffic rules with their children. The police will intensify supervision and traffic arrangements around schools to ensure that children can get to school safely.

According to the police, the most serious accidents usually occur at pedestrian crossings. 

“Motorists should bear in mind that when approaching a pedestrian crossing, they must be extra cautious and give way to pedestrians. Guardians should also remind their young children that they should always walk, never run, when crossing the street. Children should also keep their mobile phones in their backpacks during school journeys. This will help them stay alert in traffic,” says Chief Inspector Hannu Kontola.

Many children will start school in new premises in Espoo. The wooden building that houses a school and a day care centre in Tiistilä was completed in summer 2024. The building is now ready for its 670 pupils and 8 day care groups. Tiistilän koulu is one of Finland’s largest wooden school buildings and one of the two schools in Espoo that offer weighted-curriculum education in sports and physical activity (URHEA). URHEA schools are part of the lower secondary school network of the Metropolitan Sports Academy Urhea and the national sports academy programme of the Finnish Olympic Committee. The aim of the network is to support young athletes in combining studies and sports and in growing as athletes. 

“We are very happy to be able to start this school year in our wonderful new school building. The premises are healthy, safe and functional. The modern classrooms and pleasant shared spaces create an inspiring learning environment for our pupils,” says Mirja Pirinen, Principal of Tiistilän koulu. 

The new Kalajärven koulu, which opened its doors in March, also welcomes its new pupils. In the second phase of the three-phase school and day care centre project, premises will be built for early childhood education and youth services. After these, a multipurpose sports field and related maintenance buildings will be built on the plot. The entire project is due for completion at the end of 2026.

Read more about ongoing projects. (in Finnish)