School year organisation
In this section2 pages
How the school year and the school day are organised – from the first bell in September to the summer holidays.
The school year has a fixed rhythm that repeats every year. The framework is set by education regulations, and the details are decided by the head teacher. The specific dates for the current year are published in the school year calendar.
The school year at a glance
September
Start of lessons
Lessons start on the first weekday of September, and when 1 September falls on a Friday or Saturday – on the following Monday. By the end of the month, the head teacher sets additional days off from lessons.
December
Winter holiday break
The break lasts from 23 to 31 December. On working days during the break the after-school club looks after children who have been registered.
January
End of the first semester
The teaching staff council approves the mid-year classification results. Semester grades can be seen in the e-register.
January – February
Winter break
The winter break lasts two weeks. The dates depend on the region and are set every year by the minister responsible for education.
March – April
Spring holiday break
The break covers a few days around the spring holidays. The exact dates change every year and are given in the calendar.
May
Year 8 exam
Eighth-grade students sit the exam over three days. Exam days are usually days off from lessons for Grades 1–7.
June
End-of-year classification and end of classes
Classes end on the first Friday after 20 June. Students receive their certificates, and the summer holidays begin the next day.
Terms of the year
The school year is divided into two semesters. The first ends with mid-year classification in January, the second with end-of-year classification in June.
Form teachers inform parents of predicted grades through the e-register before the teachers' council grading meeting, by the deadline set in the school statute. The date of this notice is given in the calendar. We also give written notice of a predicted fail grade.
Daily rhythm
All classes study in one shift. Lessons start at 8:00 and last 45 minutes. Short breaks last 5 or 10 minutes, and two long breaks of 20 minutes each, after the fifth and seventh lessons, are for lunch and going out to the sports field.
The exact times of lessons and breaks are in the bell schedule. On special days we use a shortened schedule and announce it in advance.
Days off lessons
In addition to public holidays, the head teacher may set additional days off from teaching. They are set by 30 September, after consulting the teaching staff council, the Parents' Council and the Student Council.
On these days there are no lessons, but the school is open. The after-school club looks after children registered in advance by their parents.
Upcoming days off and breaks
Full calendar →Public holiday
Public holiday
Winter holiday break
Timetable changes
Substitutions and changes are published in the e-register by 18:00 the day before at the latest. Changes made on the morning of the same day are also announced on the noticeboard by the entrance.
When a change affects the first or last lesson, we send parents a separate message. The child then arrives later or finishes earlier, so this matters for arranging care.