Welcome to Kontula Comprehensive school Lower Stage We hope you will enjoy your visit to our school!

Welcome to Kontula Comprehensive school

Lower Stage

We hope you will enjoy your visit to our school!

Background: Kontula suburban area with its surroundings

• 15 kms northeast from Helsinki centre

• Subway connection to the centre

• Built in 60´s - 80´s, population 30 000

• Relatively low socioeconomical status, families with social problems

• High percentage immigrant background inhabitants

The school building

The school building

• built in 1970 • the architects were brothers Timo and Tuomo

Suomalainen• they have also designed the Temppeliaukio Church• the church has been excavated into the granite

underground bedrock• the school building has been completely renovated

during the last ten years• the school is close to nature in a safe park-like area• excellent possibilities for outdoor exercise and

activities• the school trips can be made safely along walking trails

Pupils

Main stream

• 428 pupils

• grades 1-6

• ages 7-13

• classes 23

• about 23% are of immigrant background, most of them from Somalia, Estonia and Russia

Education in Finland

• Finland achieved top scores in Pisa studies 2000, 2003 and 2006

• The status of the school does not seem to affect the level of the students’ performance.

• Finnish basic teaching can be characterised as efficient. The time the students spend studying was one of the lowest in the countries surveyed. At the same time, resources allocated to education are only OECD average, so work by students and teachers has been very efficient.

Special education in Finland

• Weakest students raise Finland to the top in PISA. The strengths of Finnish schools include good teachers, efficient teaching and uniform quality. The weakest quarter of Finnish students are in a class of their own compared to other countries

• Finnish school system has succeeded in supporting weaker students. In future, more attention should also be paid to developing the skills of the better achieving children

Special education in Kontula

• four special classes

• preparatory class for students whose finnish language knowledge is not good enough

• supportive teaching

• part-time special education

Special education

• Special needs teacher supports pupils with learning problems

Staff

• principal• deputy principal• secretary• teachers (31)• special needs

teachers (2)• special class

teachers (4)

• native language teachers (7)

• school assistants (6)• guidance counsellors

(2)• psychologist• school nurse• dentist• cleaners• kitchen staff

Curriculumand afternoon clubs

• Our curriculum emphasizes manual skills. Practical subjects and arts have been given additional lessons.

• In our school we have an afternoon club for 7 to 8 -year-olds. They get help with homework. There is a fee for the club. In the neighbourhood there are several afternoon clubs. None of the clubs are free of charge.

Welfare group

• principal, psychologist, student counsellors, nurse and special needs teachers

• class teacher is usually present. • meet weekly

Parent-teacher association

supports schoolwork by

• arranging parents evenings (e.g. different kinds of lections) and

• varied activities during school day (e.g. theater)

Thank you for visiting our school!