Helsinki International School, operating in Jätkäsaari, is planning an expansion of its current facilities. The International School of Helsinki (ISH) is a private educational institution that provides English-language early childhood education and care, basic education and upper secondary education to children and young people aged 4 to 19 .
The school has been operating in Jätkäsaari since 1996. The school currently has approximately 470 students, and the expansion will facilitate the addition of over 200 students.
Today, more than 16% of Helsinki residents speak a language other than Finnish, Swedish or Sami as their mother tongue. Demand for ISH Places Continually Exceeds School’s Capacity, Principal Says Kathleen Naglee.
“Our students come from over 50 different countries and live in Finland for an average of three years. The school is very popular, especially among families moving to Helsinki for work. We believe that one of the contributing factors is that we offer a challenging academic program, but we do not have entrance exams, nor do we require new students to already be fluent in English.We also provide extensive support for learners with special needs. specials,” says Kathleen Naglee. “Part of our mission is for students to learn by connecting with each other and with our local community through events and initiatives throughout the school year. .”
In order to accommodate more students, the school commissioned a plan for an additional wing of around 2,000 m2 to be built on the current school grounds at Selkämerenkatu 11. Like the current building, the extension will have five floors.
The plan is to build the extension through Selkämerenpolku between the current school building and Selkämerenpuisto Park. The location currently includes dedicated parking spaces for the school, which the school will relinquish once construction begins. Learning and group work facilities have mainly been planned for the new wing.
Discussion event for residents on March 30
The Helsinki International School construction project is managed by the school’s real estate company, Helsinki Educational Development Company Oy, which has requested a detailed plan review from the city in order to implement the project on the currently owned by the school.
A residents’ event focusing on the plan and the detailed review of the city plan will take place at the school premises on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. (Selkämerenkatu 11, Helsinki).
A participation and evaluation plan linked to the detailed planning will be published on Monday, March 21, 2022 on hel.fi/suunnitelmat (in Finnish). Residents can provide their thoughts and feedback to the City until April 8, 2022. The Engagement and Evaluation Plan will detail the progress of preparations for the detailed plan review and how people can participate.
The City’s preliminary estimate is that the Detailed Plan Review proposal will be completed in the fall of 2022. The decision to approve the Detailed Plan Review will be made by the Urban Environment Committee. The school aims to begin construction in 2023.
Source: City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Division