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IB Programmes in Vantaa

Education and training Residents Young people Students

The IB (International Baccalaureate) is an international education programme. It provides a consistent, globally recognised educational pathway from early childhood education to upper secondary education.
Apply to Vantaa’s IB programme in early childhood education, pre-primary education or Grade 1 for the 2027–2028 school year! The application period is in December and January.

You can also explore the IB programmes offered at Tikkurila Upper Secondary School and Varia Vocational College.

Lapsi roikkuu kiipeilytelineessä.

IB = International Baccalaureate

IB education, or International Baccalaureate, is a globally recognized program that provides students with a broad-based education emphasizing critical thinking and intercultural understanding. The IB program covers a unified educational pathway from early childhood to upper secondary, supporting students’ holistic development and preparing them for higher education worldwide. Key objectives include developing lifelong learning skills, diverse knowledge and abilities, and international cooperation. 

More information about IB programs can be found on the IBO website. 

Who is IB for?

The IB programme is intended for children and young people whose life situation is well suited to an international programme taught in English. The programme emphasises learner agency and independence, learning-to-learn skills and a strong sense of community. IB provides an excellent foundation for higher education both in Finland and abroad.
 
The programme is particularly well suited to children and families who are living in Finland temporarily because of an international work assignment and who already have an IB background from a previous country of residence.
In Vantaa, IB programmes are provided as large-scale bilingual education in English. This means that English is the main language of instruction. In addition to Finnish language studies, Finnish may also be used as a language of instruction in other subjects and learning activities. This approach gives learners the opportunity to develop functional bilingualism in Finnish and English.

IB groups for pre-primary education and Grade 1 will begin in August 2027

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) will be introduced gradually in early childhood education and care, pre-primary education and basic education in Vantaa, one age group at a time.
 
Early childhood education and care and pre-primary education
  • The PYP programme was piloted in early childhood education and care at Y.E.S. Daycare Centre in Pakkala at the beginning of the 2026–2027 school year.
  • Pre-primary education following the IB programme will begin at Y.E.S. Daycare Centre in August 2027.
  • The IB pre-primary education group will be based at the Pakkala teaching location at Hagelstamintie 2, Vantaa.
  • The application period for pre-primary education is 7–29 January 2027. Direct links to the applications will be added to this website.
 
Basic education
  • The IB programme for Grade 1 will also begin in August 2027.
  • Teaching will take place at the Pakkala teaching location in connection with the International School of Vantaa. The address is Hagelstamintie 2, Vantaa.

  • The application period is 1 December 2026–15 January 2027. Direct links to the applications will be added to this website.

     

IB/PYP Candidate School status
Y.E.S. Daycare Centre in Pakkala received IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) candidate status in summer 2026. The International School of Vantaa will apply for candidate status for its IB programme in autumn 2026.
Full IB World School status can only be achieved after a candidacy and authorisation process lasting a few years. The permanent location of Vantaa’s IB programme will be decided at a later date.
 
IB logo

How is the IB programme implemented at different levels of education in Vantaa?

IB education is already available at upper secondary level in Vantaa at Tikkurila Upper Secondary School and Varia Vocational College. By expanding IB education to early childhood education and care and basic education, Vantaa is creating a continuous IB pathway for children and young people of all ages.
 
Extending the IB programme to cover the entire educational pathway from early childhood education and care through basic education will take several years. The programme will be introduced gradually, one age group at a time.

IB Programmes in Vantaa

What’s new with IB?

The IB program provides a globally recognized, unified educational pathway from early childhood to upper secondary, making Vantaa more attractive to international families. There are two IB programs in early childhood and basic education: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for ages 3–12 and the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for ages 13–16. 

The IB program will be implemented in selected daycare centers and schools through Vantaa’s local early childhood education and curriculum. This means special approaches to learning and teaching, emphasizing conceptual understanding, broad-based learning, and understanding phenomena. 

The IB framework also offers education professionals opportunities to develop their expertise in an international environment. 

How is upper secondary education in the English language different from IB taught an upper secondary education school?

The upper secondary school education in English corresponds to the national upper secondary school education in Finland, while the IB upper secondary school education is an international IBDP degree, which follows the international IB-degree curriculum. Aviapolis upper secondary school will begin English-language upper secondary school education in Vantaa in August 2026. More information about English-language upper secondary education here (aviapoliksenlukio.fi).

IB upper secondary school and upper secondary school education in English also differ from the criteria for student selection: the new upper secondary school education in English is limited to those persons whose Finnish or Swedish language skills are insufficient for upper secondary school studies in Finnish or Swedish and who have completed comprehensive school studies in Finland for a maximum of three years. You can apply for an IB upper secondary school even if your Finnish or Swedish language skills are sufficient for Finnish or Swedish-speaking upper secondary school studies.

More information

Karoliina Mutanen

Vantaan kaupunki, kasvatus ja oppiminen
IB Project Specialist
0405892731 karoliina.mutanen@vantaa.fi

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