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Pre-primary education in Vantaa

Pre-primary education starts one year before a child starts going to school. Pre-primary education is four hours a day and it's run during the working hours of schools. There is free pre-primary education in Vantaa that is being given in day cares and in some schools.

Introduction

Education and training Day care Families with children
Pre-primary education starts one year before a child starts going to school. It is four hours a day and it's during the working hours of the schools. In Vantaa, free pre-primary education that follows the city's curriculum is available in day cares and in some schools.

Pre-primary education is mandatory. This means that a child must take part in pre-school that lasts one year, or some other form of activity that helps the child to achieve pre-school-like goals. This happens the year prior to co…mpulsory education. A child who is within the age of pre-primary is still entitled to early childhood education.

Pre-primary education in Finnish is administrated by the result area service of early childhood education, whereas the Swedish pre-primary education is administrated by the Swedish result area service.

The registration into pre-primary education is done electronically via the VaSa-service. If you're not able to register electronically, you can also apply filling a paper form.

Prerequisites

Pre-primary education is mainly for children who will turn six on that particular calendar year.

Pre-primary education places

Pre-primary education is arranged in municipal early childhood education units and private day-care centers. Pre-primary education is arranged in day-care centers and in some schools.

Board of education and learning decides on the pre-primary education places for one school year at a time before the beginning of the application period.

2026-2027

2025-2026

What is Pre-primary Education?

Pre-primary education constitutes part of the life-long learning path that begins at home and in early childhood education, and continues after pre-primary education in basic education.

Pre-primary education aims to bolster a child's developmental and learning potentials, as well as to strengthen the child’s social skills and healthy self-esteem together with the child’s family. Pre-primary education is obligatory, goal-oriented, and based on a curriculum. A learning plan will be compiled for every child, together with the children and their guardians.

In pre-primary education, children experience and learn as part of a peer group. Pre-primary education consists of learning packages of varying scope and implementation that are based on the children’s interests, as well as on pre-primary education’s joint goals. Learning in pre-primary education, thus, largely takes place through playing, and there is always time for playing during every pre-primary education day. In addition to play, different kind of experiential and operational approaches offer experiences and boost the children's learning motivation.

Preschool education Children Daycare center Guardians

Errandservices

Advice

Early childhood education service counsellors

Vantaa also has several early childhood education service counsellors ("palveluohjaaja" in Finnish). A service counsellor presents the various early childhood education options for families and helps them apply for a place in early childhood education.

Service channels

Advice

Vantaa Info general guidance

Vantaa Info centres offer general guidance and support regarding the services of the City of Vantaa and its partners. We serve at the service points and remotely by telephone, email and chat.

Service channels