School life
Everyday life at Vasa
As its name suggests, Vasa International School of Stockholm is located in the Vasastan area of central Stockholm. Our relatively low number of students – around 250 – contributes to a particularly friendly atmosphere where all are welcome.
Our around 25 staff members come from different countries around the globe and offer an international and multicultural outlook to our students.
Our school offers the International Bilingual programme, with 50% of teaching in English and 50% in Swedish, following the Swedish national curriculum (Lgr22) in combination with the IB framework.
We have a maximum of 24 students per class, and we are a certified IB World School that offers the PYP (Primary Years Programme) and the MYP (Middle Years Programme), which was authorised in 2017. The school is free of charge.
The school was founded in 1998 by Mrs Anette Parts and Mrs Rita Ahonen, members of the school board. The school does not have any particular political or religious affiliation, and is regulated by the Swedish National Agency for Education. The Principal of the school is Mrs Anna-Karin Backman.
Self-discipline and mutual respect
While we give our students the freedom to learn and explore independently, we also believe in the importance of self-discipline and mutual respect.
To ensure pupils are polite, confident and respectful young world citizens, we work constantly to create an environment where students have, and show, genuine respect for teaching staff, fellow pupils and themselves.
The school has an inclusive environment where there is a high level of tolerance for individual differences.
Communication
We encourage regular communication between parents and teaching staff. This is done primarily through face-to-face contact and email. Parents are also able to review what topics their children are studying with the help of Meitner, Google Classroom and our PYP digital portfolios.
The School also runs an active mentor programme in which each pupil is assigned a member of staff whom they can approach if they have questions or concerns about their studies and personal lives.
Students are encouraged to take an active role in forming day-to-day life at the School through the Student Council. The School also holds regular parents’ meetings where parents, students and staff discuss the students’ development.
Community service
Outside academic activity, we encourage students to raise funds for a variety of charitable causes.
As part of the PYP Exhibition and the MYP Community Project, students are also encouraged to take action in addressing issues that involve the local community.
Facilities
Where learning happens
Aside from well equipped classrooms, the school facilities include a lunchroom, gym hall, science lab, music room, visual arts room and a library. Our gym facilities are at our sports hall on Döbelnsgatan and at KFUM on Rosengatan 1, where we offer a full range of gymnastics and performance arts activities to our pupils.
The school also owns a farm a bit outside Stockholm, at Eknäs, where the children get to do different outdoor activities which are grounded in the IB requirement of learning by experience.
Library
A hub of inquiry and learning
The library supports the learning process by providing a wide range of resources that give each student an opportunity to achieve academic success and learn life skills. The collection represents diverse views and cultures as well as emphasising language development, literacy and multilingualism.
Inquiry is central to the role of the library and librarian at Vasa International, who together support international-mindedness and the creation of global citizens. The librarian assists students, teachers and staff in becoming effective users of information, fostering a love of reading, and partners with teachers to develop information literacy skills.
The library promotes IB practices and attributes as well as academic integrity. Parents are also encouraged to use the library, monitor their child’s reading and library use, and contact the librarian at any time with queries.
The collection is made up of around 8,000 titles covering all relevant subjects and genres in Swedish and English, as well as mother tongue resources.
Students and parents can check their library accounts, renew books and search other databases on the library site.
Learning beyond the classroom
Our farm at Eknäs Gård is an integral part of the school timetable.