Primary school
Grades 1 to 6, in English.
The foundation years. Literacy, numeracy, curiosity. Daily English, weekly Finnish, art every week, science labs, sport, music. Small enough that every teacher knows what each child is working on this week.
A Norden day
What an ordinary Tuesday looks like.
A primary timetable, roughly. Specialist lessons (PE, music, Finnish) rotate across the week.
- 08:30 Doors open. Children settle in their classroom.
- 09:00 First lesson block: literacy and numeracy when minds are sharpest.
- 10:30 Snack break.
- 10:50 Second lesson block: science, social studies, or Finnish.
- 12:30 Lunch.
- 13:00 Afternoon: arts, PE, or specialist subjects.
- 14:15 End of the regular school day. Afternoon Club from here until 16:45.
What we teach
The primary curriculum.
Norden follows the Finnish national core curriculum, delivered in English. Finnish is taught as a subject alongside.
-
Language arts
Reading, writing, listening, speaking — entirely in English from Year 1.
-
Mathematics
Number sense in Y1; arithmetic and geometry through Y6; problem-solving from the start.
-
Science
Hands-on inquiry: the natural world, lab basics, observation, hypothesis.
-
Social studies
History, geography and civics, taught with an international class in mind.
-
Arts and crafts
Drawing, painting, craft and design — weekly, not as an occasional add-on.
-
Physical education
Games, gymnastics, swimming when possible. Movement woven through the week.
-
Finnish language
Finnish taught as a subject from Y1 — alongside English instruction.
Year by year
From Grade 1 to Grade 6.
- Grade 1
- Literacy foundations, numeracy, learning routines in a calm classroom.
- Grade 2
- Confidence in reading and writing; structured mathematics begins.
- Grade 3
- Vocabulary and comprehension; multiplication and division; first project work.
- Grade 4
- Deeper subject exploration; longer written work; collaborative projects.
- Grade 5
- Critical thinking and research; growing independence.
- Grade 6
- Transition to secondary; student-led presentations; specialisation begins.
Who teaches primary
Named teachers, not anonymous staff.
Norden's primary teachers hold qualifications from Hungary, Spain, Finland and Sweden. Most are Montessori-trained.
-
Timea Asztalos
Head of Didactics / Primary School Teacher
-
Maria Aguar Pla
Primary School Teacher
Common questions