Secondary school
Grades 7 to 9, in English.
The deepening years. Algebra to data analysis. Lab science. A second foreign language. Longer essays, project work, real lab work. Subject-specialist teachers in a small school where they know every student.
A Norden day
What an ordinary Wednesday looks like.
A secondary timetable, roughly.
- 08:30 Doors open.
- 09:00 First block: literacy, language arts or maths.
- 10:30 Snack break.
- 10:50 Second block: science, social studies, or a foreign language.
- 12:30 Lunch.
- 13:00 Afternoon: specialist subjects, electives, PE.
- 15:00 End of the regular school day.
What we teach
The secondary curriculum.
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Language arts
Advanced reading, writing, critical analysis and oral communication in English.
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Mathematics
Algebra, geometry, statistics and problem-solving.
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Science
Biology, chemistry, physics — inquiry-led, lab-based.
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Social studies
History, geography, civics, with an international perspective.
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Foreign languages
One of Swedish, Spanish or French, alongside continued Finnish.
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Arts and technology
Visual arts, design, and digital technology as electives.
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Physical education
Team sport, fitness, movement through the adolescent years.
Year by year
From Grade 7 to Grade 9.
- Grade 7
- Transition from primary to specialist teaching. Independent study habits begin.
- Grade 8
- Deeper subject knowledge. Analytical writing. Collaborative project work.
- Grade 9
- Consolidation, post-Grade 9 planning, transition documentation, the Finnish national exam for those continuing locally.
Who teaches secondary
Named teachers, not anonymous staff.
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Priyata Deb
Secondary School Teacher
The decision after Grade 9
What happens after Grade 9?
Norden operates under Finnish home-education law and does not itself issue a Finnish graduation certificate. That sounds like a problem and isn't — there are four legitimate routes onwards.
Common questions