Some of the topics we teach are explored in our own class, while others work across subjects and age groups that include the whole school. “Public health”, “life skills”, “Sustainable development” and “Democracy and citizenship” are examples of such common and interdisciplinary themes. At the Norwegian school in London, all subjects contribute to developing students’ basic skills in addition to developing students’ creativity, wonder and curiosity through culture, literature, commitment and practical work. We want to develop students’ creativity, wonder and curiosity through culture, literature , commitment and practical work.

Students have 3 hours of English per. week. In addition, the school offers teaching in Cambridge ESOL once a week as part of preparation for exams developed at the University of Cambridge for foreign students in the UK. Passed exam shows which level the student masters when it comes to expressing themselves in daily life in English as a second language. It is voluntary to take these exams.

The grade point average for pupils in upper secondary school is above the national average for Norwegian public and private schools.

We offer Spanish or French as electives in addition to English specialization.

Students can choose between the elective subjects “Physical activity and health” and “Technology and design”.

All subjects except Home Economics are graduating subjects in 10th grade. A position for these subjects will be set in late spring. Home Economics is a graduating subject in 9th grade.

Students who have completed a subject at another school retain their Final assessment grade (Final grade) that was given. This also applies to our students in the subject Home Economics if the new school has this subject in the 10th grade.

There are other rules for elective subjects as students can choose to change or continue the elective subject during secondary school.

We strive to use the great diversity that London has to offer. We visit historic buildings, several museums, art galleries, various theaters and various houses of worship as part of the teaching.

We engage instructors for various activities in physical education such as climbing, swimming, street dancing, fencing, tennis, cricket, rugby and football. We also have activities such as kayaking, sailing, beach volleyball and badminton / squash. In addition, every year we arrange various activity days such as skating day, nature trail, sports day and Christmas workshop.

We also organize a stay abroad every year where we visit Brussels, Spain or France. The stay abroad is anchored in the curriculum in addition to building a strong unity among the students in the learning environment.

During the school year, we also arrange various events such as Christmas balls where students from the Swedish school are invited. The students at the Norwegian school are invited to a summer ball at the Swedish school. Traditionally, the year for secondary school ends with a camping trip.

We have had several students who have gone to both Norwegian and English upper secondary schools. One should be aware of examining application deadlines and admission requirements for the schools one wishes to apply for, as there may be different deadlines and regulations one may have to comply with.

Transition at The Norwegian School in London 

At The Norwegian School in London, we are proud to include pupils from all over Norway, the rest of Scandinavia,
the UK and beyond. This cultural diversity adds considerable value to the experience and learning of our students.
However, some families may have questions regarding the transitioning process to and from our school, particularly
if they are new to the UK, lack fluency in either English or Norwegian or are unfamiliar with the English or the Norwegian
curriculum.

At The Norwegian School in London, we work closely with all our pupils and their families to ensure a successful and
smooth transition to and from our school. We focus on supporting all our pupils and their families in this process,
whether the school in question is based in Norway, the UK, or globally.

At The Norwegian School in London we believe that successful transitioning involves functioning well in two areas; academically
and socially/emotionally.

1) Academically:
– Pupils are taught and challenged from the level they are at on arrival to the school, allowing them to build on their knowledge and skills to develop further.
– Pupils are taught and prepared, with each child`s next educational step in mind, to enable them to excel and fulfill their
potential in their next school, whether this being in Norway, UK or globally.

2) Socially/emotionally:
– Pupils are included and invited into play and friendship groups from the first day they arrive to the school.
– Pupils are supported to further develop their social skills in a caring, safe, and supportive environment.

Transition between key stages
We believe that through careful curriculum sequencing, close collaboration between teachers at different key stages and an advantageous teacher-to-pupil ratio we make in-school transitioning from primary to secondary school
smooth and transparent.Being aware that many children come to our school with a variety of academic backgrounds and
experiences, we make sure to get an in-depth understanding of each pupil`s particular strengths, needs and circumstances. This enables us to adapt our teaching to meet them “where they are” and facilitate best possible learning outcomes.

Language
At The Norwegian School in London, we are used to accepting and accommodating pupils across year groups 1-10 with
limited or no understanding of Norwegian. To address this, we set up individualised learning plans for progression utilising
extra support and resources and work closely with the pupil and his/her/their family. We have experienced that such language barriers, although challenging at first, can be overcome in a relatively short amount of time with the right support in place. While strengthening the Norwegian language we also take steps to ensure that this is achieved without narrowing the curriculum for
the pupil in terms of the knowledge and skills they are required to learn in their subjects. We also continue to provide a high standard of English tuition, to ensure students continue to progress and achieve at the highest possible level in their written and spoken
English.

Transition to UK schools
From our extensive experience, any transition from The Norwegian School in London into a UK educational institution
at primary, secondary or college level is typically seamless. We offer considerably more English than an average Norwegian
school in Norway and this, combined with our location and extensive use of “London as a classroom”, helps to explain the very
high level of English held by our pupils. This is evident not only from local and national mapping results but from
Cambridge ESOL test results arranged by the school, as well as feedback from families and pupils completing entry exams and interviews for English schools and colleges. From this we conclude that the level of English, as well as the academic level of
our pupils, is more than sufficient in order for them to excel in a British school environment, having completed their secondary education with us.

Over the years we have sent pupils to a variety of different schools and colleges after completing their year 10 and receiving their `vitnemål` from us. Some of these are:

Marymount International, Cobham International, Southbank International, RR6, Wimbledon College, Hampton Court House,
Albemarle College, St Francis Xavier College, Kings College,Kingston College, Ursuline Sixth, Coombe Boys, Halcyon London International, City & Islington College and more.

For any questions or enquiries regarding transition, please contact  mail@norwegianschool.org.uk  or directly
The Norwegian School in London’s Career Adviser Lars Otterbu:  lars.otterbu@norwegianschool.org.uk