My experience at Kulosaari Secondary School in Helsinki, Finland
by Silke Beckwermert, 27th September 2025
From September 22–26, 2025, I had the great opportunity to take part in job shadowing at Kulosaari Secondary School in Helsinki as part of the Erasmus+ project. I was welcomed into the bilingual department, where all subjects are taught in English, which was perfect because my Finnish skills end at “Hei”. The school attracts visitors from around the world, and it’s easy to see why: the environment is modern, open and inspiring.
School facilities and resources
I was impressed when I learned that every student is equipped with their own ThinkPad laptop free of charge, which is a great thing for ensuring equal opportunities, as well as with notebooks and textbooks – and: bananas and apples every day! Final exams are completed digitally with a Swedish program that blocks tools like ChatGPT. In class, students work with Google Classroom. With this platform, students can view blackboard notes, homework, and they individually work on exercises.
Classrooms are lovingly decorated and thoughtfully designed (e.g. a Swedish room), making them cozy and welcoming places to learn. Even the restrooms have been decorated by art classes.
All classrooms are equipped with specific projectors or beamers and a reliable internet connection, all of which make it easy to work digitally. There are breakout-rooms and even flexible glass walls, which can turn opaque or transparent at the push of a switch. This way, two groups can quickly team up and work together. Some rooms are partly provided with comfortable furniture like sofas or armchairs.
The corridors and common areas are also welcoming and comfortable. There are spaces where students can work quietly, a library, a well-equipped and room for the older students, a large auditorium where all students can spend their breaks, and cozy furniture here and there for them to relax and socialize.
And the teachers? Of course there are staff rooms, where they have their lockers and workspaces, but there is also a sunroom equipped with cozy furniture and an adjourning outdoor area as well as their own canteen. Substitute lessons are managed flexibly, with either volunteering colleagues or external staff stepping in!
Another new thing for me was the so-called Wilma program. With this software, teachers can enter grades, participation marks and notes on tests, behaviour or missing homework, while parents have immediate access to all this information.
Lessons I was fortunate to attend
One thing I really appreciate is that there is no school bell, which makes the atmosphere calmer and more relaxed, yet students still arrive on time for class. I attended subjects such as Chemistry, Physics, German, Math, English, Religion, Civics, Biology, Music and French. I was particularly impressed by subjects that we don’t have in our school: Textile Crafts, Technical Crafts and Home Economics. In Technical Craft, students get to work with tools like laser cutters, 3D printers and wood-cutting machines as well as sticker printers. In Home Economics, they get the chance to try all kinds of recipes like carrot cake, smoothies, butter chicken, Caesar salad and of course cinnamon buns, which I enjoyed a lot during my stay in Helsinki. In religion, all faiths are taught together at this school, which works very well.
During lessons, phones are placed in a foam-lined box at the beginning of class to avoid distractions.
Projects range from making a comic about Confucius to preparing presentations or writing essays on Nelson Mandela. Learning is rather skill-focused and project-based, rather than tied to rigid contents. At Kulosaari Secondary School, the learning groups in science classes are smaller to make experimenting more effective and easier for the teachers to coordinate (max. 18 pupils).
A supportive and respectful culture
One of the teachers put it this way: I want the students to learn intrinsically; I want them to have a great time because life will be harder when they grow up. This philosophy is reflected in one of the most remarkable things I noticed during my visit: how relaxed both students and teachers are. The school fosters an open culture: teachers and students address each other by their first names (which is generally common in Finland) and the students feel comfortable talking to their teachers. To further foster the community spirit there are annual school balls with dancing, karaoke and surprise guests.
I immediately sensed this positive mindset from the very start of my visit: The principal, Mr. Halla, welcomed me warmly, as did the international teaching staff (e.g. Finish, British, American, Hungarian, South African). They included me in their conversations during the breaks and lunch, patiently explained things to me before and after lessons, and helped me whenever I wandered aimlessly through the building looking for the right classroom. Mira, my mentor, arranged the job shadowing perfectly beforehand and was constantly there to assist me during my stay.
I had a fantastic week at the school, returning inspired and full of new ideas. Thank you! We would be delighted to welcome you to our school as well.