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Kelem International School

Ethiopia, Addis Ababa

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees ETB 6,593 - 9,370
Ages 2 - 14 years
Pupil numbers 400
Type Co-educational
Opened 2019
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum Finnish Curriculum, IEYC (International Early Years Curriculum), Bespoke Curriculum
Taught languages French, Burmese
Strengths STEM, Languages, Academic Enrichment
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Leadership and Professional
Stages Early Years, Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School
Introduction

Kelem International School is a not-for-profit international school in Addis Ababa serving students aged 2 to 14. The curriculum blends the Finnish system with the International Early Years Curriculum for early years and a bespoke program through Grade 9. In the early years, IEYC informs play-based learning alongside Finnish ECEC. From Grades 1–4, core subjects are taught by class teachers, while specialist subjects include Amharic and French, PE, Music, Visual Arts and Craft. From Grades 5–9, biology, chemistry and physics are studied with a STEM focus, and ICT and GIS are integrated into social studies. The school emphasizes inquiry-based learning, student ownership, and cross-disciplinary study across science, social studies, maths, arts, and languages. Facilities include a library managed with Librarika and a suite of digital tools (Kerboodle, OTAVA Star Maths, OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, White Rose). Programs include after-school clubs, a student council, and Summer/Winter Camps, with meals included.

The Essentials

Kelem International School has 400 pupils, instruction in English.

Location
Kazanchis in front of Meles Zenawi foundation

Type
Not-for-profit international school

Country affiliation
Sweden (historical)

Religious affiliation
Non-religious
Diving Deeper

Governance and Ownership
The school is governed by a Board of Directors responsible for the overall governance of the school and the parent NGO that administers it. The Board approves the annual budget, sets tuition and fee scales, identifies major facilities improvement projects, and selects, hires, supports, and evaluates the Kelem principals who manage day-to-day operations. The school is administered by FSCSPCO (Former Swedish Community School Parents Charitable Organization), a not-for-profit, non-political, and non-religious charitable organization; FSCSPCO was established as such and registered with the FDRE Charities and Societies Agency on 15 March 2019.
Fees

Annual tuition at Kelem International School ranges from ETB 6,593 to ETB 9,370 for 2026/27.

Application & registration fees
- Application fee: USD 100 (non-refundable).
- Registration (one-time) fee: USD 1,000.

Tuition fees by year group (annual)
- KG3 – KG5: USD 6,593 per year.
- Prep: USD 7,042 per year.
- Grade 1 – Grade 3: USD 7,934 per year.
- Grade 4 – Grade 6: USD 8,382 per year.
- Grade 7 – Grade 8: USD 8,832 per year.
- Grade 9 – Grade 10: USD 9,370 per year.

Tuition fees per term
- The publicly available fee summary lists annual tuition by year group (amounts shown above). A term-level billing breakdown (per term amounts) is not published in the public summary. The school's official tuition document provides the detailed billing schedule and instalment options.

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Parents are instructed not to make admission or registration payments before communicating directly with the Admissions Office; admissions contact details are provided for enrolment and fee queries. Specific billing dates, instalment deadlines, late-payment penalties, and invoice timing are set in the school's official tuition document (not published in the public summary).

Boarding fees
- No boarding fees are listed in the public fee summary; the available public information presents Kelem International School as a day school without published boarding provision. For confirmation of boarding availability or related charges, refer to the school's official tuition document or Admissions Office.

Other costs and typical additional charges
- The publicly reproduced fee summary identifies the Application and Registration fees and the annual tuition bands above. Other typical school charges such as uniforms, textbooks, book-deposit, school transport (bus), meals, extracurricular activity fees, examination fees, and special trips are not itemised in the publicly available summary. These additional charges are normally specified in the full tuition schedule.

Refund information
- A refund policy for registration, deposits, tuition, or other payments is not specified in the publicly available fee summary. Refund and withdrawal terms (for example notice periods or refundable deposits) are set out in the school's formal tuition and fee policy document.

Fee payment options
- The public fee summary does not list accepted payment methods or the school's banking details. The school's official tuition document and Finance/Admissions teams specify accepted payment channels (for example bank transfer, card payment, or in-person payment) and any handling fees. Admissions contact details are provided for payment queries.

Effective academic year for figures above
- The annual tuition and initial fee figures above reflect the latest publicly reproduced fee summary found for the school's published academic fee schedule (annual amounts reproduced in public summaries). The detailed official tuition document referenced on the school's Admissions page contains the full billing schedule and terms.

Summary of availability: I located an Admissions page that links to an official tuition document and multiple public summaries that list an Application fee (USD 100), a one-time Registration fee (USD 1,000), and the annual tuition bands by year group shown above. The public summaries do not publish term-level billing amounts, itemised ancillary charges (uniform, transport, meals, exam fees), refund terms, or accepted payment methods; those items are specified only in the school's full tuition/finance document.
Academics

Kelem International School teaches Finnish Curriculum, IEYC (International Early Years Curriculum), Bespoke Curriculum for students aged 2 to 14.

Curriculum
The school follows the Finnish curriculum rooted in the Finnish education system, with a student-centered, inquiry-based approach. In early education, the Finnish ECEC is infused with the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) to meet KG needs. From Grades 1–4, core subjects (Math, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies) are taught by class teachers, while specialist subjects—World Language (Amharic and French), PE, Music, Visual Arts, and Craft—are taught twice a week. The math program uses the international edition of Finnish Star Maths alongside White Rose Maths for Grades 1–8. Social Studies engages with culture, geography, change, government and economics, using the Oxford International Curriculum for history and geography in conjunction with the ethics and religion aspects of the Finnish curriculum. STEAM education emphasizes integrating mathematics, science and arts through a hands-on, inquiry-based framework.

Gifted and Talented
The learning support department provides in-class or pull-out support for gifted students.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The heart of the curriculum is the holistic development of every learner — academic, emotional, social, and ethical — supporting them in becoming capable and responsible members of society. Joy in learning, curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving are actively nurtured. The well-being of both students and the entire school community is important. A professional guidance counselor is available to support students' emotional and social development.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The learning support department assists students who have learning differences after assessments, providing in-class support or pull-out support, including for gifted students. The school emphasizes inclusion and collaboration among staff, parents and students to meet the educational, social, and emotional needs of every child and adult.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
World Languages include French and Amharic. English Language Arts develops reading, writing, speaking, and language conventions to support language development.

Mental Wellbeing
The well-being of students and the wider school community is prioritized. A professional guidance counselor supports emotional and social development, and positive well-being is integrated into the curriculum through safe and supportive learning experiences.

Safeguarding
Safety is prioritized with constant supervision, a dedicated safety team, and a Critical Incident team.
Parent Experience

History
Kelem International School (KIS) began in 1949 as the Swedish School and has more than 72 years of experience as a community school under the Swedish Embassy. The Swedish Community School (SCS) was established in 1946 to serve Swedish citizens living in Ethiopia, with students from other countries later joining. When the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided embassies worldwide would no longer run schools, parents established the Former Swedish Community School Parents Charitable Organization (FSCSPCO), which was registered on 15 March 2019, and the embassy handed over responsibility to FSCSPCO from July 2019. FSCSPCO later renamed the school Kelem International School (KIS), Addis Ababa to reflect the community's diversity. In Amharic, Kelem means Color/Paint and denotes wisdom and knowledge. The school emphasizes an inclusive, caring environment where staff, parents, and students work together to develop future citizens and leaders, living the vision of facilitating the realization of every child's full potential.

Community
The school's community is diversified and vibrant, with active involvement from staff, parents, and students across school life. Kelem International School partners with EduCluster Finland to implement the Finnish curriculum, supported by online training for teachers delivered in collaboration with Finnish education experts. In 2023, KIS hosted a two-week professional development training on the Finnish system with emphasis on inclusive education, enabled by FinCEED and the Finnish Embassy in Addis Ababa. The school employs a range of digital platforms and resources—Kerboodle, Star Maths, OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, Librarika, White Rose, Literacy Tree, and GrandstandE's School Management Software—to support teaching and learning.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Kelem International School has a Parents, Teachers and Students Association (PTSA) that facilitates parents working with the school to achieve the best possible education for their children alongside teachers and students. The PTSA supports the school's goals and mission and helps build a social network among parents and teachers to foster community and provide a forum for student engagement and leadership development. The 2024/25 Parent Teacher Student Union (PTSU) includes Gianluca Pagani as President; Ayda Eshetu as Vice President; Meron Kassahun as Vice President; Nuamin Elias as Secretary; Bethel Saryee as Secretary; Haymanot Abebe as Treasurer/Finance; Hella Yirga as Treasurer/Finance; and a team of Teaching & Learning Volunteers, staff development hosts, and student representatives (e.g., Odile Roudant as Board Representative and Amran Ermias as Student Representative).
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school has a library managed with Librarika to monitor daily library activity and track library materials. It uses Kerboodle, OTAVA (Star Maths), OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, White Rose, Literacy Tree, and GrandstandE's GS SMS as learning platforms. The Finnish-based curriculum emphasizes STEAM and phenomenon-based learning, and cross-disciplinary study across science, social studies, mathematics, arts, and languages from early years through Grade 9. From early years through Grade 9, learning emphasizes collaboration, inquiry-based learning, and student ownership of learning. French and Amharic are taught, and field trips and Reading Week are part of the learning experience. The school offers a balanced and nutritious menu, with meals included in tuition.

Sports Facilities
Swimming lessons are offered as part of Physical Education. A key component of the Finnish curriculum, PE includes a broad range of activities such as athletics (running, jumping, throwing) and ball games (football, basketball, dodgeball) as well as gymnastics.

Academic Facilities
Science education is built around Science Fusion. The mathematics program uses Star Maths (OTAVA) with an international edition for Grades 1–8. Digital resources include Kerboodle, OPIQ, Twinkl, Google Classroom, IXL, White Rose, Literacy Tree, and GrandstandE's GS SMS. IEYC is infused in Early Childhood, and French and Amharic are taught from Grade 1. In Grades 5–9, biology, chemistry, and physics are studied with a STEM focus, and ICT and GIS are integrated into social studies.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Extracurricular activities include after-school programs. Students can participate in the student council, serve as class representatives, or contribute to student-teacher committees.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school runs an After-School Program (ASP) and Summer/Winter Camps. The ASP runs from 3:20 to 5:30 (Fridays 2:20 to 4:30) and is staffed by specialty subject teachers. Clubs and activities include technology, art, music and physical education, with guest teachers and outside activities. The Summer/Winter Camp lasts five weeks from early July to late August and offers multiple activities that promote exploration and joyful learning. These programs are designed to help students think critically, analyze problems, and creatively solve them, while developing resilient, curious, open-minded and reflective learners.

Arts & Creative
Art and music are among the clubs and activities offered through the After-School Program, along with technology and physical education, with sessions led by guest teachers and specialists.

Social & Hobbies
The After-School Program coordinates clubs and activities in technology, art, music and physical education, providing opportunities for students to pursue interests beyond the core curriculum.

Community & Service
Day-to-day activities include giving back to the community as part of school life.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The After-School Program includes physical education, and the five-week Summer/Winter Camps offer extended learning experiences outside the regular day.
Languages

Language Provision
French and Amharic are taught as world languages. Starting from Grade 1, students receive instruction in both French and Amharic. The language program focuses on speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills and introduces Ethiopian culture through Amharic. The Finnish curriculum underpins the overall language education approach.
Admissions

Admissions
Begin by contacting Kelem International School's Admissions Office to start the application or inquire about available spaces. Do not make any admission or registration fee payments before directly communicating with the Admissions Office. Complete and submit your application online; the Admissions Office will review it and contact you with next steps.

Scholarships
Currently, Kelem International School does not offer scholarship programs or financial aid options.

Waitlist
The admissions office will notify parents on the waiting list as soon as space becomes available.
School Events
The school has not added events
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