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Deutsche Schule Helsinki

Finland, Helsinki

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The school at a glance
Instructs in German, Finnish
Fees Fees not listed
Ages 3 - 19 years
Pupil numbers 700
Type Co-educational
Opened 1881
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum German Curriculum
Taught languages German, Finnish, English, Swedish, French, Russian, Spanish, Latin
Strengths Languages, Academic Enrichment, Performing Arts
Clubs Academic and Intellectual, Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language
Stages Primary School, Secondary School, Kindergarten, Senior Secondary School
Introduction

Deutsche Schule Helsinki is a private, German-Finnish intercultural school in Helsinki offering bilingual education from early years to upper secondary. The curriculum combines German and Finnish systems across three stages: lower grades (1–5), upper grades (6–9), and upper secondary. In early years German is taught as a foreign language with English, with Finnish as mother tongue and second language, plus life stance education and Evangelical religion. In upper grades many subjects have curricula published in German, including Chemistry, Biology, German, Finnish as mother tongue, English, Ethics, Geography, History, Art, Latin (8–12), Swedish, Russian, and Sport, with Economics also offered. The upper secondary culminates in the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA), a dual-qualification with a German university entrance qualification and a Finnish matriculation certificate; exams include written tests in three subjects in January and oral tests in two in March. The school provides a library, a music school, after-school care, and an activity program at Malminkatu 14, 00100 Helsinki.

Malminkatu 14, 00100 Helsinki, Finland

The Essentials

Deutsche Schule Helsinki has 700 pupils, instruction in German, Finnish.

Location
Address: Malminkatu 14, 00100 Helsinki, Finland.

Stages
Early childhood and preschool; Lower elementary; Upper elementary; High school.

Type
The school is a private school focusing on German and Finnish languages and cultures.

Additional learning support
The school has a multi-disciplinary student welfare team that meets regularly; the team includes a deputy head, school nurses, a school counselor, a school psychologist, coordinators, special education teachers and guidance counselors. The team provides confidential support and can offer temporary or ongoing support, including assessments and targeted learning support.

Country affiliation
Germany
Diving Deeper

Food Options
Food is provided by the school's own kitchen.

Governance and Ownership
Pestalozzi School Association (Kouluyhdistys Pestalozzi Schulverein Skolföreningen ry).
Academics

Deutsche Schule Helsinki teaches German Curriculum for students aged 3 to 19.

Curriculum
The school provides three stages: lower grades (1–5), upper grades (6–9), and upper secondary (10–12). In lower grades, German is taught as a foreign language, alongside English, Finnish as mother tongue, Finnish as second language, life stance education, Evangelical religion, crafts, music, and own-language instruction for grades 1–9. In upper grades, some subjects have curricula published only in German, including Chemistry, Biology, German, Finnish as mother tongue, English, Ethics, Evangelical Religion, French, Geography, History, Art, Latin (8–12), Swedish, Russian, and Sport, with Economics also offered in these grades. The upper secondary culminates in the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA), with Grade 10 as a preparatory phase and Grades 11–12 as the examination phase. The DIA yields two diplomas: a German university entrance qualification and a Finnish matriculation certificate, enabling direct admission to universities in Finland and Germany. The examination includes written tests in three subjects in January and oral tests in two subjects in March.

Higher Education Progression
Graduates hold the Deutsches Internationales Abitur (DIA), which serves as a university entrance qualification in both Finland and Germany. The DIA enables direct admission to higher education institutions in both countries.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
DSH fosters responsibility, openness, and respect as core values that shape daily school life. Students, teachers, and parents share responsibility for independence, critical thinking, social interaction, and teamwork. The school promotes openness to different cultures and to new challenges, and it expects respectful behavior toward others. It emphasizes a welcoming climate that supports belonging and well-being, with explicit emphasis on social-emotional development. A community pedagogue and a school counselor support dialogue, conflict resolution, and inclusive interaction to strengthen the school's social-emotional learning. The environment also promotes sustainable attitudes and intercultural understanding as part of everyday learning.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
Part-time special education is provided by a special education teacher in class, individually, or in small groups. Support can be temporary or ongoing and focuses on learning, study skills, and attention difficulties. Special education teachers coordinate the delivery of support with other teachers and plan interventions, using assessments to tailor learning. German and mathematics workshops provide targeted in-school support. Tutoring (tukiopetusta) is available for students with learning difficulties or those who need temporary subject support; it is temporary and free and is not homework help; Participation is required when offered. The school also coordinates with a multi-professional team, including school counselors and other staff, to address SEN needs.

Mental Wellbeing
The psychologist's duties include promoting mental health and well-being as well as learning and studying and preventive work. The psychologist carries out individual and group work to support emotional development, social interaction, and learning; They address concerns such as concentration or motivation difficulties, worries about life circumstances, anxiety or depression, and study-related difficulties. The school health nurse monitors students' growth, health, well-being, and implements periodic health checks as part of student health services. Mental health and well-being support is provided through counseling and preventive programs. A community pedagogue fosters class cohesion and open, respectful school culture and collaborates with teachers and counselors to support students' well-being.

Safeguarding
Student matters are handled confidentially with the student and their guardians in accordance with agreed arrangements. A multi-professional student welfare team meets regularly to promote wellbeing and address support needs. The team includes a deputy head, school nurses, a school social worker, a school psychologist, coordinators, and both general and special education teachers. The team provides targeted support for issues such as bullying, family changes, attendance problems, mood concerns, and gender identity considerations. The community pedagogue supports an open, respectful school culture and collaborates with teachers and guardians to maintain a safe environment. The school's health services contribute to safeguarding by monitoring health and wellbeing and providing health counseling when needed.
Parent Experience

History
German-Finnish intercultural school since 1881. German-speaking craftsmen and merchants from various regions contributed to the school's founding, and a charitable association established in 1880 took on the school's sponsorship in 1881 with the involvement of the German consul Freiherr von Lamezan and the Protestant Church. In 1922 an independent school association was founded, the predecessor of the Pestalozzi-Schulverein. Families such as Stockmann, Fazer, Paulig, and von Rohden supported the school in its early years. Over more than 120 years, the school has remained true to its principle of being a school of encounter, continuing to operate as a German-Finnish educational institution open to those who nurture German-Finnish cultural relations.

Community
The Deutsche Schule Helsinki is a cosmopolitan, modern school that blends Finnish and German culture. As a German Auslandsschule and as a Finnish school for basic education and upper secondary, it is a school of diversity and an intercultural encounter school. Children and youths from different cultural backgrounds meet and learn from one another. On their educational path, they develop openness to new things and respect for others, and increasingly take responsibility for their own learning and for our society. Openness, respect, responsibility, and sustainability guide daily life at the school.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
Pestalozzi-Schulverein ry is the Finnish-registered school association that governs the Deutsche Schule Helsinki. An independent school association was founded in 1922, the predecessor of Pestalozzi-Schulverein. The first task of the association was to build a suitable building for the growing school. Families such as Stockmann, Fazer, Paulig, and von Rohden supported the school at its founding. In its long history, the school has remained true to the principle of being a school of encounter, open to all who cultivate German-Finnish cultural relations on a cultural, linguistic, and friendship level.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
The school is located at Malminkatu 14, 00100 Helsinki. It has a library on the first floor (room 104) with a broad collection of German- and Finnish-language books, audiobooks, magazines, and other media for all grade levels. The library is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 to 13:00. The school runs its own music school offering instruction in classical instruments and band instruments. The school provides supervised afternoon activities for students in grades 1–4 after classes, and a wide range of free clubs.

Academic Facilities
Oppilaskirjasto (student library) is located on the first floor in room 104 and is accessible to all students and staff. It offers a wide selection of German- and Finnish-language books, audiobooks, magazines, and other media to support reading, study, and class work. The library hours are Monday–Friday 8:00–13:00, and its materials cover all grade levels including early readers, graphic novels, comics, and magazines.

Extra Curricular Facilities
Grades 1–4 students may participate in the school's supervised afternoon program after lessons, and a wide range of free clubs is offered. The school has its own music school providing instruction in classical instruments and band instruments.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school offers after-school activities (AGs) for classes 3–12; choir is available for classes 1–2. AGs cover Aqua-Club (3–4), Choir and Music AG, Reporter AG, Art AG, Art History AG, Theater AG, Chess AG, and Svenska Klubben. Enrollment for AGs is done electronically in Wilma.

Arts & Creative
The school has a Music School with a modular, student-centered program that starts in kindergarten and continues through high school. Instruction is available in German and Finnish. The program includes classical instruments, singing, and band instruments, with choir and orchestra activities and participation in KiMu and JuMu music competitions. Rental instruments are available, and teaching is conducted after school on site; there are no entrance tests.

Cultural & Language
Svenska Klubben offers activities in Swedish, such as games, crafts, and socializing in Swedish. Participants can suggest activities; the aim is to socialize in Swedish and meet other Swedish-speaking children. The club is intended for students who speak Swedish at home.

Social & Hobbies
The AGs include Theater (for younger students 3–4 and for older students 5–12), Chess (for 3–4 and 3–6), the Reporter AG for student journalism (4–11), Art AG (3–6), and Art History AG (9–10). Svenska Klubben provides Swedish-language activities. These AGs foster creative expression, teamwork and school-community involvement.

Community & Service
The SV organizes events such as theme days and competitions. Every two years, the UNICEF Run is held by the middle and upper school to raise funds for charitable causes. The SV provides channels for students to share ideas or concerns with the school leadership.

Leadership & Professional
The SV acts as the voice of students in school decisions and runs events to engage the school community. The SV has elected student leaders Ina Schmidtmann (student leader) and Timo Salzwedel (deputy student leader). SV leadership is supported by trusted staff for each school level (Vertrauenslehrkräfte) who liaise with students and the administration.

Lifestyle & Wellbeing
The school has a multidisciplinary student welfare team that meets regularly to promote student wellbeing. The team includes a deputy head, school nurses, a school psychologist, a counselor, coordinators, and special education teachers, providing confidential support for learning, mental health and social-emotional needs. The welfare team coordinates with teachers and families to ensure appropriate support, and after-school care offers structured activities and supervision.
Languages

Language Provision
Languages used for instruction are German and Finnish. The German-language preschool provides the bridge between early childhood education and primary school. In middle school and upper secondary, the school continues this bilingual approach, combining German and Finnish school traditions.

Bilingual Teaching
The school offers bilingual instruction in German and Finnish. German-language instruction is provided across preschool (German-language preschool), primary, and secondary levels, bridging early education with the broader school program while integrating German and Finnish cultural traditions. The school presents itself as a cosmopolitan, modern institution that unites the best of Finnish and German culture.
Admissions

Scholarships
Lucie Frischknecht Scholarship: The Lucie Frischknecht scholarship is awarded annually to two recipients based on applications. The six-month scholarship amounts to 250 EUR per month.
School Events
The school has not added events
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