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Enrolling to local school
You can enrol online or by visiting the school.
You can enrol your child at school electronically through the Asti online service(Link leads to external service). Asti will guide you through every step of the enrolment process. Also find step-by-step instructions to enrol below:
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Go to Asti
Go to the Asti front page at asti.hel.fi(Link leads to external service) (links leads to external service)
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Select the preferred language from the upper right corner of the website.
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Log in
Click on the 'Log in' button
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Follow the elctronic authentication procedure
When logging in to the Asti service for the first time, please accept the processing of personal data.
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Choose basic education in Finnish or basic education in Swedish
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Basic education in Finnish
- Select your preferred A1 language at your local school. Select your choice even if you are applying for other than your local school (in case you don’t get a place in your preferred school).
- You can apply for extensive bilingual Finnish-North Sami, or extensive bilingual Finnish-Swedish education. These options do not require a language test, which means anyone can sign up. If there are more applicants than there are places in the group, the pupils will be chosen at random.
- Declare if you are applying for other than your local school due to an aptitude test, A1 language or other reason.
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Basic education in Swedish
- Choose the pupil’s Finnish language skill level and continue forward
- Declare if you are applying for a school other than your local.
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If necessary, ensure all guardians have given their consent
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Tell us if the pupil needs support for learning
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Preview the application and make sure that the information given is accurate. Click the ‘Submit’ button to send the application.
You should enrol your child in school by visiting your local school if:
- your child is about to start school a year later than decreed
- you are currently applying for a decision on starting basic education one year earlier or later than decreed
- your child has been granted extended compulsory education
- you are applying for extended compulsory education for your child, and your child will continue in daycare for a second year of pre-primary education, in which case a decision will be made for starting basic education one year later than decreed.
You can enrol a child in a school of your choice in the following cases:
- the child wants to study an A1 language that is not available in their own local school
- the child applies for a school other than their local school (e.g. another school in the region) for some other reason.
The enrolment time for first graders starting their school in autumn 2024 ended on 28 January.
The enrolment at the school will also primarily take place online. Bring your ID to the school with you, as well as any documents needed for authentication (such as online banking credentials). Also bring the compulsory education note, which states the child’s local school assigned to them based on their residential address.
You will receive the necessary forms and advice for practical matters at the school
Applying for weighted-curriculum, English-language and bilingual education
You can apply for a place for your child who is starting school in weighted-curriculum, English-language or bilingual education. These options are available for first-graders at certain Finnish-language schools. Helsinki-based children starting first grade can apply for these options using the Asti online service(Link leads to external service). If you are unable to use Asti (due to living outside of Helsinki, for example), please use this electronic application form(Link leads to external service).
Key dates
Find the key dates for comprehensive school enrolment for pupils born in 2018 below.
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November 2024
We will post the Tervetuloa kouluun ('Welcome to School') guide at the beginning of November to children born in 2018. Version in English will become available as an online pdf version.
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18 November 2024 – 18 January 2025
Schools may hold information events. School-specific times will be published on each school's own website in autumn.
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7–26 January 2025
Online school enrolment takes place at asti.hel.fi. In addition to enrolling to your local school, you can apply for weighted-curriculum and bilingual education, as well as to a school other than the local school. If your child is about to start school in 2025, we will notify you with a compulsory education note that will be posted to the child’s home address on 2 January 2025.
If the child does not enrol in education provided in a local school organised by the city (for example is enrolling to a private school or home-schooling), let us know via the Asti online service. It is important to report this information because the city monitors compulsory education attendance.
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20–31 January 2025
Local school principal invites the newcomers and their guardians to a hearing before making a decision regarding special support.
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22 January at 8–10 am
You can also enrol by visiting the school on Wednesday 22 January at 8–10 am. Bring the compulsory education note with you. If you have enrolled electronically on Asti, you do not have to visit the school.
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26 January 2025
Local school enrolment ends. If you wish to enrol the child to a school other than the local school according to the child's home address, make sure you have all guardians' consent. Consents must be given by 26 January 2025.
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27 January 2025
If you move to Helsinki after the enrolment period has ended, please contact the principal at your local school. Check your local school with your home address at hel.fi/servicemap.
If you move to Helsinki after the enrolment has ended and want to apply for a place in English-language or bilingual education, apply for any available places in the supplementary application round starting in May. Information about the supplementary application round will be available on the schools' websites between April and May. You may not apply in this application round if you have been living in Helsinki during the actual school enrolment period in January.
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3–14 February 2025
Local school principal invites the newcomer and guardians to a hearing before making a decision regarding special support, when the decision is for special support at a special education school, extended compulsory education class, or in a supported special education class.
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7 March 2025
Admission decision will be posted to guardians. Decision regarding special support in a classroom will be posted.
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17 March– 16 April 2025
Application period for after-school activities. The decisions for after-school activities will be posted at home by July.
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30 March 2025
The period of providing additional information related to the child's instruction in school on Asti ends.
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Spring 2025
School organise introduction sessions for incoming first-graders. For more information, please visit the schools and their websites.
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7 August 2025
The firsta day of school in the 2025–2026 school year is Thursday 7 August 2025. Here you can find the term dates and holidays for the school year.
Wilma – contact between home and school
The Wilma system provides you with information on your child's education and arrangements in school. You can contact teachers and the principal directly through Wilma.
Morning and after-school activities
We offer many types of voluntary guided activities to pupils in our primary schools both before and after the school day. They offer children meaningful activities in a safe environment.
Starting school a year later or a year earlier
A guardian may apply for their child to start school either later or earlier well in advance before the child is supposed to start school.
Extended compulsory education
A child is entitled to extended compulsory education if they will not be able to achieve the prescribed goals of education in nine years because of a severe disability or illness.
