Swedish School in Moscow

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The Swedish School in Moscow (Svenska Skolan i Moskva), is a Swedish school open to children aged from 2 to 16 years of age who have links to Scandinavia. It is located amidst gardens, not far from Leninskij Prospekt in southwest Moscow.

The school follows the Swedish curriculum and instruction is given in Swedish by qualified teachers. It is run by a Parents' Committee, where as a parent you have a unique opportunity to influence the operations. The school offers high-quality education in accordance with Scandinavian pedagogy in secure, friendly surroundings.

Preschool, 2-5 years

At the Vildhunden (Wild Dog) preschool we offer pedagogic activities in small groups. We have capacity for a maximum of 15 children. Three adults work full-time in the section, of which at least one is a qualified preschool teacher. The preschool follows the Swedish curriculum, where play and creativity, and the child’s own inquisitiveness, are made a priority. The preschool aims to be fun, secure and educational for all the children who participate. We also focus on giving the children good social skills.

Preschool class, 6 years

The Swedish School in Moscow offers a preschool class for 6-year-olds. This class has its own home room where the children get to know the world of school in a spirit of creativity and play. Here, preschool and elementary school pedagogy are combined, to stimulate the development and learning of every child. There is daily collaboration with both the preschool group and the school group, e.g. in conjunction with assemblies, sports and thematic projects. One important aim is that the preschool class and the school group should be brought closer to one another, to facilitate the transition to the "real" school.

Years 1-6

At the Swedish School in Moscow instruction is given in mixed-age groups with low pupil-teacher ratios. Years 1 to 6 are split into small classes. In certain subjects, normally mathematics, English and Russian, the classes are then split into smaller groups where one teacher is responsible for each group. The small groups and the close contact with the teacher give every pupil the opportunity to work based on his or her own abilities, and to develop fully.

Years 7-9 - virtual study

From Year 7, pupils study through Sofia Distans in Stockholm. On behalf of the Swedish National Agency for Education, Sofia Distans provides internet-based full-time education with authorization to give grades in accordance with the Swedish curriculum and grading criteria. The teachers, who design and administer the education of Swedish pupils around the world, are located in Stockholm.

Sofia Distans provides clear planning, instructions and lesson films in all subjects. Assignments are given by way of internet, DVD and compendia. The pupils see what they will be doing week by week, and what is to be submitted to the teachers for comments and marking. In this way they study theoretical as well as practical-artistic and laboratory subjects, and languages. At the Swedish School in Moscow the pupils have access to supervision by qualified teachers.

A Scandinavian Oasis in Russia

At the Swedish School in Moscow, language acquisition is prioritized especially. Many of the children and pupils live in multilingual families and possess a variety of language skills that must be accommodated. Several of them will continue their schooling at international schools in other parts of the world, so the language instruction must be of the highest quality.

All children and pupils study Russian and Russian culture.

As early as in preschool, the children begin to familiarize themselves with English, in a playful manner. Instruction in English begins in Year 6.

At our school, children have many opportunities to discover that cultural and personal differences are of value. At the Swedish school there are children from Sweden, Russia, Norway and Denmark, and in the schoolyard and in various contexts they also meet children from Finland, Italy and Japan. Study visits and excursions in Moscow are an important part of our operations. The children and pupils are encouraged from an early age to participate actively in democratic decision-making, in class councils and pupil councils. At the school there is also a "friends tree" where all children and pupils promise to follow the rules they have made regarding how to treat others. The tree is a natural starting point for discussions on fairness and respect. The school has a fair-treatment strategy which is used in preventive work against bullying.

Every Friday there is an assembly for the whole school. Here the children get to go up on the stage and practise performing in front of an audience, by singing songs, staging plays or showing what they have worked on during the week. The assembly is well visited by parents, who take the opportunity to socialize over a cup of coffee in the staff room. This ensures frequent and relaxed interaction between staff and parents at the school. Every spring, all the children and pupils work together on a big thematic project, which is developed into a show performed for the parents on a Saturday in April. The show is very popular with children and parents alike.

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