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Applying for a secondary school place

As per the Basic Education Act, you have the right to apply for a place in a school other than the primary school of your child. This school is called a secondary school. You can apply for a secondary school place, for example, so your child can attend weighted curriculum education, or for other reasons. Headmasters admit pupils to secondary schools.

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Requirements

The admission of pupils is subject to equal selection criteria for pupils living in the city of Lappeenranta. The admission of pupils to a secondary school is subject to the following criteria in the following order:

  • The pupil’s place of residence is Lappeenranta.
  • On the basis of professional statements, there are pupil welfare reasons for granting a secondary school place.
  • The pupil is starting a voluntary A2 language that is not taught at the primary school.
  • The pupil’s place of residence will change to the secondary school’s admission area during the academic year.
  • The pupil’s distance to their primary school exceeds three kilometres, but the distance to their secondary school is less than three kilometres.
  • The pupil has siblings in the secondary school.
  • The majority of the pupil’s pre-primary education group is starting school at the secondary school.
  • After-school care for pupils in grades 1 and 2 is arranged close to the secondary school.
  • The pupil has an active hobby, and participating in it will be hindered or significantly hampered if the pupil is assigned to their primary school.

If there are more applicants than places available after points 1 to 9, the available places are filled by drawing lots. The secondary school place may be terminated at the end of the academic year if there are pupils who have moved to the school’s admission area who are eligible for their primary school place and need to be provided with a school place in the school.

You will find the selection criteria for education with special emphasis on the page Weighted curriculum education. The selection criteria for the admission of pupils living in other municipalities to weighted curriculum education are also described on this page.

Pupils living in other municipalities can only be admitted to a secondary school in Lappeenranta if the teaching groups to be established still have room after all pupils living in Lappeenranta have been admitted.

Different criteria apply to secondary pupils than the primary ones in terms of transport and school transport assistance.

You will find information on school transport assistance for secondary pupils on the page Support services for basic education.

Instructions

Contact the headmaster of the secondary school to enquire about the possibility of changing schools. You will find the headmaster’s contact information on the school’s website.

Inform the headmaster of the upcoming move either within the city or to another municipality as soon as possible. In connection to this, you can express your wish of continuing at the same school. The headmaster makes the decision on pupil admission.

Contact the school transport services if your child is entitled to school transport to and from their primary school. In this case, school transport assistance may be considered to also apply to the secondary school. Otherwise, the guardian or the new municipality of residence is responsible for the transport costs.

Attending school in another municipality

The City of Lappeenranta can organise almost all the education mentioned in the Basic Education Act. For this reason, the City of Lappeenranta does not provide pupils with school places in other municipalities, except in exceptional circumstances. You can apply for a school place in a school in another municipality by submitting an informal application to the City Registry Office at kirjaamo@lappeenranta.fi or to PB 11, 53101 Lappeenranta, or to Customer Service Centre Winkki.

The head of the education department makes the decision on the application for a school place at a school maintained by another education provider. However, the guardian has the possibility to apply for a secondary school place directly from another municipality. The school authorities of the other municipality make the decision on admitting the child, and the guardians of the pupil are responsible for transporting the pupil as well as for the transport costs.

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The service is free of charge.

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