Countries

Finnish education in Warsaw

Warsaw is one of the few cities where Finnish curriculum elements already appear in mainstream international schooling, blended alongside American, British, French, Polish and IB programmes rather than offered as a standalone Finnish school.

In brief

The International Trilingual School of Warsaw includes the Finnish national curriculum among six curricula it blends using trilingual, CLIL-based instruction.
Polish szkola podstawowa is an eight-year single structure, generally starting at age 7, split into early integrated education (grades 1 to 3) and subject-based teaching (grades 4 to 8).
Poland scored above the OECD average in PISA 2022 for both maths and reading, though down somewhat from 2018.
Warsaw's international school market has grown quickly over the past five years, alongside a strong segment of Polish-English bilingual schools.
No standalone Finnish-curriculum school currently operates in Warsaw, though Finnish elements are already part of the city's multi-curriculum offering.

Finnish curriculum, blended rather than standalone

Warsaw already has a genuine, if unusual, foothold for Finnish pedagogy. The International Trilingual School of Warsaw (ITSW) lists the Finnish national curriculum as one of six it draws on, alongside American, British, French, Polish and IB PYP and MYP frameworks, delivered through trilingual, content-and-language-integrated (CLIL) instruction. It is not a standalone Finnish-curriculum school in the way some other cities have, but it shows real market appetite for Finnish methods among Warsaw's international families.

How Polish primary school compares

Poland's szkola podstawowa runs as a single eight-year structure from around age 7, split into an early integrated education stage (grades 1 to 3) and subject-based teaching from grade 4 onward. Poland scored above the OECD average in both maths and reading in PISA 2022, a genuinely strong result, though scores dipped from the country's higher 2018 peak. Compared with Finland's national core curriculum, Polish primary education is more centrally standardised and introduces subject-based teaching earlier, whereas Finnish primary classrooms typically keep one class teacher across most subjects for longer.

A fast-growing market for international schooling

Industry commentary consistently describes Warsaw as one of the fastest-growing international school markets in Central Europe over the past five years, with strong demand from both expatriate families and Polish parents seeking bilingual education. Combined with ITSW's existing use of the Finnish curriculum, this growth suggests real room for Finnish-curriculum expansion in the city, whether through a dedicated school or deeper partnership with existing multi-curriculum providers.

Warsaw did not wait for a dedicated Finnish school to start using Finnish methods. One of its leading international schools folded the Finnish curriculum in alongside five others.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a Finnish-curriculum school in Warsaw?

There is no standalone Finnish-curriculum school, but the International Trilingual School of Warsaw incorporates the Finnish national curriculum as one of six frameworks it blends, using trilingual, CLIL-based teaching.

How does Polish primary school compare with Finland's?

Both start formal schooling around age 6 to 7, but Poland's szkola podstawowa introduces subject-based teaching from grade 4, earlier than the class-teacher model typical in Finnish primary schools, and follows a more centrally standardised curriculum.

How did Poland perform in the most recent PISA results?

Poland scored above the OECD average in both mathematics and reading in PISA 2022, though its scores fell somewhat from a stronger 2018 result.

Bring Finnish pedagogy to your school

OPPI affiliates a selective cohort of schools each year for its K-5 Finnish-pedagogy programme, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out.

Backed by Education Finland. Over 20 schools have already affiliated, including DPS, Radcliffe and Sanctus. Places in each cohort are limited.

Apply to the affiliation cohort →