How school affiliation with OPPI works
Bringing Finnish pedagogy into a school is not a workshop or a set of materials. It is a guided, multi-year transformation of how the school teaches its youngest children. Here is what that involves with OPPI.
- What it is: a structured, multi-year Finnish-pedagogy transformation, focused on K-5.
- What it covers: pedagogy design, teacher capacity-building, and future-skills learning.
- Backed by: Education Finland.
- Selective: a limited number of schools join each year.
- Works with your board: CBSE, ICSE, IB or Cambridge can all stay in place.
Who it is for
Affiliation suits schools that want to genuinely upgrade their early-years and primary teaching, not just add a label. Decision-makers, founders, trustees, principals and heads, lead it, because it is a whole-school change in how young children are taught.
What the engagement covers
OPPI works with a school over multiple years across three threads: designing the pedagogy for the early and primary years, building the capability of the school's own teachers, and embedding future-skills learning. The aim is durable change in classroom practice, not a temporary programme.
It keeps your board
Affiliation does not replace a school's curriculum. The board and its examinations stay; what changes is the everyday teaching beneath them. See Finnish pedagogy for CBSE and ICSE schools.
How to start
Schools apply to join the affiliation cohort. The waitlist is the first step, and because places are limited, affiliation is selective rather than guaranteed. Affiliated schools also convene at the OPPI Summit in Helsinki.
Frequently asked questions
What does OPPI affiliation involve?
A structured, multi-year transformation of a school's early and primary teaching, covering pedagogy design, teacher capacity-building and future-skills learning, backed by Education Finland.
Does affiliation replace our curriculum?
No. Your board and its examinations stay in place. Affiliation changes how teaching happens day to day, especially in the K-5 years.
Who in a school leads affiliation?
Founders, trustees, principals, heads and directors, because it is a whole-school change in how young children are taught.
How does a school join?
By applying to the affiliation cohort. Places are limited each year, so the waitlist is the first step rather than a guarantee of a place.
Related reading
Apply to the OPPI affiliation cohort
Affiliation is selective and focused on the K-5 years, backed by Education Finland. Tell us about your school and our team will reach out as places open.
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 →