The School

Mattlidens Gymnasium offer an inclusive and safe environment that inspires you to make a positive impact. Our school culture is build on our core values empathy, curiosity, togetherness and integrity. Our students learn to explore, grow and understand - together.

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The IB learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.

They imply a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

Each of the IB's programmes is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile.

The profile aims to develop learners who are:

• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Thinkers
• Communicators
• Principled
• Open-minded
• Caring
• Risk-takers
• Balanced
• Reflective 

We offer an inclusive and safe environment that inspires you to make a positive impact. Our school culture is build on our core values empathy, curiosity, togetherness and integrity. Our students learn to explore, grow and understand - together.

means that all of us in the school show understanding, compassion and care for one another. This also means being aware of other’s feelings and needs and trying to encourage, support and help each other as much as possible.
 

• We see, greet and smile at each other in school, and try to get to know and understand each other.
• We communicate with each other in a positive and friendly tone.
• We ask for and listen to each others' wishes, thoughts and ideas.
• We always try to offer low-threshold help and support according to the needs of different students, including those with ambitious goals.
• We have clear frameworks and limits, wherein we offer flexibility in studies.

is about an individual’s inner drive to know more, to discover new things or participate in activities of their own interests. In our school, we encourage each other to explore, learn and try new things and develop that inner motivation.
 

• We offer a diverse range of courses in different subjects
• We use diverse teaching methods, actively involve our students and ask what interests them, and thereby try to make learning as interesting as possible.
• We are not afraid to ask or ask for help - we teach each other! 
• We encourage our students to focus on their strengths, find their own study techniques and interests.
• We are not afraid to fail, but boldly try new things. 
• We encourage engagement and entrepreneurship regardless of the field of study.
• We follow the developments in society and update our knowledge and invite interesting and topical guests to the school.

means that we focus on creating a sense of belonging in the school and emphasize cooperation and inclusion amongst students, teachers and staff. We do things together and work towards a pleasant school environment that supports both well-being and learning.

• We regularly organize various activities that support community, well-being and wellness during the school year.
• We focus on well-structured group work in mixed groups during lessons and do exercises that strengthen both group dynamics and cooperation skills.
• We focus on enabling diverse club activities.
• We invest in active tutoring and StuCo activities.
• We serve morning porridge daily in the dining hall, where you can gather with your schoolmates and gain energy for the school day
• We try to take advantage of the fact that we are a large school with a variety of different people.

means that everyone in the school respects each other’s individuality and lifestyle. Everyone should be able to feel safe at school and not be at risk of personal attacks such as derogatory remarks, discrimination or violence of any kind. We also follow the principle of honesty by representing our own work and respecting the intellectual property of others.
 

• We encourage a positive and inclusive climate in the school.
• We have clear frameworks and rules for expected behavior. 
• We discuss and highlight themes such as respect and equality regularly each school year.
• We follow the principles of academic honesty by providing accurate source references and not plagiarizing, cheating or misleading in any way.
• We aim to provide a variety of spaces in the school, including quiet spaces.
• We intervene immediately when inappropriate behavior occurs both in the classroom and in other areas of the school and we have clear models of action.

Mattlidens gymnasium (established in 1957) is the largest Swedish language high school in Espoo, and the only Swedish language IB DP school in the capital region. In 1990, we were among the first schools in Finland authorized to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma programme. Since 2001, we have had a double intake (50 students per cohort) which has made it possible for us to expand the range of subjects offered.

The school complex houses the primary school (7-12 years), comprehensive school (13-15 years), and high school (16-19 years). In total, there are 1400 students who attend Mattlidens skola - over 700 in the high school (150 are in the IB section). Over the years, the building has expanded to accommodate the growing student body, and many areas have been newly renovated, providing the students and staff of Mattlidens gymnasium with modern facilities, well-functioning laboratories for the sciences, and various study spaces. We also have a well-stocked gym that students are free to use during the school day.

In addition, the school has a convenient location in Matinkylä (Mattby in Swedish), Espoo (Esbo). We are easily accessible by public transport - it is a short walk to the metro station in Iso Omena and there are buses that operate during school hours.

Finally, the school is in many ways internationally orientated. Our students and staff come from a diverse range of language and cultural backgrounds. There are numerous possibilities to develop skills in a range of languages, even to start Finnish or Swedish from scratch (during preDP). The school is involved in numerous international projects, giving students an opportunity to meet and interact with students from different countries. 

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is an internationally recognized matriculation examination which qualifies candidates for admission to universities and colleges all over the world. At Mattlidens gymnasium, the programme consists of a two-year course (DP1/DP2 or grades 11-12) preceded by a preparatory year (preDP or grade 10). The IB Diploma Programme is demanding and it differs in many respects from the Finnish national curriculum. Some of the remarkable differences are:

• students study the same 6 subjects for the 2 years of the IB Diploma Programme
• ALL subjects (with the exception of Visual Arts) are examined at the end of the 2 years. The examinations take place in April-May on the same days in every country in the northern hemisphere.
• in addition to examinations, each subject involves coursework component(s), for example oral assessment in languages and lab reports in the sciences. 

The IB Diploma Programme consists of six subject groups and students choose one subject from each of the groups (if a subject isn’t chosen in the arts, then a second subject is chosen from another group). Three of the subjects must be studied at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL). The subjects offered at Mattlidens gymnasium are as follows:

• Studies in language and literature. English/Finnish/Swedish A: literature (HL/SL), English A: Language and Literature (HL/SL)
• Language acquisition. Finnish B (HL/SL), French B, Swedish B (SL), Swedish ab initio (SL)
• Individuals and societies. History, Economics, Global Politics (HL/SL)
• Sciences. Biology, Chemistry, Physics (HL/SL)
• Mathematics. Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (HL/SL) OR Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (SL)
• The Arts. Visual Arts (SL)

Due to factors such as group size and scheduling, it is impossible to carry out all desired combinations of subjects and levels. For a group to be formed or a higher level subject to be taught there needs to be a sufficient number of students interested in studying the particular subject and level. We cannot guarantee that all languages and all HL subjects will be taught every year.

Alongside the Diploma subjects, each student must also successfully complete the IB core in order to qualify for the IB Diploma. The core elements are:

CAS (Creativity, Action, Service): Students participate in and organize activities linked to creativity (e.g. music and art), action (e.g. sports), and service (e.g. volunteer work). Upon the completion of an activity, students must reflect upon the experience.

EE (Extended Essay): Each student writes a 4000 word essay in a subject and on a topic of their own choice. They are supervised by a teacher in that subject.

TOK (Theory of Knowledge): A course in critical thinking where students are encouraged to question the nature of knowledge. Assessment involves an exhibition and an essay on a prescribed title.