Kallavesi Senior High School
Kallavesi Senior High School is an educational establishment that respects human values and aims at improving the skills of its students by supporting and guiding them in a balanced way. In addition to striving for the academic objectives, the central task is to prepare students for the demands of the future in a safe and modern learning environment. Independence and co-operation skills are emphasized. Students are also given responsibility and freedom to create highly individual study programmes.
Kallavesi Senior High School has its roots in the first girls’ school founded in northern Savo in 1879. The school has been in its present location in the centre of Kuopio since 1924 and today the school is attended by both male and female students. There are 32 teachers and about 500 students working in the same premises.
Co-operation both at national and international level has always been of high importance for the school. As a forerunner in co-operation between the local vocational, catering, design and health and nursing schools Kallavesi Senior High School provides ample opportunities to choose courses from a wide range of subjects.
Kallavesi Senior High School has been a UNESCO-school since 1984 and it is possible to take study units in international studies and take part in visits to collaborating schools, for example in Germany and Italy. Needless to say, some students also act as hosts to international guests every year as visits from abroad are part of the school routine.
Our students have a chance to take study units in International Business. There is a wide selection of national on-line study units available, with a teacher tutoring the studies. We also offer several study units of our own to complement our students’ International Business studies. As a HundrED school we are part of a network of upper secondary schools oriented in International Business.
Sustainable development and environmental issues are considered important in our everyday activities. Kallavesi Senior High School was awarded the Sustainable Development Certificate by the OKKA Foundation in 2013, and the Certificate was last re-evaluated in 2023.
Non-graded curriculum
The national non-graded curriculum gives students a possibility to make personal choices in their timetable. The study time can vary from 2 to 4 years. Due to the individual choices there are no study groups of students that would stay together taking exactly the same courses throughout the high school years. Each student attends various classes according to the timetable they have chosen.
Five periods
The school year is divided into five periods, each of which takes about 38 days. When planning the study programme, the students are given a menu of study units covering the whole school year and usually 5 to 6 different units per period are chosen. The study units for each period are taught according to the weekday schedule, and there are three 75-minute lessons a week per study unit.
Test week
At the end of every period there is a test week, which takes seven school days. In case a student fails any test, they are given one chance to retake the test during the next period of the schoolyear.
Specialization
Kallavesi Secondary High School specializes in the following:
- International Activities: We are one of the international UNESCO schools. Besides, we have a partner schools in Germany (Hildesheim) and Italy (Desenzano del Garda). Students can choose two study units in International studies, either take part in a visit to one of our partner schools and host visitors from there at home, or participate in some project (Erasmus+, Nordplus Junior).
- Business studies: Since 2022 a group of students has been chosen to do business oriented studies. There is also a wide selection of national on-line study units available, with a teacher tutoring the studies. We also offer several study units of our own to complement our students’ International Business studies.
- Arts and Design: There are several study units available which contain a variety of arts and design, for example, pottery, or interior design.
