Moving away from home brings a lot of questions to the fore. Once you bring a child into the mix, those questions may change. If education is important to you and your family, you may be wondering how to choose the right school for your child, what the process looks like, how early do you need to begin? What does Swedish preschool look like?
These and many others make understanding Swedish preschools important for new parents, and newbies in general. That’s why we have created the Ultimate Guide to Preschool in Sweden to help.
What does the school system look like in Sweden?
- From ages 0-5 years old, babies and children are welcome at öppna förskola (open preschool) and förskola (preschool). Open preschool is aimed at children 0-1 year old, whereas preschool is geared toward children aged 1-5 years old.
- After this, children move into lågstadiet (elementary school), years 1-3.
- This is followed by mellanstadiet, years 4-6.
- Next is högstadiet, years 7-9.
- After this, students go to high school (gymnasium).
High schools are sometimes based on a particular subject, such as computer science or music, and require specific grades to be given a spot. Some schools, such as the International English Schools (IES), start early and go up to high school age. Many private schools have a long queue to get in (including elementary schools) so do your research before signing up your child for school or for a school’s queue.
What are the options before Preschool in Sweden?
Open Preschools
Öppna föskolor (open preschools) are drop-in playgroups for babies and children from birth to six years old and their parents. The groups are free to attend and don’t require parents to register or book a place. They provide parents with a fantastic opportunity to meet other local parents, children and preschool teachers. Altogether, a wonderful source of support and information, especially for new parents.
Open preschools generally have a playroom and somewhere for you and the children to eat a snack. Of course, there is usually the option to pay for fika. The highlight for many children is song time ‘sångstund’, a great chance for you both to practice your Swedish.
Dagis
Now this doesn’t actually exist any more, although you may hear people refer to a föskola as dagis. Before the National Curriculum was introduced in 1998, a dagis was a more casual form of daycare. It was fairly common for villages to share childcare duties. Families would organise a schedule so that each day of the week a different mother or father would take turns looking after the children in the village. Although this system was great for small communities, they were unregulated and generally run by normal parents rather than qualified educators.
Your Guide to Preschool in Sweden (Förskola)
All children, aged one to five years old, have a guaranteed place at a preschool near your home. There is a cost, but the fees are very heavily subsided by the government, and parents only pay a fraction of the actual costs, based on their income. The preschool teachers are qualified educators that follow a rich and varied, child-focused curriculum. Often there is a queue system, depending on where you live, so look up your local requirements. Stockholm, for example, allows you to place your child in the queue for 5 different choices at 6 months of age, Nacka is 3 months of age. Visit as many of the schools before choosing them as you can, so that you can choose your top 5 choices after a tour and meeting the staff.
Costs of preschool in Sweden
If you have two or three children, the cost per child will decrease. Child number four does not cost anything. The oldest child is always considered “the first child” and therefore the most expensive. The maximum amount per child per month you have to pay is 1478 SEK.
The childcare will provide breakfast, lunch and snacks. In case you have a younger child that is still wearing diapers, you will need to provide them.
Introduction to Preschool in Sweden/ Inskolning in Swedish
Every preschool has different ways to introduce your children to their new environment. The introduction period generally takes between 1 to 4 weeks, but it also depends on your kid’s adaptation. In the beginning, you are required to be there the whole day, and later, your presence is needed less and less until your child is ready to be by their own. One crucial matter to mention during this milestone is the communication with the school staff. They continuously give you feedback about how your child is adapting. Remember that they are on your side and for them, your child’s adjustment is the most crucial part of this stage.
Friluftsliv – a part of preschool in Sweden
Swedish preschools are a place for children to grow and develop through play and explorative learning. Specifically, with the concept of friluftsliv – open-air living. This means that many preschools have a heavy focus on outdoor play, and they sometimes nap in their prams outdoor, even during very cold temperatures. This is a fairly common practice in Sweden and if this is not something for you, be sure to ask about nap location and weather when you are considering a school for your child.
Challenging gender stereotypes
After an experimental preschool was set up in 1996, which set out to challenge gender stereotypes, the Swedish government has recognised the importance of allowing children to explore their own identities. The use of the guidelines set by the government varies in different schools and regions. However, the majority of staff avoid using the male and female pronouns and will instead use ‘hen’, a gender-neutral pronoun borrowed from Finnish.
Rather than separating toys, they are deliberately grouped together to allow children to make their own choices. For example toy cars next to the dolls. Gender experts are hired by schools to help tackle problems like classes of quiet girls or boys who refuse to paint. Preschool teachers are encouraged to be social engineers, who encourage choice rather than set limitations.
Good to know about Swedish preschools
The “inskolning” is usually around 15 days but can be longer or shorter based on the child’s needs. Some kids settle down in just 3 days. For others, it might take 1 month or 2. Kids can start at age 1 and you will find kids in preschool until the age of 6.
- Teachers are patient and loving towards kids. They give personal attention to each kid particularly when they start.
- Kids are fed healthy meals and the menu is different every day of the week. There are vegetarian options too. Preferences need to be provided on the first day of school.
- Förskola usually starts between 8.30- 9.00 depending on the parent’s schedule. Then 9.00 to 10.30 is playtime and activities such as singing and dancing to nursery rhymes. They play with water and floating boats (during summer), build Lego castles, cycle, play on swings or colour and draw. During this time, kids are given fruits snacks such as apples or bananas. Then 11.15 to 11.30 is lunch time. 11.30 to 1.30 is sleep time and 1.30 to 4.00 is play time. Schools close at 5.00 so parents have to pick up kids before that time.
- The school doesn’t provide diapers. As a parent, you are responsible for bringing the diapers for your child. Your kid will be provided with an individual cabinet, and you can leave the package there. Don’t forget to write your kids name too.
How long can my child be at preschool in Sweden (förskola)?
- If you work or study, your child can go to preschool as long as you have to work/study per day.
- If you are on parental leave with a sibling, the older child can go 30 hours per week for two months, after that 15 hours per week.
- If you study during parental leave, you can always increase the hours. Just talk to one of the teachers and they will give you a form to fill out. There you have to explain why you need more hours.
- If you are job seeking, your child is also allowed to go for 30 hours per week.
- If you need more hours because of special circumstances (e.g. psychological reasons), talk to the school.
- If you need night care or other special care, just talk to the director or mention it beforehand on the application.
School Calendar/ Kalendarium
One critical key to your organization is the school calendar where all parents are expected to book important dates and adjust their schedules due to staff planning, teacher conferences, special holidays and other events. In the calendar, you can find out when the school is having planning and development meetings with their staff, holiday periods, parents meeting, your kid’s development talk, and more. It’s important to consider a backup plan with your partner in case the preschool is closed.
Development Talks /Utvecklingssamtal
The development talk is a meeting that the school should have with the parents about their children’s development. It’s an excellent opportunity for both, preschool and parents, to discuss, reflect and find concrete tips of how kids are learning. You’ll get useful tips on how development can be strengthened inside and outside of school.
Parents Involvement/ Föräldrasamverkan
There are different ways to get involved with your kids preschool in Sweden, this can vary from place to place. One of the most common activities is the Parents Meeting that generally happens once per semester where you receive information about the school and mingle with other parents and staff.
Another possibility to get involved is School Committee that also meets once or twice per semester depending on the agenda. In addition to the activities previously mentioned, parental involvement can take place in the form of open houses and special celebrations such as Lucia in December. You can find more information about all the available options in the school calendar
Tips for förskola
Illness, Safety, and Emergencies
Even though Sweden is pretty safe, it is important to take a look around the facilities and the school grounds. Ask the staff what safety measures and precautions the pre-school have put in place in case of your kid getting hurt during school hours. What is their procedure in case of emergencies or illness? Ask about their basic first aid and CPR certifications and more.
Contact Information of the School
Communication between school and home is vital. Save the numbers and emails of the principal, teachers and staff in charge of your kid’s development during school hours.
Mark their clothes
Part of your responsibilities as a parent includes marking every item you are going to leave at school. Remember that the school doesn’t have just one kid. They have at least 20. These labels help them to sort the items correctly. There are several options you can consider:
- Buy a pen that you can use to write on clothes and do it manually.
- There are some clothing brands that they have tags where you can write your kids name.
- Buy printed labels that can be washed and are easy to remove. They are fast, and you can personalize it. Here in this Swedish article, you can find more alternatives.
Other educational options
Förskoleklass, once a child has reached the age of six the final year of preschool becomes compulsory before starting primary school (mellanstadiaet). This is to ensure a smooth start to school life and can be very beneficial to both parents and children.
Private options also exist. If this is something you are considering, try searching for fristående förskolor in your local area.
Clothes for preschool in Sweden
Here is a handy list to help pack the right items for school:
- 5 Shirts and Sweaters (T-shirts & Tröjor.
- 5 Pants (Byxor).
- 3 knickers or panties (Trosor, kalsonger).
- 5 socks (strumpor).
- 1 Raincoat with rain pants (Regnjacka och regnbyxor). The size should be a little bit bigger so your kid can use an overall under. Don’t forget the hood or the rain hat.
- 1 Rain Overall (Regnoverall) that can work for spring and fall.
- Rain boots with thermal socks. (Gummistövlar och tjocksockor).
- Rain gloves that you can wear the whole year (Galonvantar).
- 2 jackets (Jackor) water resistant in the outside and warm in the inside.
- 1 winter overall that resists moisture and is warm (Vinteroverall).
- Light Cap and Warmer Cap (En Tunn Mössa och en Varmare Mössa).
- Ruff (halskrage).
- Light or Warmer Mittens (Tunna vantar och Tumvantar).
- 1 Winter Gloves ( Vinterhandskar) A tip is to try them on and let your kiddo hold something and see if they are comfortable.
- 3 Fleece Overall with a long zipper (fleeceoveall).
- 1 Winter Boots (vinterstövlar).
- Extra Shoes depending on the season
Make sure that some of your kids outer layers have reflexes sown into them. It gets dark in Sweden and a little one is hard to spot on or near the road.
These are super helpful resources to lower expenses for Swedish preschools:
- Loppis or Second-hand Markets: Loppis is the Swedish name for flea markets. Check out the flea markets near your neighborhood. Usually, you can find the necessary items in good conditions and affordable prices.
- Facebook Groups can be beneficial and resourceful. They can give you advice about flea markets, events or tips on where to buy the clothes you are missing. A simple Facebook search will help you uncover existing Facebook groups that are relevant to your inquiry. One group that I have found really helpful is Stockholm for kids.
- Second-hand Stores like Myrorna, Red Cross are trendy in Sweden, and they are almost everywhere in the country. They have an area for children where they sell seasonal clothes, toys, books, etc. Not long ago in Stockholm, found a new second-hand store that specializes in kids, it’s called ByeBuy.
In order to create this ultimate guide to preschools in Sweden, we have combined content from posts originally written by Charlotte Garbutt, Patricia Salas, Jyoti Kadukar and Marlene Laun.
Leave a Reply