Primary School

On this page,  you can find programme specific information for the Primary School (Pre-K - PYP 5). 

Please note that if your child is enrolled in the Early Years Programme (Pre-K - Kindergarten),  you can find additional information and policies specifically for the Early Years here. 

School Timings and Schedule

The start and finish times of all PYP classes (Pre-K to PYP 5) are the same:

• Mondays to Thursdays: 8:20-14:20

• Fridays: 8:30-13:30

The homeroom teacher will communicate the actual lessons and break times at the start of the school year. There are three different schedules:

• Early Years schedules (Pre-K and Kindergarten)

• Lower PYP (PYP1-PYP2) schedule

• Upper PYP (PYP3-PYP5) schedule

The start and end times, and class schedule, will be confirmed with the homeroom teacher.

Before School (K-PYP 5)

• Children may enter the playground between 8:10-8:20 and wait for 10 minutes near their entrance. Please be advised that if children arrive at school between 8:10 and 8:20, they will not be supervised, and parents are held accountable for their conduct. 

• Students can enter the building from 8:20-8:25 and should be ready in classrooms by 8:30.

• If parents need to drop their PYP children off earlier than 8:20 on a regular basis, these children must be enrolled in the Morning club where there is adult supervision.

Grade Level Placement and Class Balancing

• Grades are re-balanced (mixed) each year. This is to support each child's needs and focus on wellbeing. We aim to gain as equal a balance as possible regarding class size, gender, academic needs, special needs, EAL and positive social dynamics.

• Parents can request how students are placed next year, in May. Requests will be taken into consideration as much as possible, provided they are given in time. Requests can not be guaranteed. Rebalancing classes is very complex. We offer a consistent experience for a grade (curriculum, IB teaching, assessments, opportunities, materials, experiences, etc.).

• We usually recommend that siblings are separated into different classes, to support their individual development.

• We can only finalise the class lists a few days before school starts. There are many last-minute changes depending on enrolments, and this affects the class lists. You will receive a notification from the school a few days prior to the start of school informing you of your child’s class and homeroom teacher, as soon as the class lists are ready.

• A child’s grade level placement should allow for success academically and socially. Information on grade placement is available here: http://ish.dk/admissions/grade-placement/

Mobile Phones, Smartwatches, etc

PYP students may use mobile phones and similar devices outside of school hours. Otherwise, they are not permitted to be used through the school day. PYP students must hand in their devices to their homeroom teacher at the start of the school day, and returned at the end, unless they are used for specific learning purposes. PYP 5 students may use their devices before or after school, either under supervision of teachers, or outside the school building.

Devices seen or heard within the school day (corridors, classrooms, etc) without permission may be taken for safekeeping and returned at the end of the day.  These rules also apply to ASCP.

Trips and Events

Field Trips

• Class trips are designed to be social, educational, and fun. Trips are scheduled at various times throughout the school year and all students are required to participate. 

• Parents will be notified of all field trips at least two weeks in advance (unless they are trips to local areas including the forest near Mindelunden and the playground in Søholmslund park). 

• Students must agree to abide by the guidelines set by the school. Failure to follow these guidelines could result in trip cancellation, either for the class or the student. Expenses must be covered by the students and parents. Behaviour expectations and conduct procedures on such trips are congruent with the regular school rules.  

• The field trip approval form (provided at the start of the school year), must be signed, before a student can attend any field trip. 

Special Events

The school regularly holds celebrations for Halloween, Fastelavn and more. During these days, toy weapons and potentially dangerous objects (e.g. sticks as part of costumes) are not permitted in the school, even on school celebrations such as Fastelavn and Hallowe’en.

Birthdays

In PYP1-PYP5, families can celebrate their child's birthday. They can bring something for the class to recognise this important day. It is preferred to bring pre-packaged snacks, rather than homemade foods, and we discourage candy. Here are some alternative suggestions:

• • Small goodie bags filled with non-food novelties such as erasers, pencils, and stickers

  • Buy something for the classroom

  • Read a story to the class

  • Provide a disposable crown for the day

  • Donate a book to the school library in honor of your child

For food/drink brought from home:

• Provide two weeks notice.

• Ensure to have food or snacks, completely prepared and ready to distribute.

• Provide an ingredients list if it is home made, and ensure it is nut-free.

• Ask the teacher for any allergies or foods that can not be eaten.

We ask families only to offer food to their own children when on the school premises unless it is an arranged event (for example a party in the class).

Each grade makes a plan around birthday celebrations for each year, based on allergies/dietary restrictions and also other factors for the students. It is possible that food is not allowed for a grade level due to specific safety needs. The needs are discussed with the class to show kindness and empathy to one another as part of an inclusive approach.