Use the Skola24 app to register student absence. Absence must be reported by 8:10 if a student will not be attending school that day. 

All students are expected to attend school each day of the school year unless they are ill.

Absence due to illness
Use the Skola24 app to report absence due to illness. Alternatively you can call 0515-869 46 (English) or 0515-777 604 (Swedish). 

Absence for part of day
Use the Skola24 app to register if your child needs to be absent for part of the day, e.g. for a dentist’s or doctor’s appointment. Alternatively you can email ish@helsingborg.se.

Request for absence
A student has the possibility – but not the right – to be granted leave for personal matters.

To request planned leave for a student, complete a leave application in the Skola24 app or by logging into Skola24.se. Instructions in English are available on the Skola24 support page. Both legal guardians must approve the application. This is done in Skola24. 

The request should be submitted no less than two weeks prior to the start date of the requested absence. The application must be approved by the principal before the time off can start. 

If the student or one or both guardians do not have a Swedish personal ID number, and therefore no access to Skola24, please contact us for a Request for Absence form. 

When should a student stay at home due to illness, and for how long?

Students must stay at home if they are ill and not well enough to take part in the full school day and its activities. Students can attend school with minor symptoms, such as a slightly runny nose or light cough, as long as they are generally well enough to be at school.

Fever: Students should be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

Stomach problems:  Students should stay at home for ideally two days (48 hours) after the last episode of vomiting/diarrhoea. If there is a widespread and hard-to-eradicate outbreak of the stomach flu virus at the school, it may also be necessary to keep all of your children at home.

Eye infections: Eye infections are highly contagious. The child must stay at home until the infection has cleared.

Head Lice: Head lice are found in the hair and on the scalp and usually cause itching. Anyone can get head lice. They are found in both washed and unwashed hair. They are caught as a result of close head-to-head contact lasting one minute or longer. Lice rarely spread via objects, as they can only survive a few days away from the scalp. It is important to check your child's hair regularly for lice.

If your child comes to school with signs of lice, he/she will be sent home. Over the counter remedies (Paranix, Hedin, Linicin) can be bought at pharmacies/ “apoteket” and it is important that all the instructions are followed. Comb the child’s hair thoroughly each day, using a lice comb for two weeks to check that the treatment has helped. Check everyone in the family and treat if needed.

Once treatment has been completed, your child can go back to school. It is highly recommended you continue to check your child’s hair a few times a week for lice.

Information can be found at www.1177.se or you can telephone 1177 for information about children’s health in Swedish or English.

General Dress: Clothes should not display offensive slogans or promote drugs, alcohol or tobacco.

Students are sent out to break each day, regardless of weather, and are expected to have appropriate clothing at all times.

Clothing for PE: For PE students need to bring:

• proper footwear suitable for indoor gym floors

• trousers/pants suitable for PE - no denim materials

• suitable top

• shower kit and towel

Parent and Student Information website: This website is the school's primary tool for information for parents for term dates, closures, events, student schedules, and other important information. Parents are expected to check this website regularly for updates on their child's schooling and important events.

Weekly Newsletters
Weekly newsletters are posted by classes and administration on email via ManageBac each week to keep you informed of what is happening in your child’s class as well as whole school information. It is vital that you read this information as it is the main source of communication from the school.

ManageBac
ManageBac is a web-based application that the school uses for planning the curriculum as well as reporting student progress to parents, and communicating directly with parents.

At progress report time, parents and students log on to ManageBac to view the report. Families and students who are new to the school will get an email from ManageBac with a password and directions on how to access the student’s report. 

Students are not allowed to remain in the school building after the end of the school day.

Breaks: There is a 20 minute break during the school day as well as a lunch break each day. 

How we process your own or your child’s personal data
This is information for you as a parent or student about how we work in our activities with personal data such as name, image, film and sound.

Our processing of personal data
We process personal data about children, students and guardians in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other legislation relating to data protection. By “processing” we mean that we, for example, collect and store personal data. We only process the personal data that we need and we take necessary action to protect access to the personal data.

Pedagogical documentation
As part of our undertaking, we document the learning and development of children and pupils. In order that we can comply with the Swedish Schools Act, we process your child’s/children’s personal data when we, for example, set grades, record attendance and absence, contact guardians and document the learning and development of children and pupils by means of image, film and sound.

Informing about our activities
We publish images and films on our website and social media in order to inform about our activities. These images and films sometimes depict children and students. We use these images and films with care and always with consideration of your own or your child’s privacy.

Consent for publication of images and film when we market ourselves
When we want to use an image or film of you or your child for marketing purposes, we ask for consent for this on a special form.
If images and films of you or your child appear in places where you do not wish to be involved, please contact us.

Find out more about our processing of personal data
You can find more information about how we process personal data at https://helsingborg.se/om-webbplatsen/sa-har-behandlar-vi-dina-personuppgifter/

Education in Sweden presentation

Only students and school staff are permitted to enter the school building without an appointment. 

Student keycards
Students are given a keycard that they use to enter the building.
In case of a lost keycard, students are charged SEK 100 for a replacement.

Parents and guests
All parents and guests should have a prearranged appointment with a staff member before entering the building. In addition to this, there may be set events when parents are invited into the school (back to school evening for example).

As part of the curriculum, students at ISH often go on short distance field trips throughout the year. These are trips that are within the local area of Helsingborg and can be within walking distance or on local buses. In such cases, information about the date, time, and destination as well as any other pertinent details will be shared with you tby the mentors or subject teachers.

For any longer or overnight trips a separate permission form will be sent out to parents.

Packed Lunches
Students are sometimes required to bring a packed lunch to school if they are going out on a school trip. Packed lunches should be healthy and nutritious. They should not include nuts, candy, chips, chocolate biscuits or fizzy drink.

Student Identification
Occasionally classes will journey abroad for a field trip. All students will need a valid passport or Swedish ID card for such instances.

ISH observes all Swedish national holidays within the approved school calendar. In addition to national holidays, there is an Autumn Break, Winter Break, Sports Break and Spring Break.

A list of important dates can be found under Term Dates and Closures.

Special Educational Needs (SEN): At ISH, the students have access to support in order to be successful both academically and socially. There is a Student Welfare Team which consists of learning support teachers, psychologist, counselor, school nurse and the principal.

Students who need extra support to meet the goals have individual development plans or an action plan. These plans are created by the teachers, with input given from the guardians as well as the student.

Action plans are formal documents which are signed in agreement with the mentor/class teacher and parents. The action plan decision can, in accordance with the Education Act, Ch 28 § 16, be appealed to the Department of Education’s appeal panel by the student’s parents and by a student who has turned 16 years of age. The appeal should be sent to the person who has made the decision, not directly to the Department of Education’s appeal panel. The appeal should be submitted within three weeks of the date you have received the decision. Write which decision you are appealing, which change you want and why. Write the name, personal number and contact information. Sign the appeal.

Read more at www.overklagandenamnden.se

English as Another Language

All students are tested upon entry into ISH to judge their level of English acquisition. Students identified by the screening as in need of English language support will meet with our EAL teachers either in the classroom or in separate, pull-out lessons.

To withdraw your child from ISH, hand in the Leaving or Changing school form below.

Please note!

If you are moving abroad permanently, you have to register this with Skatteverket and Försäkringskassan.

If you are moving abroad temporarily, you need to apply to the municipality for one of the following:

• Completion of compulsory schooling in another way (Fullgörande av skolplikten på annat sätt) if you are leaving for less than one year

• Exemption from compulsory schooling due to extended stay abroad (Skolpliktens upphörade på grund av varaktig vistelse utomlands) if you are going abroad for one year or more

Contact us for application forms.

Leaving or Changing school MYP1-4

There is a lost-and-found basket in the walkway between the Annex and the Main building. Students should check for missing items regularly.

Valuable items are kept in the Main Office.

Unclaimed articles are donated to charity on a regular basis.

Mobile phones should be used in a responsible manner and be put away at all times unless the student has been given special permission.

It is up to the discretion of staff and leadership to allow students to use their phones for educational purposes.

During lessons students must place their phones in the "phone day care" available in all classrooms. Students are not allowed to use their mobile phones during breaks and lunch.

If a parent needs to contact their child during the day they should ring the main office and leave a message.

Apply for mother tongue lessons via the City of Helsingborg’s website: 

Mother tongue application page. 

1 January - 31 May new applications can be made for the following academic year (e.g. for students who have not had mother tongue tuition previously).

You do not need to reapply each year once your child receives mother tongue tuition.

If you arrive in Helsingborg during the academic year and want your child to join a mother tongue class, you can apply by downloading and filling in the PDF form below. Hand the form in to the International School of Helsingborg.

More information is available on the City of Helsingborg’s website.

Mother tongue application PYP1-MYP4

MYP Degrading Treatment Plan 

ISH is a non-smoking environment. Smoking is by law prohibited in or around the school building. 

Information to parents/guardians about observing their obligations under the Education Act (2010: 800) 

The school has put in place measures to meet your child's right to education according to the Swedish law. In order to fulfil all aspects of the law, students must be in school.

Parents’/guardians’ obligations

The Government Form (1974:152) and the Education Act (2010:800) state an unconditional right for all children with compulsory schooling to have access to free education.

According to the Education Act (Chapter 7, Section 20), the person who has the custody of a child in compulsory schooling shall ensure that the child fulfils their schooling.

This means that you as a parent/guardian must ensure that your child comes to school and attends all classes. If you as a parent/guardian do not fulfil your obligations under the Education Act, the Child and Education Board may instruct you to do so with an injunction.

An injunction may be combined with a fine, which is a form of monetary fine. If the injunction is not complied with, the Child and Education Board may apply to the General Administrative Court to have the penalty sentenced.

Information on injunction and penalty

If you, as the parent/guardian, receive a letter of information about the requirements that are placed on you as the parent/guardian, this means that you are encouraged to ensure that your child comes to school and attends all lessons during the school year. If you, as the parent/guardian of this letter, do not fulfill your obligations, the Board of Children and Education will instruct you to do so. The injunction may be combined with a penalty.

Link to the Education Act (2010:800)
https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/skollag-2010800_sfs-2010-800

The following are translations of relevant texts from the Education Act.

Participation in education

Presence

Ch 7, Section 17   A pupil in the compulsory school shall participate in the activities organized to give the intended education, if the student does not have a valid reason to fail.

The compulsory activity may include a maximum of 190 days per academic year and eight hours or, in …the two lowest grades, six hours per day. Such activities may not be held on Saturdays, Sundays or other holidays.

The government or the authority that the government decides may issue regulations on deviations from the second paragraph for pupils in the compulsory school and the special school.

If a pupil in the compulsory school is absent from the compulsory activity without a valid reason, the principal shall ensure that the pupil's guardian on the same day is informed that the pupil has been absent. If there are special reasons, the pupil's guardian need not be informed the same day.
Lag (2017: 1115) 

Leave

Ch 7, Section 18   A student in a school form referred to in section 17 may be granted shorter leave for individual matters. If there are exceptional reasons, longer leave may be granted.

The Principal and/or Head of School decide on leave. The Head of School may not instruct anyone else to make a decision on leave that is longer than ten days.

Exemption

Ch 7, Section 19   A student in a school form referred to in section 17 may, at the request of the pupil's guardian, be exempted from the obligation to participate in compulsory elements of the teaching if there are exceptional reasons. Such a decision may only relate to occasional instances during a school year.

The Principal and/or Head of School decides on exemption. The Head of School may not instruct anyone else to make such decisions.

Investigation of absence

Ch 7, section 19 a   If a student has repeated or longer absence from the activities referred to in section 17, the Principal and/or Head of School, regardless of whether it is a valid or invalid absence, shall ensure that the absence is investigated promptly if it is not unnecessary. The investigation shall be conducted in consultation with the pupil and the pupil's guardian and with the student health authorities.

If the prerequisites for an investigation into the need for special support under Chapter 3 Section 8 are fulfilled, such an investigation must also be initiated.

When an investigation into a student's absence has begun, the Principal must ensure that the absence is reported to the Divisional School Director as soon as possible. Lag (2018: 608)

Responsibility for fulfilling school duties

Guardian's responsibility

Ch 7, Section 20   The person who has the custody of a school-obliged child shall ensure that the child fulfills his or her school duties.

Injunction and penalty

Ch 7, Section 23   If a school-obliged pupil does not fulfill his or her schooling and this is because the pupil's guardian has not done what he / she is obliged to do in order to do so, the home municipality may order the pupil's guardian to fulfill his / her obligations. 

An injunction according to the first paragraph may be combined with a fine.

A decision on injunction applies immediately unless otherwise decided. Lag (2017: 1115)

This association consists of parents, staff and principals. The PTA Board is elected annually and is led by the PTA Chair. In addition to this board, there are also parent representatives from each class who volunteer at the beginning of each school year. If you are interested in volunteering as a class parent, please speak to your child’s teacher.

The PTA requests a voluntary annual donation from each family in the school depending on the number of children in the family. This money and all other funds raised by the PTA are invested back into the school. Investments that are made are to benefit all within the school.

In addition to the annual donation, each family is asked to volunteer throughout the school year. This may be done in a variety of ways, such as helping with school activities, assisting with PTA activities, or donating items.

Please keep in mind how important it is for students, parents and teachers to be involved together in a child’s education. All new families moving to the area receive a helpful booklet with practical information from the PTA.

The PTA has their own website where current information is published: https://www.ishpta.se/

Resign from mother tongue lessons via the City of Helsingborg's website:

Mother tongue resignation 

To update your contact details, please email ish@helsingborg.se and we will update all relevant systems for you.

It is essential that we have up-to-date telephone numbers and emails for ISH families at all times. The information you provide is used when the school needs to contact you, e.g  if your child is sick, regarding progress talks and reporting, as well as when teachers need to contact parents.

If you have moved, please remember to register this with the Swedish Tax Authority (Skatteverket) as well.

If a student has plans to withdraw from ISH, a Leaving School form must be completed. The form can be found in the Main Office or be downloaded from the Forms section.

Prior to a student leaving ISH, they must:

• Return their study books and library books to the library.

• Return their laptop and door/lunch tag to the IT department.

• Empty their locker.

Failure to return school property will result in you being invoiced a fee covering the value of the items.

All student work that is left at ISH after departing will be discarded.