Ojanperä School

Ojanperä School is a comprehensive school in Liminka that was founded in 2018. It is located near highway 8, a little over a kilometre from central Liminka. Oulu city centre is about half an hour away.

There are about 300 basic education pupils and 50 pre-primary education pupils. Grades from 1 to 5 operate in this school.

At the moment, there are two classes in Ojanperä school wherein part of the instruction takes place in English. In addition, one 0–2 class of flexible early education operates in the school. School is actively participating in several international projects and cooperates with various different partners.

Communality and teamwork are the cornerstones of our school. We have organised several events together with the parents’ association. Co-teaching enables flexible groupings for the pupils in each grade. Grade-specific teams also have regular turns for morning assembly, which provides an opportunity for the pupils to display their abilities.

Since the school year 2019–2020, one group in each grade has studied bilingually: in Finnish and in English (target language). Each year, a new group is selected for bilingual education in the first grade with a separate aptitude test. Pupils that have received English-enriched pre-primary education can take part in it. Also pupils that come from abroad and have preliminary command of English can apply for bilingual education. A student selected for the path of bilingual education in Ojanperä School studies in bilingual education from the 1st to the 6th grade.

Bilingual education in Ojanperä is comprehensive, so the share of English in the bilingual group is over 25% of the overall instruction. Finnish language and literature and Finnish as a second language are, however, studied entirely in Finnish. All subjects have the same content-related goals as in the entirely Finnish-language education, even though some of the contents are taught in English, i.e. the target language. In the bilingual education of Ojanperä School, the share of target language in each grade is 8–10 hours per week.

At first, English is used as the language of instruction in artistic and practical subjects and, when applicable, also partly in other subjects. The content of the teaching materials is the same as in Finnish-language education, but material is also ordered from abroad and translated materials are used.

Assessment methods and assessment criteria are the same as in Finnish-language education. Achievement of the set goals in target language proficiency is annexed separately to the school certificate.

One can apply for bilingual education from English-enriched education, or if one has acquired English abilities elsewhere, e.g. by living abroad.

An information event for the parents of pre-primary pupils is organized in January.

Pupils are selected from pre-primary schools based on their aptitude. Aptitude tests are organized also in January. No separate invitations are sent for the test.

Ojanperä School’s activities can be followed on the school’s own Facebook and Instagram channels.

Our school is part of the national KiVa School program. KiVa teachers in our school plan preventive antibullying actions and interfere with bullying. The goal of the weekly friendship classes is to promote the pupils’ emotional and interactive skills and to prevent bullying.

Two classes of Ojanperä school take part in the JDO program. JDO Foundation is a non-profit educational foundation in Littleton, Colorado, USA. The foundation provides schools with technological equipment and teachers with professional training in the United States and in selected, international cooperating countries.

In school year 2020–2021, two classes of Ojanperä School receive IT equipment  (1:1 technology) that the classes and individual pupils can use for communication and international cooperation, as well as other school work. Pupils work together with the pupils of a collaborative class with the educational programs (e.g. Docs, Slides, and Classroom) under their G Suite for Education accounts. Completed works, photos and videos that the project yields may be published on JDO’s website. The material can also possibly be used in media, such as publications of press and social media.

“Together we are more.”