School aged group

This group of children go to school already, they are 6 to 11 years olds, and they can read and write in English. There are no requirements for their knowledge in Finnish, although the language of instruction will mostly be Finnish - it is my job to make sure everyone understands and feels safe communicating in whichever level of proficiency! I base my teaching in child centered and active learning. This means that in the first few lessons we will work on individual wishes and goals for the rest of the term, and learning can happen in many different ways; indoors and out. This year we will also be using a book made just for Finnish schools, which has lots of interesting topics and activities to use as part of the lessons. I am also happy to set small tasks for home to support bridging the gap between home and Finnish school - learning can of course happen anywhere!

Hi! I'm Essi, and I'm the teacher for the older children's group at the Bristol school. I moved from Finland when I was 8 years old, and as a young person, I attended Finnish schools myself all over Europe.

I moved to England to study in 2010; before that, I lived in Austria, Belgium, and Sweden. I have lived in Bristol for 4 years, and I work in the child protection sector. I have been working with children and young people for over 12 years now, and in the social care field, I specialise in autism and mental health. I also previously taught Finnish to children of all ages at the Cardiff Finnish School.

Our group for older children includes kids of all language levels, and we learn Finnish through reading, writing, and crafts. The lessons are often based on topics chosen by the children, such as superheroes, ice cream, or football; we always have fun, and it is easy to blend into the group.