No, it doesn’t. All stundents will be invited for an entrance assessment to test their readiness to study in an English-speaking environment based on a holistic evaluation. The assessment reflects Finnish curriculum standards that consider a child’s growth, including cognitive, linguistic, social/emotional capability and behavioral patterns. Based on the entrance assessment result, VFIS will make the admissions decision and consider additional English language support at the beginning of the year or during the school year if required for those accepted.

It depends on their age, entrance assessment results and other academic reports. The requirement for English is lower for first graders. The school has an English language preparation course during the summer time and encourages stundents to join to be familiar with VFIS’s English-speaking environment. In general, the older the child is, the higher our expectations are with regard to their English ability. We also provide additional support through our English as an Additional Language Programme (EAL) to non-native speakers during the school year. The length of the course depends on their admissions test results.

A stundent from VFIS’s International programme can transfer to the Bilingual programme if their level of academic Vietnamese meets our requirement based on the entrance test.

A stundent studying in VFIS’s Biligual programme can transfer to the International programme but is encouraged to transfer from sixth grade to be fully prepared for the IB programme. The International programme follows the Finnish curriculum with an IB approach at the secondary level and one year with pre-IB class (equivalent to Grade 10) in high school. The school will provide an academic test to support the stundents to make the right decision.

Basically, there are four major differences between the two programmes:

Key differences lie in the taught curriculum, please refer to Educational Programmes  or contact our admissions team for further information.

The International Programmes

The Bilingual Programmes

The school day begins at 8am and ends at 3.15pm. Students who register extra-curricular activities or additional classes might stay until 4pm.

The total number of school days is 180 per academic year. In addition to breaks between terms, stundents will enjoy Vietnamese national public holidays and a long Christmas holiday. Please see the School Day and School Calendar for further information.

In VFIS, English is the primary language of communication language in all activities. However, there are some subjects taught only in English and the other only in Vietnamese. In general, in every grade, subjects taught in English outnumber subjects taught in Vietnamese.

VFIS Bilingual Programme from grade 1 to grade 9 integrate both Finnish and Vietnamese curriculum in which Finnish content is of higher proportion. Grade 9 finishers can progress to grade 10 without doing any entrance exams but being accepted or not based on their past academic performance. From grade 10 to grade 12, the proportion of Vietnamese curriculum will be increased relatively to help stundents meet Vietnam’s graduation requirements. After high school, stundents can apply for any universities but need to check their admission policies. In terms of required competencies (knowledge and skills) for higher education, VFIS stundents are not supposed to encounter any difficulties. Ton Duc Thang University has a particular recruitment policy exclusively for VFIS stundents. Especially, the university plans to have special high quality programmes of less learning modules for VFIS graduates. By this way, they will graduate with high competencies but in shorter time.

In addition to the subject of physical education, physical activities are integrated in many other activities at the school. VFIS offers interesting extracurricular activities after official school hours. Please read more by clicking to the tab Extracurricular Activities. There are different clubs based on stundents’ needs. In principle, a club of at least 15 registrations will be opened and supervised by a teacher. All ideas and feedback are welcome for consideration. Hence, VFIS will have diverse and meaningful extra-curricular activities for stundents.

Tuition fees are announced annually. The next school year’s tuition fee will be increased by no more than 10%.
Please check Tuition Fee or contact our Admissions Team for further information.

Yes. Tuition fees will be reduced by 10% for the second onwards.
Please check Tuition Fee or contact our Admissions Team for further information.

Tuition fees include the cost of all curriculum subjects, extracurricular activities, club membership, field trips within HCMC, skill camps (optional) during school vacations, learning materials and tutoring classes (except English) for those who need education support.

Please check Tuition Fee  or contact our Admissions Team for further information.

Yes, a VFIS stundent is allowed to get both International and Vietnamese degree. VFIS supports stundents who wish to take online learning courses for other degrees or certificates.

International Baccalaureate (IB) for VFIS International Program is recognized globally. For Bilingual programme, students will take Vietnamese National Examination for Graduation and are able to take other English certificates.

Students graduate in VFIS can apply for universities either in Vietnam or in any other countries in the world. Career guidance and counselling is an important of VFIS curriculum that aims at assisting pupils in discovering their interests and abilities to recognise a suitable field to follow and which higher education institution to apply for.

At the end of each grade, VFIS stundents will get a certificate of completion by VFIS’s Principal. They are encouraged to sit for the international accredited exams for global certification. VFIS is committed to support stundents of these cases.

All teachers who wish to teach at VFIS have to go through a careful recruitment process (CV application with letter of teaching motivation, pedagogical testing, and interviews, to name but a few) and get intensive training/internship to become a qualified VFIS teacher. In addition, excellent English language proficiency is a must and VFIS prioritize those who demonstrate aspiration to learning, growth mindset, and dedication to improve stundent’s learning and the school in general. Read more about our recruitment process here.

At VFIS, the training is carried out 6 months before working, for all teachers and Vietnamese teaching assistants. After that, they are offered additional training for one year by Finnish and Vietnamese specialists and trainers.

All teachers who wish to teach at VFIS have to go through a careful recruitment process (CV application with letter of teaching motivation, pedagogical testing, and interviews, to name but a few) and get intensive training/internship to become a qualified VFIS teacher. In addition, excellent English language proficiency is a must and VFIS prioritize those who demonstrate aspiration to learning, growth mindset, and dedication to improve stundent’s learning and the school in general. Read more about our recruitment process here.

Yes. VFIS has the school bus. Please see transportation for further information 

Yes. VFIS has school uniforms and pupils can buy at the school

At VFIS, all classes have air filtration systems.