School Immersion in Norway – 16 -17 years old – 1 academic year

Our High School programme in Norway is aimed at all students aged 16 to 17, who are motivated to study for a school year in this country with its grandiose and magical landscapes, and enjoy an unforgettable experience!

You will attend a Norwegian high school and share the daily life and lifestyle of your host family. This programme offers a real linguistic and cultural immersion in the heart of Norwegian life.

No previous knowledge of Norwegian is necessary (beginners accepted), but a good level of English is required.

Nature is at the heart of the Norwegian way of life, with grandiose and unique landscapes, glaciers, magical fjords, the northern lights, the midnight sun, mountains… so many opportunities to enjoy an outdoor activity in the company of your Norwegian family or friends!

Why study in Norway?

  • An excellent education system, based on the principle of education for all and encouraging critical thinking and individual reflection
  • A high quality of life
  • Dreamlike landscapes: glaciers, fjords, northern lights, the midnight sun, snow-capped mountains…
  • The principle of equality is fundamental to Norwegian society and has shaped its development
  • Environmental protection and sustainable development are an integral part of the Nordic way of life
  • Everyone speaks English

Norway

  • population: 5.5 million
  • Capital: Oslo
  • The happiest people in the world
  • A safe country with a high quality of life
  • One of the richest countries in the world, thanks to its large oil deposits
  • Snow is part of life (here, more than 100 words for snow…)
  • The most important Norwegian word: “Kos”, a clever mix of warmth, caring, attention, laughter, conviviality, but also a cup of coffee accompanied by a cinnamon bun…

Placements take place all over Norway. The student can therefore be placed in a large city or in a more rural area. In Norway, housing is scattered.

There are 2 official languages in Norway: Bokmal (the mother tongue of 80% of Norwegians) and Nynorsk (17.5%). Both are North Germanic languages and are mutually intelligible. The first, the “language of books”, is influenced by Danish. The second is derived from ancient Norwegian dialects.

English is widely spoken, but High School classes are taught in Norwegian. It is therefore highly recommended that you prepare for your stay by taking online Norwegian courses before you leave.

You attend an ‘Ungdomskole‘, which corresponds to the last 3 years of secondary school (1st, 2nd and 3rd). The choice of school depends on where your host family lives.

Because Norway is a sparsely populated country, schools can be small and classes can be divided into several grades.

You will be placed in 1st (grade 11) or 2nd (grade 12) depending on your age, level and availability (no placement in 3rd , which is an exam year). Courses are organised by level, so students of different ages can follow the same course. The timetable is based on the course timetable and not on a specific class. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to choose your school subjects.

Norwegians follow a common core of basic knowledge and choose options, specialisation or a more in-depth study of a subject. There are no scientific, literary or economic streams; students choose the content of their programme themselves.

Students generally take 9 subjects. Some subjects are compulsory (must be studied throughout the course) : religion, ethics, mathematics, social sciences, arts and crafts, English, natural and environmental sciences, music, history and local cultures.

Sports generally played in Scandinavian countries: football, hockey, handball, floorball, skiing.

Norwegian language courses

It is strongly recommended that you start taking Norwegian lessons before you leave and continue on arrival to help you integrate more easily. Your host family and your local correspondent will be able to advise you on the best options.

In Norway, schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16. From 16 to 20, young people attend Ungdomskole ( the equivalent of lycée in France or the last 3 years of secondary school in Belgium). The Ungdomskole prepares students for university and offers a general education.

The school year is divided into 4 terms. The year begins in mid-August and ends in mid-June. Classes generally start at 8.00am and finish at 3.00pm. All courses are taught in Norwegian, with the exception of language courses.

The Norwegian education system is renowned for its excellence and encourages critical thinking and individual reflection. It also gives students a great deal of freedom. Teachers are generally very open and relaxed, and the relationship between teachers and students, which is much more informal than in Norway, is based on mutual respect and trust. On the other hand, this freedom implies greater responsibility on the part of the students, who have to discipline themselves to hand in their homework on time, without strict supervision.

Extra-curricular activities and hobbies are not practised within the schools, but in sports clubs, organisations or independent associations. We recommend that students take part in at least one activity outside the classroom and their host family. This is a good way of meeting people and gaining a better understanding of Norwegian society.

The Norwegian education system offers a platform for students and teachers: Itslearning.com. This innovative system enables teachers and students to communicate, with teachers writing down homework for the following day and the timetable for exercises and tests so that students can prepare themselves. It’s also a discussion platform. A user-friendly and functional tool!

The school holidays take place according to the following schedule: 1 week in October/November, 2 weeks at Christmas/New Year, 1 week in February, 1 week in April.

Host families are at the heart of the programme. They choose to welcome a student to share their culture and way of life, and select you on the basis of your application to ensure that you fit in well.

Families come inall shapes and sizes: with or without children, blended, single-parent, retired or younger. It’s not the composition of the family that’s important, but their willingness and motivation to share their culture with you.

Daily life reflects Swedish culture: everyone helps out with domestic chores (cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc.), and independence and confidence are encouraged from an early age. The days are often full and evening meals are a special time to get together.

You will be accommodated in a single or shared room. Half board is provided during the week, and full board at weekends and during school holidays.

In the Nordic countries, you should also expect the journey to school to be long, sometimes up to 1 hour 30 minutes. It’s important to be prepared for this.

The local correspondent is an experienced person who selects the host families and stays in regular contact with the students. As they are able to act quickly in the event of a problem, they are your key contact during your stay.

He or she will be on hand to answer any questions you may have once you arrive and to help you with any formalities. Regular communication will be established with your host family and the school to ensure that your experience goes as smoothly as possible.

Finally, you will be given an emergency number so that you can contact someone if you have an urgent problem.

A 4-day/3-night orientation camp is offered at the beginning of your stay in August.

This course is an opportunity to prepare for Scandinavian life and culture and to meet the other foreign students taking part in the programme. Visits are also included in the programme!

The course takes place in Stockholm.

Accommodation is in a youth hostel in a shared room.

The course price includes :

  • Transfer from Arlanda airport to the youth hostel
  • 3 nights’ accommodation in a youth hostel in a shared room
  • Half board (morning and evening meals)
  • A programme of activities
  • Transfer to the host family

Does not include

  • Lunch (approx. €13/day)
  • Personal expenses

If you are not taking part in the course in Stockholm, your local coordinator will organise an orientation meeting on your arrival.

Our local partner, together with youth mental health specialists, has developed a programme to strengthen the resilience of international students. This proactive support accompanies not only the students, but also the host families, local coordinators and parents, in order to better prepare them for the various stages of their stay.

Interactive workshops and practical exercises are offered:

  • Before departure, to prepare yourself properly;
  • After arrival, to make it easier to adapt;
  • Before the holiday and before returning home, to manage transitions.

The aim is to develop self-confidence, stress management, communication and the ability to adapt to a new culture.

This programme is part of a global approach based on three pillars:

  • Resilience Training: raising awareness, providing tools and improving well-being.
  • Communications: standardising, inspiring and sharing best practice.
  • Operational Alignment: strengthening skills, avoiding discrimination and guaranteeing student safety.
  • Be 16 or 17 years old at the time of departure
  • Have a communicative level of English, if no knowledge of Swedish (students must obtain a minimum score of 215 in the ELTiS test)
  • Have obtained good academic results over the last 3 years (“C” average – 60%)
  • Demonstrate the motivation, maturity, adaptability and open-mindedness that are the real keys to a successful stay

Students who have already obtained their degree can take part in this programme.

Do you meet the conditions for participation?

  1. Fill in the pre-registration form as soon as possible
  2. When we receive it, we’ll send you a provisional confirmation, including the total cost of the stay, a request for payment of €100 (for the language test and the motivation interview), and the full application form for the chosen programme. We will also ask you to send us a copy of your school reports for the last 2 years.
  3. We then invite you to come and take the language test and interview at our offices in Brussels or online. This costs €100 and is payable on receipt of the pre-confirmation. This amount is non-refundable, but can be deducted from the balance of your stay if you are definitively enrolled and accepted on the programme. Part 1 of the application form must be completed and brought with you to the interview.
  4. We will confirm the result no later than 8 days after our interview
  5. If the interview is positive, we ask you to pay a deposit of 25% of the total cost of your stay (with a minimum of €1,800) and to complete all the elements of your application, including letters of recommendation from your teachers and other information needed for us to study your application on site. As soon as your application is complete and we have received payment of the deposit, we will forward it to our partner.
  6. Final acceptance to the programme is given by our partner
  7. Once your application has been accepted, our partner begins the search for and selection of a host family and school

The deadlines for submitting applications to our partner are :

  • 15/03 for a departure in August

Please note: late applications will be accepted subject to availability, but a supplement will be applied.

The online booking form must be received at least 3 weeks before the application deadline.

The programme includes travel insurance provided by our partner: accident, health care, luggage, emergency dental care, medical evacuation, repatriation and civil liability.

We will inform you of the airport/place of arrival once we have received the details of the host family.

If you are taking part in the orientation course in Stockholm, we will send you practical information for your arrival in good time.

Dates 2026-2027

School year: August – June

Orientation course: 12 to 15 August 2026

Prices 2026-2027

WPCS 42.0.3
Tuition, accommodation and meals, including all registration fees
DurationPrice
1 academic year€ 13.950
Extras
Orientation course (optional)€ 700
Special dietary requirements/allergies/health issues€ 1.000
Vegan diet or allergies to dog or cat hair€ 500
Late registration€ 250

The above rates include:

  • Pre-application interview
  • School registration fees
  • Accommodation with a host family, half board during the week and full board at weekends and during school holidays
  • Assistance, support and follow-up from the local correspondent throughout the stay
  • Monthly contact and evaluation reports
  • Official certificate of participation
  • Transfers from the airport or station closest to the family’s place of residence to their home (on the 1st and last day of the programme)
  • An orientation session organised by the local coordinator after arrival
  • Access to the Educatius Global Youth Resilience Training programme
  • Travel insurance (accident, health care, luggage, emergency dental care, medical evacuation, repatriation and civil liability)

They do not include:

  • The return travel to the airport/train station closest to the family’s home
  • Local transport
  • School canteen lunches (€300 to €500 per semester)
  • Pocket money: allow for a minimum of €300/€350 per month
  • School books
  • School supplies and other school fees such as locker fees, for example
  • Extra-curricular activities
  • Orientation camp in Stockholm (optional)
  • Late enrolment fees (€250), if applicable