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We're here to help - FAQ
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Can I come and visit the school?We are happy to arrange a time to tour you and your child around our school. Please contact admin@birralee.no
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How do I apply?Please use the Application Form on our website. The deadline for the Main Admission for the 2022-2023 School Year is 1st April 2022. www.birrralee.no/admissions
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Can I arrange a digital meeting?Yes, we would be very happy to talk to you and your child digitally and answer any questions you may have. Please contact us at admin@birralee.no to set up an appointment.
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Can my child start during the school year?Yes! We admit most children during the Main Admission. The deadline for the Main Admission (for school start in August) is 1st February. However, if places are still available, we also accept children throughout the school year.
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Will my child learn Norwegian at Birralee?All lessons at Birrralee are thaught in English except for the four or five Norwegian lessons per week which are taught in Norwegian. For Norwegian, we often split the class in two. One group of (near) native speakers follows our Norwegian A programme, while the other group follows our adapted Norwegian programme (Norwegian B). The Norwegian A programme is very similar to the curriculum children follow in local Norwegian schools. The Norwegian B prorgramme is designed to teach our students Norwegian XXXX On average, students move over from the Norwegian B to the Norwegian A programme in three to five years. How fast children learn Norwegian also depends on their exposure to the language in other settings: Do they watch Norwegian TV? Do they join a local sports' team?
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Where do students go after Birralee?Our goal is that our students are well prepared for the next step in their educational journey when they leave Birralee after Year 10. Most of our students continue with Norwegian High School (Videregående skole). Some students continue with Cambridge A-levels internationally. Many of our students choose the English speaking line at Katedral Videregående Skole.
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Do you have text books at Birralee?We have text books, but we are not a big fan of solely teaching from the text book. "Open your book on page 17 and do the assignments" - is not a very inspirational way to learn. Text books can be a usefull resource and we therefore do use them occasionally. However, if you take a look at the learning pages on our website, you can see our holistic approach to learning.
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Is your curriculum academically more challenging than that of other Norwegian schools?Our international curricula are tried, tested and trusted by many international schools worldwide. Our curricula have been approved by the Norwegian Directorate of Education and Training and meets the legal requirement of being at least as good as the standard Norwegian curriculum. When comparing our curricula to the Norwegian National Curriculum (LK2020) we see that in some areas we cover topics that are not taught unitl Norwegian High School. For Norwegian children, there is the additional challenge of following a curriculum in a foreign language. Prospective students and parents should consider if they / their child is ready for this extra challenge.
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