Preschools and schools

If you have children, finding a good preschool or school will be a priority. Here you will find information on the Swedish school system and some of the schooling options on offer in the Gothenburg region and West Sweden.

The Swedish education system is highly regarded and the country invests heavily in education. The emphasis is on individual learning, equality and personal liberty and this fosters innovation and creativity.

Preschools

West Sweden has many well-equipped preschools or child care centres (förskola or dagis) that are of a high standard and very affordable. In most cases both of the parents must work, study or be looking for a job in order for your child to get a place in a preschool. Your child must also be between 1 and 5 years old and have a Swedish personal identification number.

Fees are based on your household income and the number of children you have enrolled. The maximum monthly cost for one child is approximately SEK 1,500. 

How to apply 

Most preschools are run by the municipality (kommun) and for these schools you apply for a place through your municipality. You can join the municipal queuing system at the earliest six months before your child needs a place. After four months, from when the application is received, the district where the child lives is required to offer a placement. 

In Gothenburg applications are made through the municipality’s preschool administration (Förskoleförvaltningen). You can nominate five preschools where you would like your child to attend, and these can be across one or more of the city districts. The City of Gothenburg website has a full list of the city’s 500+ preschools, but the information is only available in Swedish. An alternative is to contact the City of Gothenburg by phone or email for more information and information in English. 

You don’t have to have a Swedish personal number to apply for a preschool, and you can apply from outside of Sweden. However, in many municipalities to be able to start at a preschool you will have to be registered in Sweden (folkbokförd), which you can do once you have arrived here.

It is good if you have an address in Sweden for where you think you will live, but if you don’t know your address yet, you can write, for example, “Gothenburg”. But then it is important that you update your address as soon as it is known. If you apply before you have moved, you should also state in your application when you will arrive in Sweden.

International and bilingual preschools

The Gothenburg region has a host of international and bilingual preschools. To apply for a place for your child, contact the schools directly.  

ABC All About Children Preschool 
Location: central Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)709 58 01 60
Email: judy@abcallaboutchildren.com
Website: www.abcallaboutchildren.com

The English School Gothenburg, ESG
Location: Västra Frölunda, western Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)31 712 75 50
Email: info@theenglishschool.se
Website: www.theenglishschool.se

The French School 
Location: central Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)31 16 54 82
Email: franskaskolan@medborgarskolan.se
Website: www.franskaskolangoteborg.se

Happy Kids Education
Locations: Kållered and Kungsbacka
Telephone: +46 (0)31 795 45 50 (Kållered) and +46 300 128 28 (Kungsbacka)
Email: info@happykids.se
Website: www.happykids.se

My Little Tribe
Location: Västra Frölunda, western Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)701 438 043
Email: preschool@childactivitycentre.se
Website: www.childactivitycentre.se

The International Preschool 
Locations: Guldheden, Biskopsgården, Majorna and Älvsborg
Telephone: +46 (0)31 140221
Email: admin@ipsab.org
Website: www.theinternationalpreschool.com

Gothenburgs Preschool 
Location: two preschools in Majorna, Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)31 12 13 11
Email: joseph@gothenburgspreschool.com
Website: www.gothenburgspreschool.com

Just like hemma (Just like home)
Location: central Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)70 9163 534
Email: info@justlikehemma.com
www.justlikehemma.com

Creative Kids Preschool
Locations: two schools in Majorna, Gothenburg
Telephone: +46 (0)73 5345 560
Email: coordinator@creativekidsforskola.com 
Website: www.creativekidsforskola.com 

If you are living outside of the Gothenburg region, contact your municipality to find out about the options in your area and to enrol.

At a glance comparison... 

of the Swedish, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Kindergarten to 12 (K-12) school systems.

Schools

The year your child turns 6, he or she will need to attend preschool class (förskoleklass). This was a voluntary school form, but is now compulsory for children in Sweden. 

Between the ages of 7 and 16, children are required to attend compulsory school (grundskola), which is from grades 1-9. Your child always has the right to a place in school in the area where you live. You also have the right to choose another school and can arrange a visit or apply for a place by contacting the school you are interested in.

Upper secondary school (gymnasium), or grades 10-12, is not compulsory but is attended by most young people in Sweden. It is also a prerequisite for tertiary studies. Your child can choose from a range of programmes which will prepare them for working life or further studies.

The vast majority of schools in Sweden are municipally run. The other main type is independent schools (fristående skolor or friskolor), which are privately run but publicly funded. Both regular municipal schools and independent schools must be approved by the Schools Inspectorate and follow the national curricula and sylla­buses. Independent schools, however, can have an orientation that differs from that of the municipal schools. Examples include bilingual schools and schools with a language profile, which offer large parts of the teaching in a language other than Swedish.

In the Gothenburg region there also a number of world schools that offer the International Baccalaureate programme taught in English.

The schools should be able to help you when it comes to transferring your child’s grades. 

To provide you with more insight into the Swedish School System, we've produced a short publication: A glance at the Swedish School System (PDF). 

International schools

The International School of the Gothenburg Region (ISGR) 
Location: two campuses in central Gothenburg
Grades: 0-9
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate and Swedish national
Note: the international section has certain requirements for admission
Telephone: +46 (0)31 708 92 50
Email: adriana.koscianska@staff.isgr.se
Website: www.isgr.se

The International High School of the Gothenburg Region (IHGR)
Location: central Gothenburg
Grades: 10-12
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate and Swedish national 
Note: the international section has certain requirements for admission
Telephone: +46 (0)31 708 92 00
Email: tracey.bengtsson@educ.goteborg.se
Website: www.ihgr.se

Other schools offering the International Baccalaureate programme

Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet (Hvitfeldtska Upper Secondary School)
Location: central Gothenburg
Grades: 10-12
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate and Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)31 367 06 00
Email: info.hvitfeldtska@educ.goteborg.se
Website: Hvitfeldtska Gymnasiet – in English

Aranäs Gymnasiet (Aranäs Upper Secondary School)
Location: Kungsbacka
Grades: 10-12
Curriculum: International Baccalaureate and Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)300 83 40 00
Email: aranasgymnasiet@kungsbacka.se
Website: Aranäs Gymnasiet – IB in English

BILINGUAL SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS WITH A LANGUAGE PROFILE

The English School Gothenburg (ESG) 
Location: Västra Frölunda, Gothenburg
Grades: 0-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)31 712 75 50
Email: info@theenglishschool.se
Website: www.theenglishschool.se

Internationella Engelska Skolan (IES - The International English School)  
Location: Krokslätt and Johanneberg
Grades: 3-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)31 381 8503 and +46 (0)31 381 8509
Email: info.krokslatt@engelska.se and info.johanneberg@engelska.se
Website: krokslatt.engelska.se and johanneberg.engelska.se

The French School
Location: central Gothenburg
Grades: 1-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)31 16 54 82
Email: franskaskolan@medborgarskolan.se
Website: www.franskaskolangoteborg.se

Ryska skolan (The Russian School)
Location: central Gothenburg
Grades: 1-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46(0) 31 24 70 19
Email: info@ryskaskolan.se
Website: www.ryskaskolan.se

Victoriaskolan (Victoria School) 
German, English and Spanish
Location: central Gothenburg
Grades: 0-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46(0) 31 388 70 86
Email: julieta.lodeiro@victoriaskolan.se 
Website: www.victoriaskolan.se

Internationella Engelska Skolan (The International English School)
Location: Borås
Grades: 4-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)33 7222 250
Email: pernilla.gill.boras@engelska.se
Website: www.boras.engelska.se

The English Speaking School of Trollhättan
Location: Trollhättan (Paradisskolan)
Grades: 0-6
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46 (0)520-49 66 33
Email: christina.oberg@trollhattan.se
Website: Trollhättan – English Speaking School 0-6

The English Speaking Class of Trollhättan
Location: Trollhättan (Paradisskolan)
Grades: 7-9
Curriculum: Swedish national
Telephone: +46(0) 520-49 50 00
Email: utbildning@trollhattan.se
Website: Trollhättan – English Speaking School 7-9

If you would like your child to attend a municipal school, contact your municipality to find out about the options in your local area. If you live in the City of Gothenburg, further information is available on the municipality's website. 

Via the following links you can search and apply for upper secondary programmes in the Gothenburg region, Borås region (Sjuharad) and Trollhättan region (Fyrbodal).  

For more information about schooling in Sweden visit the website of the Swedish National Agency for Education (Skolverket) and Information om Sverige – School in Sweden.  

Last updated: 14 January 2021