Ås videregående skole
"Ås videregående skole is a public upper secondary school located in Ås, a small university town in Akershus county, Norway, roughly 30 kilometers south of Oslo."
As a state-funded institution, the school offers families an academically rigorous environment within the Norwegian public education system, making it an accessible option for both local and internationally mobile families seeking quality schooling in the greater Oslo region. The school has offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme since 1997, giving it nearly three decades of experience delivering one of the world's most respected pre-university qualifications. The IB Diploma Programme, taken by students typically aged 16 to 19, is a two-year curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and broad academic engagement across six subject areas, complemented by the programme's core components of Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service. Instruction is delivered in English, which makes Ås videregående skole particularly well suited to expatriate families and relocating professionals whose children are educated in English or who are preparing for university study in English-speaking countries around the world. The presence of an English-medium IB programme within a Norwegian public school creates a somewhat distinctive dual environment. Students benefit from the international recognition and academic challenge of the IB Diploma while being embedded in a Scandinavian school culture known for its emphasis on student wellbeing, collaborative learning, and a relatively non-hierarchical relationship between teachers and students. For expat families, this can represent an appealing combination of international academic credentials and a grounded, low-pressure social environment. Ås itself is a welcoming and manageable town, home to the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), which gives the community an intellectually active character and attracts a degree of international population that may ease the transition for newly arrived families. The campus setting reflects the generally understated and functional character of Norwegian public schools, prioritizing accessibility and practicality. Families considering the school can find further information and contact the administration directly through the school's website at afk. no/aas-vgs or by phone. For expat and relocating families evaluating their options in the Oslo commuter belt, Ås videregående skole offers a meaningful combination of factors that can be difficult to find in a single institution: a fully recognized international curriculum, English-language instruction, public school affordability, and a location in a stable, safe, and academically oriented community. Families whose children are approaching the upper secondary years and who value the global university pathway that the IB Diploma provides will find this school worth serious consideration as they settle into life in Norway.