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News | 04 October 2024

When Sätra became Södermalm

Everyone remembers their final year of school. For students from IES Skärholmen the experience is something special, after their school moved to the heart of Södermalm.

When Internationella Engelska Skolan had to decide to partially close IES Skärholmen, year-eight students were offered the chance to finish their education together, as a group, in a rehomed school set up just for their year.

Students up to year seven were offered support to find a new school, mainly through the queue for other IES schools, and major efforts were put into supporting staff who wanted to stay with IES to find jobs in our other schools.

However, as many as 100 people, 88 students and 12 staff, now hold most of their lessons alongside the students of Internationella Engelska Gymnasiet Södermalm (IEGS), a stone’s throw from Skanstull, in the centre of Stockholm. For lessons which need specialised equipment, such as crafts, they visit another IES school nearby, in Årsta.

Students Antonio and Zuzanna are among those having a final year with a difference, and appreciate the steps taken to make the change easy for them.

Zuzanna, 9A, explained: “I like my friends and it is hard to join a new school in year nine. IES gave us SL cards which work until 7pm, so after school you can also use them to go shopping in the city. Being here is also good preparation for high school.”

Antonio, 9B, added: “I do have to wake up early. I wake up at 6:50am and leave fifty minutes before we start at 8.30. But I am used to that because I have to travel long distances when I play football. Also the schedule is good, we all start and finish at the same time which means we can travel in a group, that made it easy for us.”

The students have even set up a WhatsApp group, so they can let each other know if there are issues on the tunnelbana.

Studying alongside upper secondary students has also provided the grade nines with a new perspective on their future.

Antonio, who is considering a sports programme, or economy with law, said: “Gymnasiet looks different from grundskolan, you can choose what you want to specialise in and study. The students look happy, they are fresh in the morning, they are here because they want to be here, studying what they want to study. Maybe I won't be as sad about waking up early when I can do something I want to do.”

The school building in Skärholmen had to close due to the changed security situation in the world, and the need for the city of Stockholm to secure the supply of electricity through the high voltage power line that runs near the former school building. That meant that the landlord could not obtain a permanent permit to operate a school in the building.

IES had never needed to close a school before, and this meant finding new solutions. Two key priorities were supporting students and their families, and ensuring staff weren't affected more than necessary.

Stuart Johns, assistant principal for IES Skärholmen said: “When we heard the news that the school was closing, we were supported centrally with the questions. We had to get back to running the school as normal, but also answer clearly and truthfully about how it would work. We had an open dialogue from the beginning. Families saw where the students were going, what the set up was, and that there would be familiar faces.”

Syv coordinator Marie Christiansen added: “All the staff who are here have chosen to be here, with the intention of giving the students the best send off to high school come June. I think graduation will be amazing, students and staff will take pride in it, and put their hearts and a lot of feeling into it. Everyone is giving it their all, because it is the last year of Skärholmen.”

One building, two schools

Dr Rachel Heimeier, ordinarily principal of IEGS, now has two schools proudly represented on her name badge.

She said: “It’s always a challenge, to bring a new school culture into an existing school. I visited Skärholmen and met people beforehand, and there were induction days for staff to settle. I am leading both schools. Sometimes I need more time with one school or the other, there has been some team building at the beginning, time to set leadership style and personality, and get the school off to a good start.

Thankfully Dr Heimeier is also an experienced principal for students up to year nine. In 2012 she started IES Uppsala and then led the 4-9 school.

She added: “Now I am the principal of a compulsory school again as well, that grey matter needs to be reactivated. There can be a lot more parent engagement with a younger group of students and it is fun bringing back all those memories and experience. Without it, I could have set myself the wrong expectations.”

Among big decisions like arranging the schedule and the building, there are plenty of small decisions too. Rachel smiles: “In a normal year I wear heels, but with a grundskola in the building as well, I wear sneakers. I’m rushing to one side of the school and back, my steps have increased. With upper secondary everyone moves at a slower pace so wearing heels is fine, but not if you want to keep up with the year nines.”