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News | 23 May 2025

Letter from the Principal

Dear Parents and Guardians,

The end of the academic year is near, and we can look back at a good but intense spring term with, for example, national exams for Years 6 and 9, as well as project submissions and unit tests for other year groups. Overall, the national tests have gone well for our students, with particularly strong results in English, as always. We also see strong results in math for Year 6, and Year 9 has performed very well in both math and science.

We were lucky with the weather this past Tuesday during our Spring Sports Day. It turned out to be a sunny and enjoyable day with many exciting activities for our students in Årsta and the surrounding area. Please take a look at the school’s instagram to see photos from the day.

Information and Updates
Thank you for participating in the parent survey! We are happy to report that the school’s survey results for 2025 show a clear positive development.

Overall, student satisfaction with the school and education is improving strongly, particularly in the following areas: Rules are followed, Action is taken against bullying, School environment, Safety, Mentorship, Peace and calm in the classroom, Help and Feedback from teachers.

This is motivating for teachers and other staff at the school, showing that our commitment and efforts are paying off. It also indicates that the major initiative we implemented to boost Peace and calm in school and a calm learning environment has brought us closer to our goals.

Looking Ahead to Next School Year
The school will undergo an organizational change for the next academic year due to a lower number of enrolled students. The school will have four classes in Years 7–9, three classes in Years 5–6, and two classes in Year 4. With fewer students, the school will unfortunately need to reduce the number of staff, meaning we will have to say goodbye to some of our fantastic staff members.

I want to emphasize that the quality of the school will not be affected by this reorganisation. In fact, we will have even a higher staff-to-student ratio next year to continue ensuring high-quality teaching, as well as safety and a calm learning environment.

Why do we have fewer students? The fact that IES Årsta achieves high academic results, strong student well-being, and high satisfaction in our quality surveys leads us to believe that the decrease in student numbers is primarily due to demographic factors – in other words, fewer children needing school placements. Many schools in Stockholm face a similar situation, having to reduce the number of classes or even close – for example, Åsö Grundskola on Södermalm, which will close next year.

IES Årsta will continue to work goal oriented with quality in all areas while also exploring new opportunities for the future, including the potential start of Years F–3 at the school further ahead.

The Final Weeks of the School Year
We have several fun and important events to look forward to during the final weeks of the school year, especially for Year 9 as they prepare to move on after six years at IES Årsta.
Wednesday, June 4, 16:30–18:30: Aesthetics Showcase Evening at the school – Come and listen to the school orchestra and choir, and view what students have created in the practical-aesthetic subjects during the year.
Thursday, June 5: Mentor Day for Years 4–8 and PROM for Year 9.
Monday, June 9: Leavers’ Lunch for Year 9.
Tuesday, June 10: Mentor / Cleaning Day for Years 4–8 and Graduation for Year 9 at Hotel Rival.
Wednesday, June 11: End-of-term celebration for Years 4–8.
☀️☀️ Summer holidays begin!☀️☀️

Other
Don’t forget to stop by the school on Saturday, May 24, for our annual Spring Fair.

Start dates for the next school year:
Year 4: Monday, August 18
Years 5–9: Tuesday, August 19

As always, feel free to contact the school if you have any questions or concerns.

With that, I wish you all a lovely end to the school year and, in due time, a sunny and wonderful summer holiday!

Kind regards,
Mr Gellerstedt