Welcome to THIS
We are delighted to wish you a warm welcome to Trondheim International School (THIS). Thank you for taking the time to visit our website and learn more about us.
THIS is an IB world school, serving our community by offering the globally renowned International Baccalaureate curriculum to students aged 6-16 years (grade 1-10). We are proud of the diversity of our school, with students and staff from over 40 countries. Equally, we value being an inclusive school for everyone – international and Norwegian students alike.
Here at THIS we believe that schools should be joyous places of learning and belonging. The IB curriculum is centered around a holistic, educational philosophy. A philosophy we believe passionately in. It encourages inquiry and student agency. To us, that means supporting our students in learning to ask the right questions, not just learning the right answers. It means learning to think critically, to become resilient and creative learners who are well-equipped to handle the unknown challenges of the future. We believe it is these young people who will go on to affect real change in their local, national and global communities.
We have a strong sense of community at THIS. By focusing on our core values of care, share, respect and learn, we are able to foster strong, positive relationships with all members of the THIS community. We are fortunate to have highly qualified and motivated staff, engaged parents, passionate collaborators in the wider community and not least, enthusiastic and kind students.
We are fortunate to be situated in beautiful surroundings by Kristiansten Fortress, just a few minutes walk from the centre of Trondheim. This affords our students plenty of opportunity to take their learning outside of the classroom, into beautiful green spaces or to take advantage of the many cultural and educational offers Norway’s capital of Science and Technology has to offer.
Please do not hesitate to contact us for an informal chat, a visit or a trial day to get to know us better. We’re sure you will see why THIS is where your child belongs.
Thale Herbertson
Acting Head of School
Trondheim International School (ThIS) was founded with the desire to provide a holistic and comprehensive international education in Trondheim. On April 28, 2004, a group of enthusiasts – Linda Kollien, Hasle Gjerde, Ole-Petter Krabberød, and Natasha Amberg – started the school. It began with only 34 students and 8 staff members. In 2008, THIS became an authorized school for the International Baccalaureate®. The school has grown from strength to strength, and as it celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024, it has nearly 220 students and 40 staff members.
As an IB World School we strive to play our part in achieving the IB’s overarching mission of developing ‘inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through education that builds intercultural understanding and respect.’
Our vision is Building Global Citizens who have the ability to contribute in a meaningful way to the mission above. Our mission statements are developed to provide us with guidance and direction as to how we will achieve this:
- THIS is an IB World School that creates independent, knowledgeable and caring individuals.
- THIS fosters lifelong learning in a safe and supportive environment.
- THIS provides academic excellence through a high quality education.
- THIS develops values and skills for the world of tomorrow.
- THIS inspires action and contributes to the local, national and international communities.
The school’s overarching strategy is developed in collaboration by the Board of Directors and the school’s leadership. It spans a five year cycle and is organised around four central focus areas: Economy, Community, Organisation and Quality Assurance. In this manner, the school is always striving for progress and positive development towards achieving our vision of ‘building global citizens’.
The strategy for 2022-2026 contains a strategic outline for four key areas with three milestones for each. The strategic goal for economy is to ensure a safe and stable economy. The subgoals are as follows: to have a balanced economy by 2022; a sustainable economy by 2024 and financial stability by 2026. The strategic goal for community is to promote a high quality IB education programme in a safe and positive learning environment. The subgoals are as follows: to have partnerships within the local community by 2022; the be a well recognised IB community by 2024; to be a well established IB community by 2026. The strategic goal for organisation is to ensure solid systems, communication, leadership and structure. The subgoals are as follows: To optimise organisational structure by 2022; to have optimised facilities by 2024; to be a solid organisation by 2026. The strategic goal for quality assurance is to ensure a high quality organisation with professional and cost effective operation. The subgoals are as follows: collective knowledge of internal control documents by 2022; quality assurance at all levels by 2024; to be a reference school for quality assurance by 2026.
THIS is a Norwegian private school that receives public funding and operates in accordance with the Private School Act. The school’s approval is based on its international profile. The state finances 85 percent of its operations, while the remaining 15 percent is covered by school fees. This means that the school’s offerings are accessible to a wide range of students, contributing to a rich diversity among our students. The school is a non-profit organization and is governed by an elected board.
