Frequently Asked Questions

If you are new to Oslo or to Norway, this website provides some information and resources to help you with the transition.

OIS runs two one-week back-to-back Summer Camps for Primary students. Parents are free to select between 1 and 5 days (800 NOK/day) during the following periods (26 – 30 June and 3 – 7 July). You may view and sign-up for camps via this link. As several of the days will be dedicated to excursions, children are expected to attend full day sessions between 09.00 – 16.00 on their selected days. Children of all ages are welcome.

Here is a list of the individual camps on offer, with sign-up links:

• OIS Summer Fun Camp – 2 weeks (June 26-30 & July 3–7): for Pre-school and Primary aged students
• OIS Basketball Skills Camp – June 22-26: boys & girls ages 8 – 15
• OIS Summer Fun Theatre Camp – June 26-30: boys & girls ages 7 – 14
• OIS Acrobatics Summer Camp - June 22-23 & 26-28: boys & girls ages 4 and up
• OIS Summer Circus Camp - August 16 & 17: boys & girls ages 8 – 14
• OIS Curiosity Academy Mini Summer Camp – 2 weeks (August 7 - 11 & 14 – 18): boys & girls YR3 - IB

Other camps are also available during the summer (basketball, acrobatics, theatre and sailing). Please contact John Town, our Community Activities Manager, for sign-up details.

This short calendar summarises the most important dates of the coming academic year. Once you receive your Community Portal login at the beginning of the school year, a more detailed calendar will be available for consultation.

School starts at 08:45am on Monday 21 August. Students should congregate in the playground area at least 15 minutes before then. New students from Year 1 and upwards will be expected to attend an induction session on Friday 18 August (see calendar).

Class lists with details of students and teachers, as well as subject schedules, will be published on Wednesday 16 August. Copies will also be posted on ItsLearning for Secondary students. Parents and guardians will receive details by email.

• All children from Years 1 to 6 are provided with a school ipad. There is no need for them to bring any technology to school.
• Students in Year 7 are provided with computers during lessons, but will need access to a computer at home for homework assignments.
• From Years 8 - IB2, students are required to bring their own laptops to school every day.

No, OIS does not have a school uniform. The Parent Association sells Spiritwear clothes to families, so students can buy OIS branded clothing items if they so wish. Spiritwear sales are advertised in the school newsletter, The Communicator.

If your child is unable to attend school for any reason, please inform the school as follows:

Primary - send an email to absentprimary@oslois.no and to the contact teacher
Secondary - send an email to the contact teacher (a full list of email addresses can be found in the Staff Directory) or via the ItsLearning platform.

Further instructions/reminders will be provided at the parent orientation meetings.

 

OIS organises an optional bus service covering parts of Oslo, Bærum, and Asker with links to other forms of public transport including bus and train. Parents/guardians who choose to utilise this service should submit a completed School Bus Request Form by email to our school services division. Bus fees are as follows: round-trip 21.000 NOK per year; one-way 12.300 NOK per year.

Space may be limited on some buses, in which case seats will be allocated on a first-come first-served basis. If we are unable to offer your child a place, his/her name will be added to our waiting list until a seat becomes available. Please address any questions regarding buses to karianne.munro@oslois.no.

 

A limited number of parking spaces are available at the back of the gym hall and main school building. Parents may also park in the car park running alongside the astro-turf playing fields in front of the Upper Secondary building, or at Nadderud swim hall across the small playing field behind school. Spaces are also available in the nearby Rema and Coop underground car parks (payment required). For detailed information about where to park, please follow this link.

For safety reasons, parking on the road or roundabout in front of the school is not permitted during bus drop off (08:00 – 09:00) and bus pick-up (14:30 – 15:30) times. 

OIS is situated in Bekkestua, and buses, trains and trams run regularly from the city centre and surrounding areas. A useful website to consult is Ruter.no. Downloading the Ruter app is advisable so that tickets can be purchased online. If your child is not able to purchase a ticket online, a parent/guardian may do so from their mobile telephone and send the ticket https://ruter.no/en/buying-tickets/travelcard/).

Students may, if they wish, cycle or scoot to school. Bike racks are provided in front off the school (just inside the main gate) and at the back of the gym hall), as well as at the side of the Upper Secondary building. Students are responsible for their own property and must bring their own locks!

A hot lunch service (delivered by outside catering company, Barn til Bords) is offered to students who choose to register. Sign-up will be via the Lunch Service page of the Community Portal (if you are a new community member, your login will be provided at the beginning of the academic year).

You will be able to select a minimum serving of 2 days per week (always Tuesday and Thursday), and a maximum serving of 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday). Students who do not wish to register for the hot lunch service should bring packed lunches to school.

The sign-up link will open for the new lunch service at the beginning of the school year. Further questions should be addressed to: oislunchclub@oslois.no (please indicate Lunch Club in the subject line), and please also add Trine@barntilbords.no on copy (this will ensure that any questions will not go unanswered over the summer).

The school publishes an electronic newsletter, The Communicator, every Friday. This contains important dates and notices along with highlights from the previous week. Class teachers in the Primary division also issue a newsletter by email to their own class families. Any important information pertaining to a year level or class in Secondary is sent by division heads or contact teachers via email.

As a parent or guardian, you are welcome to become an active member of the OISPA, the OIS Parent Association. For further information, visit their website (https://www.oispa.com/). 

Registration for The After School Activities Programme opens on 22 August at 12 noon via the Webshop in the Community Portal (the new Community Portal will open a few days before school starts in August, and you will be provided with a login at that time). We offer a wide range of after school activities in sports, the arts, technology and much more, and the sessions are divided into three seasons:

Season 1: September 4 - November 14, 2023
Season 2: December 4 - March 8, 2023
Season 3: April 8 - June 14, 2023

Do not hesitate to contact our Community Activities Manager, John Town, should you have any questions. 

Upper Secondary students may be entitled to Lånekassen support to help finance their three final years in Upper Secondary (Pre-IB, IB1 and IB2). Further information is available on the Lånekassen website.