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. 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. A list of the individual camps on offer, with sign-up links, will be detailed here nearer the time.

Other camps are also available during the summer (for example, music/theatre and culinary skills). Please contact John Town, our Community Activities Manager, for details.

This short calendar summarises the most important dates of the coming academic year 2025-26. Once you receive your Community Portal login, a more detailed school community calendar will be available for consultation.

School starts at 08:45am on Monday 18 August 2025. Students should congregate in the playground area at least 15 minutes before then. School finishes at 15:05pm (Upper Secondary students, Pre-IB to IB2, may finish classes later).

New students from Year 1 and upwards will be expected to attend an induction session on Friday 15 August.

Class lists with details of students and teachers, as well as subject schedules, will be published before school starts in August. 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 from Year 7 - IB2 are required to bring their own fully charged laptops to school every day. Read laptop policy.

No, OIS does not have a school uniform. The Parent Association sells Spiritwear clothes at certain times of the year, 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 - register absences via the ManageBac platform.
Attendance and absence policies:
- Lower Secondary
- Upper Secondary

Further instructions/reminders will be provided at 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 bus@oslois.no. Bus fees for 2025-26 are as follows: round-trip 25.200 NOK per year; one-way 14.700 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 bus@oslois.no.

 

A limited number of parking spaces is available at the back of the gym hall. Parents may also park in the spaces at Nadderud swimhall across the small playing field behind school (note that car registration plates should be registered in the pay-and-display machines. Fee paying spaces are also available in the nearby Rema and Coop underground car parks. 

Please note that morning drop-off is by the front gate. Parents are expected to follow the one way system around school. No vehicles, other than school buses, are allowed to park on the road in front of the school.

parking & drop-off info

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 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.

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: camilla@barntilbords.no (please indicate Lunch Club in the subject line), and please also add oislunchclub@oslois.no on copy (this will ensure that any questions will not go unanswered over the summer).

Subscription is for an unlimited period, and may be cancelled at any time (cancellation takes effect from the following month).

OIS offers an After School Activity Programme to community members. Activities are varied and include sports, arts, technology and culinary. Sign-up for the first season of 2025-26 school year opens at 12 noon on Tuesday 19th August. Parents can browse the full offer in the Community Portal.

Registration for The After School Activities Programme opens at the beginning of the school year via the Webshop in the Community Portal (a login is provided to all new parents). 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 - November 2024
Season 2: December 2024 - March 2025
Season 3: April - June 2025

Do not hesitate to contact our Community Activities Manager, John Town, john.town@oslois.no, should you have any questions. 

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 weekly newsletter by email to their own class families. Lower Secondary shares a weekly division newsletter with students and parents. Upper Secondary issues a weekly newsletter to students via ItsLearning platform. 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/. 

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.