The group includes psychologists, school social workers, nurses, special educational needs teachers, study and careers advisers, homeroom teachers, student representatives and parent or guardian representatives. The group meets four times during the school year. Parent or guardian representatives are selected from among the parents of first-year students at a parents’ evening. The communal student welfare group supports the school community by organising events that promote student wellbeing and by developing the school’s practices and activities.
Students and their parents or guardians are informed about available student welfare services. When necessary, they are also offered personal guidance on how to access these services.
Find the contact details of the student welfare staff on the contact information page.
Support for learning
Students are entitled to learning support and special education. Support is provided as soon as possible when a need is identified. The aim is to prevent difficulties from affecting students’ progress and completion of their studies.
Learning support may include remedial teaching, additional support during lessons, or special arrangements during studies and the matriculation examination. If learning support is not sufficient, students can apply for a decision on special needs education.
Read more about learning support and special needs education.
We are here to help you
The study and careers adviser works with teachers to help students create a personal study plan. They also support students when they are planning further education and making important choices about their future. Every student belongs to a homeroom group led by a homeroom teacher.
Study and careers advisers are available in their offices on the second floor, usually between 9.00 and 15.00. You can visit them without an appointment if you have a short question. For matters that require more time, such as planning further studies, we recommend making an appointment.
The school social worker supports students’ psychological and social wellbeing, as well as their progress in their studies. Students can contact the school social worker if they would like to discuss personal or study-related matters confidentially. These matters may include social relationships, managing everyday life or becoming more independent.
Students can contact the school social worker themselves. They may also be referred by their parents or guardians, teachers or the school nurse, for example. Parents or guardians can contact the school social worker if they would like to discuss matters related to their young person’s studies or personal circumstances.
The social worker is a member of the general upper secondary school’s student welfare group and works with external professionals and services when necessary. The school social worker can support an individual student or a group of students.
There are two school social workers at Helsinki Upper Secondary School of Languages. One is generally available every day, and the other is available two days a week.
The best ways to make an appointment or contact a social worker are through a Wilma message, by telephone or via the Aula Apunappi Help Button. School social workers record these contacts in the Apotti client information system.
The school psychologist promotes students’ wellbeing and mental health, supports their studies and helps prevent problems. Students can talk to the psychologist about matters related to their studies, feelings, relationships or changes in their lives. Students can contact the psychologist themselves.
Parents or guardians can also contact the school psychologist if they are concerned about their young person or would like to discuss matters affecting the young person’s life or studies.
The psychologist records these contacts in the Apotti client information system. In addition to meeting students individually, the school psychologist provides consultations, promotes the wellbeing of the school community and works with teaching staff, students’ homes and other relevant partners.
We recommend contacting the school psychologist while problems are still manageable. The psychologist’s services are confidential, voluntary and free of charge for students.
The psychologist’s office is on the second floor, in the student welfare services corridor. More information about office hours is available on the door of the psychologist’s office.
The best ways to contact the psychologist are through a Wilma message, by text message or telephone, or via the Aula Apunappi Help Button. When contacting the school psychologist, please briefly describe the situation or issue you would like to discuss during the appointment.
For security reasons, email is not suitable for confidential or sensitive matters.
Special educational needs teachers support students with different learning difficulties. You can make an appointment for an individual meeting during your school hours.
Please discuss the appointment directly with the special educational needs teacher. You must also inform the subject teacher in advance if you will be absent from their lesson.
The best ways to contact a special educational needs teacher are through Wilma or by telephone.
Find the special educational needs teacher’s contact details here.
School nurse
School nurses are available Monday through Friday. Any exceptions will be posted on the school nurses’ doors. Our offices are located on the 2nd floor at the end of the student welfare corridor.
Drop-in service without an appointment is available from 11.00 to 11.45 am. At other times, visits are by appointment only, and we may not be able to answer the door while meeting with another student. Appointments can be booked through Maisa or Wilma, or by contacting the school nurses by phone.
The responsibilities of school nurses in student health care include:
- Health promotion and health check-ups
- First aid for school-related accidents and guidance on health care services
- Promotion of sexual health (contraception, emergency contraception, and laboratory referrals for sexually transmitted infection testing)
- Vaccinations and health clearances required under the Communicable Diseases Act
- Pre-conscription health check-ups
- Multidisciplinary collaboration within the school
- Substance abuse and mental health work in cooperation with other professionals
Health check-ups for students of compulsory education age (15 to 18 years old) are done during the first or second year of study. The timing of these examinations is planned based on the results of health questionnaires. If you are unable to complete the questionnaire, you will be invited to a health check-up during your first year of study. If the questionnaire indicates that you do not require any specific support, the health check-up by the nurse and school doctor will be conducted in the year you turn 18.
A digital health questionnaire is sent to first-year students through Wilma. The questionnaire can be accessed via a QR code and completed in Omaolo. Logging in to Omaolo and completing the questionnaire requires strong electronic identification (Finnish online banking credentials or a mobile certificate). If you cannot use strong authentication, get a paper questionnaire from the school nurse.
You may always seek student health care services on your own initiative, regardless of the questionnaire.
Find the school nurses' contact details here
Pre-conscription health check-up in student health care
From 2027 onwards, the student health care doctor health check-up will be combined with the pre-conscription health check-up. The health check-up will be conducted simultaneously for the entire age group. Female students will be asked for their consent to a military service fitness assessment. The pre-conscription health check-up is carried out by the wellbeing services county in which the school is located. The digital health questionnaire will also be used in preparing the fitness-for-service assessment.
If a student is unable to attend a scheduled appointment, they must notify the school nurse. A fee of 60.60 EUR may be charged to all students aged 18 and up for missed appointments that are neither attended nor cancelled.
School doctor
Students are referred to the school doctor through the school nurse in accordance with the school doctors’ responsibilities. The treatment and follow-up of illnesses generally fall under the responsibility of the student's own health centre.
Acute illnesses
Do not come to school when you are ill. For upper secondary school students, the primary place of care for acute illnesses and injuries is their own health centre. Medical certificates required by the school or workplace due to illness should also be requested from the health centre. Please note that certificates cannot be issued after the illness.
In urgent matters between Monday and Friday, Helsinki residents are served by health centres, and during evenings and weekends by the Medical Helpline service (Päivystysapu) on tel. 116 117. For non-urgent matters, you can complete a symptom assessment in Omaolo or contact your own health centre via Maisa or by phone.
School accidents and school accident insurance
Providing first aid for school accidents is the responsibility of all adults at the school. The school has accident insurance covering students for accidents occurring during lessons, breaks, and journeys to and from school.
The school's representative (administrative assistant) submits the accident report to the insurance company. The insurance covers visits to a doctor or outpatient clinic at a public health centre or emergency hospital. It does not cover visits to private doctors or related expenses.
Any school accident must be reported to the administrative assistant on the same day so that the necessary insurance forms can be completed. Accidents occurring during physical education classes must also be reported to the PE teacher.
Dental care
The statutory dental care for students is the responsibility of the Helsinki Dental Care Unit. Dental treatment is free of charge for those under 18 years of age.
Seventeen-year-olds and all full-time students studying in Helsinki may use the City of Helsinki Dental Care services regardless of their municipality of residence. Students may also choose to receive dental care through the health centre of their home municipality.
Students under 18 who have an increased risk of oral diseases are invited to a dental clinic according to an individual treatment plan. Appointments in Helsinki can be booked, when necessary, through the centralised dental appointment service at 09 310 51400.
Special diets at school meals
The student, parent or guardian can fill out a special diets form on Wilma for the school meals.
Students are divided into homeroom groups. Each group has a homeroom teacher from the teaching staff.
The homeroom teacher is each student’s first point of contact at school. They introduce students to the school and their studies, monitor their progress, keep in contact with their parents or guardians and act as a link between the homeroom group and the wider school community.
Homeroom teachers hold group guidance lessons covering current matters related to studies and school activities.
Attendance at group guidance lessons is compulsory. Important and up-to-date information and guidance about studies are provided during these lessons.
If you are absent from a group guidance lesson, you must always explain your absence to your homeroom teacher. If you miss a lesson because of illness, make sure to find out what information was shared during the lesson.
