← Back to the rankingVardafjell videregående skole
Haugesund, Norway · est. 1946 · State
Illustration · Haugesund
Vardafjell videregående skole is a public upper secondary school of Rogaland county in central Haugesund. It opened on 5 September 1946 as the town's commercial gymnasium, has had its current name since 1977 and its current building since 1980. The school runs three general studies programmes: general studies (studiespesialisering) with science and humanities-economics tracks, media and communication, and påbygg; lessons are in Norwegian. Since 2004, as the only school in northern Rogaland, it offers the IB Diploma Programme in Vg2-Vg3 in English, except Norwegian and foreign languages; about 27 students are admitted each year. In Vg1 there is an international class with 20-30% of lessons in English and a research class with technology and research studies. Education is free. Student mentors and student homework helpers work at the school, and there is study time twice a week.
Key facts
Programmes
IB · DP · National programme
Languages of instruction
Norwegian, English
Languages taught
Spanish, German, French
About the fees Education is free: this is a public upper secondary school of Rogaland county; the PPT service and the school nurse are free, and students with youth rights receive an equipment grant (utstyrsstipend) from Lånekassen.
Admissions Norwegian Vg1 programmes are entered through Rogaland county's general admission on vigo.no by 1 March (1 February for special assessment and for minority-language applicants with priority); students are allocated by Inntak Rogaland. For the IB Diploma Programme (Vg2-Vg3) students also apply in vigo by 1 March and separately to the school: an application form, a 400-word motivational letter in English and latest grades. Requirements: completed Vg1 in a general studies programme (or MYP 5, IGCSE, other equivalent education with at least 10 years of schooling), a grade of at least 4 in English and a satisfactory grade in mathematics 1T; the competition score uses all Vg1 grades, with English, science and mathematics counting double, and the average should be about 4. Strong year 10 students who have completed mathematics 1T and Vg1 science may also apply. All applicants are interviewed, and an entrance test in English and mathematics may be required; the school's admissions committee recommends and the county decides. Foreign applicants need a valid Norwegian residence permit by 1 March and a registered address in Rogaland or in the Vestland municipalities of Sveio, Vindafjord and Bømlo; those moving secure the place after documenting the address. Applicants from internationally mobile families may be prioritised.
Stages and year groups Norwegian videregående skole under LK20, three years: general studies (studiespesialisering) with science or humanities-economics tracks, with international and research classes in Vg1 and extra subjects (technology and research, recreational sport), media and communication, påbygg for vocational graduates, and adapted education; the result is the Norwegian diploma with university admission certification. The IB track: the IB Diploma Programme in Vg2-Vg3 (classes 2IB and 3IB) in English, since 2004. DP subjects: Norwegian A Literature, English A Language and Literature, school-supported self-taught literature; English B, Spanish, French or German ab initio or B if enough students sign up; History, Psychology, Economics (online via Pamoja); Physics, Chemistry, Biology; Mathematics AI and AA (AA online via Pamoja); no arts group; plus TOK, the Extended Essay and CAS. Progression to 3IB requires at least 20 predicted points; otherwise the student is advised to move to Vg2 of the Norwegian programme.
Address Spannavegen 25, 5531 Haugesund
Accreditations and programmes verified against official registries
IB · DP · authorised programmeThe school is listed in the IB register and runs the Diploma Programme. The IB track runs inside a Norwegian upper-secondary school: after a preparatory year (pre-IB) in Vg1 comes the Diploma in Vg2-Vg3; alongside it runs the Norwegian studiespesialisering programme.
school is in an official registryconfirmed by a school document, by membership or by taking part in a networkclaimed by the school, no confirmation, not counted in the scoreGuide to all organisations → What stands behind each entry
IBInternational Baccalaureate
A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.
What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: DP (ages 16-19). DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.
Register to check for yourself, and the full guide →National programme
The state school programme of the country the school stands in: it is set by that country's ministry of education, which also licenses the school and awards the leaving certificate. That certificate is used for entry to local universities, and abroad it is matched to the local one.
What this means for this school. This entry does not count towards the score, and that is deliberate. Every lawful school in a country works to the national programme, so on its own it tells one school apart from no other - unlike the French, German or Russian programmes, which are carried abroad and confirmed by the register of their organisation. We show it because a parent needs to know what programme their child is taught and what certificate the child will get. Counting it would lift the whole ranking at once and still tell nobody apart.
Exams and destinations from the school's official website
The school publishes nothing about where its leavers go: no share going on to university, no exam results, no list of universities.
Facilities from the school's official website
·Swimming poolnot stated on the website
✓Sports hall
✓Laboratories
·Theatre or assembly hallnot stated on the website
✓Library
✓Catering
·School transportnot stated on the website
·Boardingnot stated on the website
Also on site: Makerspace
Clubs and activities: Elevrådet (student council) · Internasjonal komité (international committee) · Elevenes miljøkomité (student environment committee) · Elevmentor (student mentors) · Vardahjelpen (students helping students with their studies) · Vardafjell-lekene (Vardafjell school games) · Ungdomsbedrift (student enterprise) · Bibliotekutvalget (library committee) · CAS - Creativity, Activity, Service
Teaching staff
The school publishes neither the number of its teachers nor their qualifications.
Safety and wellbeing from the school's official website
·CCTVnot stated on the website
·Security staffnot stated on the website
·Access controlnot stated on the website
✓Nurse or medical room
✓Counsellor
✓Child protection policy
·Staff trainingnot stated on the website
✓Anti-bullying policy
The school has zero tolerance for bullying: it can be reported to a teacher, counsellor, year leader, the principal or through an electronic channel; after a report the school draws up an action plan with the student, as the Education Act requires. The school takes part in the Drømmeskolen programme for an inclusive school environment, all newcomers join a buddy pair and group system, and 25 student mentors support first-year students. The school nurse is available on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; there is a social-pedagogical counsellor and a career counsellor; the PPT service with educators and psychologists helps free of charge.
Reviews
No reviews yet. The community rating counts towards the score once a school has five verified reviews - until then we do not show a zero, so as not to mislead.
Criteria breakdown criterion weight in brackets
Academics and programmes (16%)82 Community rating (16%)no dataparent reviews are needed: the criterion switches on at the fifth verified one Exams and destinations (12%) scored on disclosed data55 Safety and wellbeing (12%) scored on disclosed data75 Accreditation and verifiability (10%)85 Teaching staff (10%) scored on disclosed data55 Facilities (10%) scored on disclosed data75 Clubs and activities (8%) scored on disclosed data78 "Scored on disclosed data" stands where we count only what the school has written about itself on its own site: exams and destinations, safety and wellbeing, teaching staff, facilities, clubs and activities. A low score here means the school does not write about this, not that the school does not have it: a school with good security and a sparse site will score low. A school can fill in its profile, and the score will be counted again.
The score is counted from 8 of the 9 criteria.Only those with checkable data count: programmes and accreditations from official registers, the fee from a published price list. Where it says "scored on the median", the school has no data and the middle of the list is put in its place, so that a gap gives no advantage. Admissions, teaching staff and reviews come in as their data arrives.
The full methodology → Similar schools in the country