Starting School in Denmark: Help for International Parents

If you are a parent who is new to the Danish school system this year, I am here to help. I’d like to share a few things to consider when starting school in Denmark on the right foot. 

When we moved to Denmark, it was during the spring before our son started school. We were confused on what to do. Though my husband is Danish, he never had a child start school in Denmark before. Since we also didn’t know anyone in the area, we had lots of things to figure out for ourselves. After 5 years and two sons now in school in Denmark, things are much easier. I have some tips that I hope will help eliminate the confusion for other parents whose children are starting school in Denmark.

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Starting School in Denmark: Signing Up Your Child

When signing your child up for school, you may have to do different things. This can be because of the age and grade of your child as well as the municipality where you live. A Danish language test may be required if the child lives in a home where a language other than Danish is spoken. To get more information on the steps for signing up your child in a school in Denmark, visit this website: Life in Denmark. 

For me, it was somewhat of an emotional experience. Since I didn’t have my yellow card at the time I wanted to sign my son up for school, I couldn’t do it. Instead, I had to let my Danish husband do that. Being the one who was responsible for all of my son’s needs when we lived in the USA, this was rather humbling for me. Still, it didn’t stop my son from starting school on time. If you run into some issues with signing your child up for school, contact your local municipality to get your questions answered! We did, and everything worked out well in the end!

Meeting with Teacher and Parents Before the First Day

A few months before school starts, you child may go on a school visit with his/her daycare class. Ask your child’s daycare about this.

Parents will also be invited to a meeting at the school. This is where you will get information and meet the teacher and other parents. One thing that I would recommend would be to ask the school to have a translator available. For those of you who feel that your Danish isn’t the greatest yet, you can ask for help. This meeting is when parents can volunteer to be a member of the forældreråd, parent committee as well as learn about the amount you need to pay for the “klasse kasse”, classroom budget and the before and after-school care called SFO.

Communication with Teachers and Parents

If you want to message other adults about school, you will need ot make sure you are using the online tool called AULA. This is most often the way you will contact your child’s teacher, the parents of the other students in the class, or a member of the SFO. This is an email and calendar program that serves as a link between teachers and parents. You can report that your child is ill with this program, as well as sign up for conferences with the teacher. Teachers post their lesson plans along with other important information. You can get the app for your phone and receive notifications whenever new information is posted.

My history with AULA hasn’t always been the greatest. In fact, there have been many times that the app just wouldn’t work for me on my phone. Know that you can access this platform also on your computer. This is where I find it works best for me. It may be a good idea to test it out to see that things are working on your end, since this may be the way you get your information. Just a heads-up…:)

Read about my personal experience with sending my kids to school after the corona lockdown in Denmark!

Special Event on the First Day of Grade Zero

If you have a child who is starting school for the first time in grade zero, this is a special situation. Not only is this a big step for your child, but it is also celebrated in Denmark. In fact, many schools will allow the parents to attend the first hour or so to watch the class from the back of the room. This is a tradition that happens all across Denmark for grade zero, and it may also happen for other grades. You will need to contact the school to find out.

After observing from the back of the room, the parents may also attend a meet-n-greet. This is often with just the parents in another part of the school. The entire event for parents can last for a couple of hours. It is a great way to get to know the other parents.

Learn all about the special dates and events for school and work in Denmark HERE!

Parent Committee / Forældrerådet

If you have extra time to dedicate to planning events, you may want to volunteer as part of the parent committee. This group is called Forældrerådet. This is another great way to meet other parents and involve yourself in what your child does with the class during non-school hours. Forældrerådet is often in charge of creating the “legegruppe” or play group that allows children to play with different children throughout the year for them to get to know each other better. Having your child be active in this group is also a great way for you to get to know the other parents. Don’t feel intimidated to join this group if you don’t speak Danish. I joined this group after only living in Denmark for 5 months, and it has helped me connect better with Danish parents.

Do you have any other questions about starting school in Denmark? Write me a comment below or let me know your experience with the Danish education system! Let’s help each other! 🙂

Are you having a hard time adjusting to a life in Denmark? Read about my 10 Ways How Not to Lose Your Sh*t Living Abroad post!

A version of this post was originally posted in The International, a magazine that helps foreigners adjust to a life in Denmark. Check out other posts on school-related topics for Denmark by visiting their WEBSITE!

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