Student welfare aims to create a safe and healthy learning and working environment, protect mental health and prevent exclusion. Student welfare is the responsibility of everyone working in the school community, and it is carried out in collaboration with parents. Student welfare includes student welfare work and services. Student welfare work is the work that all adults in the school community do to improve the preconditions for learning and to promote wellbeing, health and safety. In short, student welfare work means that we look after our pupils and students on a daily basis. It is something each and every staff member at our school does as part of their everyday duties, but different staff members have different roles. At the Helsinki Normal Lyceum, student welfare services include the services of the school nurse, school doctor and school psychologist. With the help of student welfare, we aim to identify learning difficulties and other issues early on and intervene in time.
Links and documents:
Nuorten kriisipiste (in Finnish)
Nuorten mielenterveystalo (in Finnish)
Mental Health Service Unit Mieppi
Student welfare plan Opiskeluhuoltosuunnitelma (pdf)
Student welfare register privacy policy Opiskeluhuollon kertomusrekisterin rekisteriselostus (pdf) (in Finnish)
At Norssi, the aim of part-time special needs education is to help our pupils meet the general basic education objectives by providing them the support they need. To meet this aim, we tailor education to the pupils’ needs. In special needs education, we support the pupils’ learning in their own classroom by offering individual instruction, small group teaching or classroom co-teaching. Norssi’s part-time special needs education targets the following areas:
Special needs education promotes pupils’ study and social skills, confidence and school motivation, and aims to address pupils’ special needs as early as possible.
The duties of special needs teachers include:
Norssi’s special needs teachers:
The school social worker helps when pupils and students have difficulties at school, struggle with their social relations or undergo major life changes. Pupils and students can also seek the school social worker’s help in matters related to personal life and development, and parents can come discuss their family’s home situation or matters of upbringing. The school social worker looks for solutions to difficult situations together with the parents and other adults at Norssi. A solution-oriented approach and a conciliatory attitude are the key starting points for Norssi’s school social worker.
Our school social workera are Nicolas Recorbet and Anna Ahonala or Lea Holopainen. Their duties include promoting the schoolwork and social wellbeing of our pupils and students. Pupils and students can freely come discuss their problems, relationships with friends, coping and wishes with the school social worker.
The student welfare team and school staff can also direct a pupil or student to the school social worker if they think the pupil or student needs help with school, social issues or school motivation.
Parents can directly contact the school social worker if they need support with questions relating to parenting or their child's social wellbeing, such as social relations.
Office: A308b
Contact information
Nicolas Recorbet (comprehensive school), nikke.recorbet@hel.fi, tel: +358 40 662 0329
Office hours: Monday, Tuesday and Friday
Anna Ahonala (upper secondary school, on leave 31.7.2024-7.3.2025), anna.c.ahonala@hel.fi, tel: +358 40 675 6174
Lea Holopainen (upper seconday school, 31.7.2024-7.3.2025), tel: +358 40 675 6174
Office hours: Thursday and Friday
School psychology aims to support the schoolwork and general wellbeing of pupils and students through psychological methods. The school psychologist is available to meet pupils, students and parents for consultation and counselling. The school psychologist collaborates with teachers and other staff members, and conducts psychological tests, interviews and observations if necessary. The school psychologist works in accordance with the legal provisions governing health care professionals and patient rights.
The upper secondary school psychologist promotes student wellbeing and supports studies. The psychologist may be consulted in issues involving studying, emotional life, relationships or life changes. Students can freely contact the school psychologist, preferably when the issue is still minor. Guardians can also contact the psychologist if they are worried about their children or want to discuss matters that relate to their child’s life.
Contact information
Yilced Raitmaa (upper secondary school, comprehensive school grade 9)
tel: +358 40 637 1928
email: yilced.raitmaa(at)hel.fi
At school typically from Mondays to Wednesdays
Natalie Nietosvaara (comprehensive school, grades 1-8)
tel: +358 9 310 29887, +358 40 183 7159
email: natalie.nietosvaara(at)hel.fi
At school typically on Tuesdays and Thursdays
The school psychologists' office is A305B (third floor in Wing A, next to the school nurse and special needs education facilities).
* If you contact the psychologist by email, please give your phone number. We advise against sharing delicate personal information via email.
School health services support the growth and development of the young and promote healthy and safe methods of doing schoolwork. The services include providing health education, monitoring and assessing the health of our pupils and students, and if necessary, directing pupils and students to further examinations. The school nurse and school doctor also provide first aid to anyone injured or suddenly taken ill at school. Please note that actual medical treatment is not included in school health services.
School nurse Satu Hovi is available at the school in room A 309b
Monday–Thursday from 8.30 to 15.30 and Fridays from 8.30 to 13.30. Contact via tel. +358 50 310 5573 or Wilma.
Contact school doctor via school nurse.
Medical advice is available 24/7 by phone at +358 9 310 10023. If the school nurse is unavailable, the nearest health centre in case of emergency is the Viiskulma Health Station at Pursimiehenkatu 4, 00150 Helsinki, floors II–IV, tel. +358 9 310 45930.
Comprehensive school pupils are offered dental care at the Kivelä Dental Clinic. Pupils are called for check-ups according to individual schedules. For other appointments, please make centralized dental care appointments at +358 9 310 51400. Upper secondary school students make their own dental care appointments. Dental care is free for children under 18 years of age.
Primary school
In primary school, guidance counselling is implemented in conjunction with the different subjects and other school activities. Class teachers are responsible for offering guidance in cooperation with other teachers.
Lower secondary school
In lower secondary school, guidance counsellors have the main responsibility for providing guidance counselling. Guidance counselling promotes the successful completion of schoolwork and the progress of the studies to enable all pupils to complete basic education and pursue further studies. This work takes place in collaboration with the guardians and school staff.
For more information about guidance counselling in grades 7–9, please click on the link below to access our digital guidance counselling website: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/nopola-peruskoulu/.
Lower secondary school guidance counsellors:
Upper secondary school
The purpose of guidance counselling is to support students in their studies during general upper secondary education and ensure that they acquire the knowledge and skills required for moving on to further studies, professional life and life in general.
For more information about guidance counselling in upper secondary school, please click on the link below to access our digital guidance counselling website: https://blogs.helsinki.fi/nopola-lukio/.
Guidance counselors in upper secondary school: