Kunskapsskolan (translates as the knowledge school) is a Swedish group of independent schools that provides education for students from grades 4 to 9 (ages 10 to 16) in elementary school. They also offer a gymnasium schools for grades 10 to 12 (ages 16 to 19) in different areas of Sweden.
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General Idea
The educational idea behind Kunskapsskolan is that all students are different and that they learn at different paces and in different ways. In contrast to most of Sweden's other schools, Kunskapsskolan functions in a way that more closely resembles the system in the Swedish gymnasium and university. The schools are operated using the KED Program, a comprehensive program for personalized education.
The KED Program is a way to use tools and resources in order to allow for as much personalization as possible.
As a student in Kunskapsskolan, you set long term goals that you agree with your teacher and parents. The long term goals are broken down into a plan with termly and weekly goals, which are followed up during weekly coaching sessions with a teacher.
In order to allow for personalization, subjects are delivered as steps or theme courses. English, Swedish, maths and modern foreign languages are studied in steps through which students can progress at their own pace and at their own level. Other subjects are delivered through theme courses where different subjects are connected by a common theme. In those courses, one studies, for example, social studies, science, and technology. The largest difference between courses and steps is that courses are set in the school schedule, with pupils working at the same time and often in groups. In the courses, the different subjects blend to create an overlapping study on a certain subject. For example, when students do a study on the world wars, they would not only cover the history but also explain the science of the period, the social changes, and the causes of the events. The key word is analysis.
All steps, theme courses, materials and exercises are available in English, Dutch and Swedish through an online portal; Kunskapsporten/the Learning Portal.
People and Places
All Kunskapsskolan schools are built by the architect Kenneth Gärdestad, brother of the Swedish pop singer Ted Gärdestad. The architecture is very open, with glass and colourfully painted walls.
There are a total of 80 Kunskapsskolan schools ("kunskapsskolor") in operation around the world. 36 of them are located in Sweden.
Kunskapsskolan in the UK
In the UK Kunskapsskolan sponsored three academies through the Learning Schools Trust, which operated four academy schools in England. It operated Hampton Academy and Twickenham Academy in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Elizabeth Woodville School in Northampton, and Ipswich Academy in Suffolk. In March 2014 the trust was banned from taking on new schools., and in September 2016, it ceased operation.
Kunskapsskolan India
In India, Kunskapsskolan operates a school in Gurgaon, Haryana, under Kunskapsskolan Eduventures – a joint venture between Kunskapsskolan Education and Gyandarshan Eduventures. Kunskapsskolan Gurgaon follows the CBSE Curriculum for classes Nursery to Grade VIII and became operational in 2013.
Kunskapsskolan in the United States
Kunskapsskolan Education has an on-going partnership with the American charter school organization, the Great Oaks Foundation, which operates a KED-sponsored school in Manhattan, New York City.
Kunskapsskolan in the Netherlands
Around 30 independent schools within the Dutch national school system are currently "exploring" the KED program for a selected number of students.
Kunskapsskolan in the Middle East
KED is the "preferred academic sponsor" of the newly opened Nün Academy ("Kunskapsskolan, Jeddah") in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.