Welcome to The IB Programme at Åva gymnasium in Täby Stockholm
The International Baccalaureate Diploma programme is a world renowned academically rigorous programme which encourages you as a student to become an inquiring, knowledgeable and open-minded young person. Upon completion of your IB studies you will be well prepared to study or work in any Swedish or international environment.
Our IB programme prides itself on being an inclusive and accepting community of diverse students and teachers, where a welcoming atmosphere encourages both open conversations and challenging academic focus. During your time with us you will develop not only your critical thinking skills, but you will also become an active experiential learner through engaging in our CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) activities. The students take on roles as leaders in our associations including, but not limited to, the Amnesty group, the UN group and the Environment group.
Our corridor buzzes with activity as students from all three classes meet and mingle both during organised activities as well as informal cross-class meetings. Your first year here at Åva is a preparatory year which will prepare you for the studies in the diploma programme. During this year you will take foundation subjects and follow the Swedish curriculum with an extra IB twist. At the end of this year you will then select your six specialist subjects which you will study for the two years of the diploma programme, leading to your final assessments at the end of this two year period.
We hope you will drop by our corridor to visit us and get a feel for who we are and see whether the IB programme is for you.
Information for students and parents - International Baccalaureate
At the IB, every student’s education is at the centre of all that we do. Because we share a commitment to student success, we've created this page to support students, parents and guardians throughout their journey at an IB World School.
Intake procedures to the IB programme at Åva in Täby, Stockholm for start August 2024
Pre DP
All students will apply through gymnasieantagningen which opens January 15th, 2024.
1. They will be called to an entrance test day (March 11, 2024) where there will be tests in English and mathematics plus an activity with present IB students and finally an interview. The results (out of 300) will then be added to their final grade 9 results in order to be placed in the queue. The school will inform gymnasieantagningen (Stockholm admissions board) of these results. Final selection will be handled by gymnasieantagningen who will inform the students in July whether or not they have been offered a place.
*More detailed information will be posted later on gymnasieantagningen.storsthlm.se. For families who live abroad, it is possible to arrange digital tests. Please contact the IB administrator for more information.
2. Students who do not have Swedish grades from year 9 must upload their results from another school system to gymnasieantagningen. The grades will then be evaluated to see whether or not they have the equivalent of a complete grade 9 education which would allow them to join a Swedish gymnasium. Once the results from the school test is known, this is added to their overall results and the school informs gymnasieantagningen if a place can be offered to the student.
Students arriving later than the test day will be offered one other date to take the tests or if this is not possible the test can be undertaken in the student’s present school abroad. Then the same process is followed as in no 2.
DP1
The application process for students wishing to join our DP1 class (grade 12) is handled by the school directly and students take tests in English and mathematics as well as have an interview*. Grades from a comparable system to the Pre DP (year 10) is required and students must have higher than the lowest grade in the subjects they wish to take at HL.
*Students who are abroad may take the tests digitally. Detailed information will be communicated to the applicants directly.
DP2
Students who have completed their DP1 year in another school may be considered for entry into the DP2 class if the conditions allow for this move.
1. This process is handled internally within the school. The initial query will assess whether or not we have the same subject choices as the student is taking.
2. Then following a discussion with the IB coordinator from the previous school and checking the grades from DP1 the student may be accepted.
3. All CAS records must be transferred and any EE work or IAs that have been completed must be transferred by the student/managebac/the IB coordinator so that the Åva teachers are not responsible for this.
Program plan for those who started the fall of 2021
Program plan for those who started the fall of 2022
Program plan for those who started the fall of 2023
Program plan for you starting autumn 2024
If you would like to contact us, please send an email to the Study and career counselor Satu Haidenthaller
or the IB coordinator Jo-Anne Ahlmen.
Satu Haidenthaller
Study and career counselor for
International Baccalaureate
+ 46 76 643 8062
Jo-Anne Ahlmén
IB coordinator for
International Baccalaureate
+46 76 643 8029
As well as being the IBDP coordinator, I also teach the English A: Literature course here at Åva. I am originally from the UK where I studied English and German at university followed by a diploma in Journalism before I decided to take my teacher certification. Following stints in different countries and professions, I moved to Stockholm in 1993 and was lucky enough to start working at an IB school in Stockholm. I immediately fell in love with the IB philosophy and vision of providing high quality education to a multi-cultural mix of students from all over the world. With its focus on nurturing the holistic development of the student, as well as being academically rigorous, this programme offers students a fantastic educational experience.
Having worked as both a MYP and DP language and literature teacher, an IB examiner, and, since 2009, a DP coordinator, I am a true believer in the IB values and pedagogics. I started here in Åva in 2017 and, with over 40 different nationalities in our classrooms, learn as much as my students every day and am continually inspired and engaged in their development. I enjoy coming to school and particularly the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere in our IB corridor. The possibility to meet with our students informally as well as in the classroom is a great privilege.
Agnes Rödin, graduated in 2023
Congratulations to Agnes for graduating within the top 8% in the world!
“My goal is to be part of the UN and be a big asset to them. To achieve that, I want to study international relations in France and learn French more because it’s one of the official languages of the UN. I have written an essay asking the question ‘To what extent has sexual violence in conflict inhibited peace in the democratic republic of the Congo?’. Writing it taught me the research process and the value of research. It would be cool to have the title Special Representative for Sexual Violence in Conflict at UN, a title Margot Wallström was the first one to have.
Agnes was selected to attend the Golden Jubilee of Carl XVI Gustaf and says that she was “proud to represent Täby and it was an opportunity to meet other young leaders".
"IB is for someone who wants a more global education and also an international career in the future. There’s no stereotype at IB, we are
all different."
Maja Wallensten, graduated 2023
“You can feel your mind creak when trying
to understand abstract concepts.”
“My dream is to be a scholar and professor. I want to teach, conduct research and write books in the future. IB offers a full range of subjects and it is really fun! You can feel your mind creak when trying to understand abstract concepts. If you are interested in other cultures you should consider IB at Åva."
Alice Kristfeldt, graduated 2023
“The motto that “The IB is not just a programme, it’s a lifestyle” is actually true. You become part of a community and it is more than just school. It is challenging and quite academic but also very fun. You have the chance to work with what you are interested in. We have open assignments that let us be creative. For instance the extended essay that we are writing is one where we can choose subjects we want to delve into. I have chosen to work with something in psychology.
I really like it here. It is a bit different from the Swedish system because it ties in with your free time. The first year is an introduction year which was good since it allowed me to ease into the system. The subjects are more in depth I would say and it will be a good base for university to have studied the IB.
The class is good and we all get along well. I believe that we have more interaction with our teachers and our classmates due to the smaller groups. Another reason for us being closer to our teachers is that they are not the ones to grade us. They are guiding us so the focus for us is to learn and not showing what we know. My English has really improved a lot due to the language being easily accessible. Words come easier for me now and my vocabulary has improved significantly."”
Nahim Javier Estrella, graduated 2023
“IB is like studying in another country without going to another country. One of the best things about IB is that we are able to apply to universities all over the world.
We have many nationalities in our class and I am exposed to other cultures and behaviour. If I would like to visit their respective countries I will know much about it and how to act properly before visiting.
There is an open minded culture at Åva. I have made lots of friends in many different programmes and have a nice social life. I have learned how to write an essay accordingly which I did not know how to do when I started. But school is for learning, right? All teachers will help you if you ask for it.”
Loreleigh Bryant Mostert Graduate from the Class of 2021
Diversity and difference - how to embrace it at the IB.
One of the best things about being in an IB class is that you interact with so many different cultures and nationalities. For me this means being encouraged to think from different perspectives on a daily basis as my classmates could react so differently all the time. We have about 40 different nationalities in our programme and this diversity makes for a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere. We have learned to think before we assume anything with each other. After I graduate I hope to study a course in English literature and eventually start a Psychology programme as I love this subject.
Lewis Mackenzie, graduated 2023
Broad base of education with possibilities upon graduation - IB opens doors at home and abroad.
In our class we have students who have chosen the sciences and hope to study either medicine or engineering, as well as students who excel at the humanities subjects or languages. You do not have to decide which line you wish to study in the future and can combine your favourite subjects. Whatever you choose you are qualified for most courses at university in Sweden and abroad. As I am not sure what I want to do in the future this programme is perfect for me as I can choose to take a selection of subjects I enjoy. I might want to go abroad in the future and the IB will allow me to do so since it has a good international reputation.
Aizad Noor Graduate from the Class of 2021
Depth of academic focus and externally set final grades - how to learn for life at the IB.
An element of the IB that I have found particularly rewarding is the close connection we IB students have with our teachers. This is partly due to the fact that they do not set our final grade as this is done by external IB examiners, and also because we study 6 subjects of our choice and therefore can delve into these subjects with our teachers. We are a team working together towards the final IB exams which are held at the end of the final year. I feel the IB programme really sets you up for life. I would like to work in an international organization and then hopefully become a diplomat.
Hans Strömhäll, International Baccalaureate, teaches Swedish and Philosophy
Hans is a new teacher at Åva and at the IB programme. However, he will also teach Swedish and Philosophy in other programmes. His dialect reveals he comes from Västergötland and he says it's usually a good conversational starter with the students. His accent leads the conversation immediately to the provinces of Sweden and which dialect is spoken where. New for Hans in his career is the course Language and literature which he teaches for students at IB. The pupils who read the course deepen their knowledge in literature in a way they might not have had the opportunity to do otherwise in Swedish courses. This fits Hans perfectly since his heart beats a little extra for literature.
The feeling of his new workspace he describes as positive, both when it comes to colleagues and students. “I want to work with people. It's the meeting and energy you get as a teacher that makes it satisfying. I have never been bored at work. I might have been tired and overworked but never bored”, he says with a smile.
Ulrika Perbo, deputy principal
Deputy principal for International Baccalaureate, Samhällsvetenskapsprogrammet and Ekonomiprogrammet.