About Hlíðaskóli
Hlíðaskóli: Celebrating 70 Years (1955–2025)
Hlíðaskóli opened in 1955, first in a building on Eskihlíð before moving to its current location in 1960. The school's gymnasium was built in 1981 on the eastern part of the school grounds. In 2003, an addition to the school opened. Due to increasing student enrollment, the school opened three additional classrooms in January 2023 and added two more at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year.
Hlíðaskóli is a comprehensive primary school with 10 grade levels that operates according to the Compulsory School Act. Since fall 2002, Hlíðaskóli has operated a sign language department for deaf and hard of hearing students as well as bilingual CODA children. All students in grades 1–7 are taught Icelandic Sign Language.
Positive school culture
Hlíðaskóli focuses on creating a positive learning environment and inclusive community to ensure the safety and welfare of students and staff. The school prioritizes strengthening students' social development and gives them opportunities to tackle challenging projects that test their collaboration skills. Collaboration requires respect for different opinions, tolerance, and kindness. We place a strong emphasis on inclusive school operations, a positive school culture, and a welcoming community. Hlíðaskóli is a diverse community where all individuals have the right to learn and work in a safe environment.
Responsibility, respect and kindness
At Hlíðaskóli, we focus on helping students become active participants in a society that is constantly changing. Our work is built on tolerance, compassion, and respect, and is guided by equality, responsibility, and empathy.
We focus on students' strengths and ensure they have opportunities to develop a positive self-image and understand their connections to others and society. Students have opportunities to create, research, grow, and develop independent thinking and initiative.
Strong collaboration with families is the foundation of our school operations. Through coordinated campaigns, we ensure that Hlíðaskóli's school culture becomes a partnership between home and school. School culture is grounded in trust, and everyone's voice matters in all our work.
Formative learning
Hlíðaskóli’s work is guided by the principles of formative learning. Formative learning aims to empower students to take responsibility for their own education. Formative learning is built on five pillars that support a learning culture where students and teachers have a growth mindset and believe in their own abilities. This shapes a learning culture where mistakes are treated as opportunities for growth, goals and objectives are clear, and planning is based on dialogue where students have opportunities to discuss the learning material. Together, these methods empower students and make them more active and responsible in their own learning.
