The school

Do you want to know more about the philosophy and daily operations of Hagaskóli? In the school curriculum, you'll find detailed information about the school's philosophical emphasis and approach to learning and work.

• View curriculum

Hagaskóli school rules:

1. We are responsible for our behavior and conduct 
Students enjoy freedom for activities that do not harm themselves or others. We practice responsible behavior, fulfilling our duties and practicing self-control.

2. We respect everyone and respect our boundaries and those of others
School interactions are based on friendship, respect, and equality. We show empathy and tolerance, considering everyone.

3. We keep our surroundings tidy and respect our environment
Food and drinks are only consumed in the cafeteria or designated areas. We dispose of food waste, packaging, and other trash properly. Food and drinks are not allowed in classrooms.

4. We arrive at school on time and study diligently
Interest and participation are key to academic success. Good participation ensures students get the most out of their education. Punctuality is a virtue leading to success in studies and work.

5. We live a healthy life 
Hagaskóli is a health-promoting school supporting healthy lifestyle habits. We are responsible for our health and well-being through healthy diet, regular exercise, and adequate rest.

What's ahead for Hagaskóli? The operational plan includes the school's policies, instructional structure, and much more.

• Operational plan 2025-2026

Í þessari skýrslu er gerð grein fyrir innra mati Hagaskóla. Helstu niðurstöður eru settar fram þar sem lögð er áhersla á að fjalla um þætti sem best komu út og þá þætti sem þarfnast umbóta. Unnið er með umbótaþætti áfram í umbótaáætlun.

Innra mat - skýrsla

Hagaskóli Prevention Policy

Society has a responsibility to nurture strong individuals who feel safe in their surroundings. It is therefore vital to educate young people so they can live in harmony with their environment, themselves, and others. They must be trained in communication and expression and learn to
understand their own feelings and behavior, as well as those of others.

Most young people live in supportive environments and are doing well. Through strong cooperation and focused effort, we can help even more students thrive. It is crucial to intervene immediately if a young person is struggling in order to prevent negative outcomes. Every individual matters, and it is the entire community's responsibility to show they care.

Hagaskóli follows Reykjavík City's Prevention Policy, which is based on research findings and enables staff to respond to situations using available data and experience. Reykjavík City's full Prevention Policy can be found at:

https://reykjavik.is/sites/default/files/ymis_skjol/skjol_utgefid_efni/forvarnastefna_reykjavikur_net.pdf 

Prevention Policy goals:

• Build a positive self-image in young people
• Strengthen young people's social skills
• Help young people adopt healthy lifestyles

Ways to reach goals:

• Education for parents and guardians that emphasizes emotional connections, home environment, behavior, attitudes, and adolescent development.
• Support and encourage parents and guardians to stay involved with their children's schooling and homework.
• Parent cooperation will be increased through education on prevention topics, the creation of parent agreements, encouragement to respect curfews, and participation in neighborhood watches and the Parent Patrol.
• Open, accessible counseling and easy access to appropriate resources for parents, guardians, and young people. This role is filled by school administrators, school and career counselors, life skills teachers, homeroom teachers, and the school nurse.
• Education for school staff that emphasizes attitudes, communication, and conflict resolution.
• School-led education about the consequences of tobacco, alcohol, and drug use.
• Promote physical fitness, mental wellness, and a positive lifestyle among young people.
• Encourage adherence to nutritional guidelines for diet both at home and at school.
• Encourage young people to take greater responsibility for themselves, their behavior and actions, and their surroundings.

Hagaskóli Equality Plan

Hagaskóli's policy is to promote equality and human rights among students and school staff. Every individual—student or staff member—will be valued and show respect for everyone in their interactions. Gender-based discrimination, gender-based violence, gender-based harassment, and sexual harassment are prohibited in all their forms. The goal is to ensure appropriate learning opportunities and education for each individual. The school emphasizes friendship, respect, and equality in its operations and throughout the school community.

Hagaskóli's equality plan is based on the principle of equal treatment and aims to ensure all people enjoy human rights regardless of origin, nationality, race, religion, political views, sex, sexual orientation, age, economic status, ancestry, disability, health, or other status. The school operates according to the Reykjavík City Human Rights Policy, which serves as a guiding principle in creating the school's equality plan and also references national equality laws.

The principal is responsible for the equality plan, ensuring it is followed and regularly reviewed. The development initiative outlines how the plan is maintained, who is responsible for individual components, and includes a timeline.

At Hagaskóli:

• we strive for a balanced ratio of girls and boys in academic and elective groups
• we strive for the most balanced gender ratio possible among staff
• we strive to use the most diverse teaching methods possible
• we work actively against gender stereotypes
• we work actively against all kinds of prejudice, including those based on origin, nationality, race, or religion
• bullying, gender-based violence, gender-based harassment, and sexual harassment are not tolerated
• discrimination against students and staff based on disability is prohibited
• discrimination against students and staff based on gender and/or sexual orientation is prohibited
• we encourage teachers to ensure equality when selecting educational materials

Students

Gender integration

In all school operations, policy making, and planning, we emphasize gender integration. Gender integration means incorporating a gender equality perspective into all policies and decisions at Hagaskóli. We emphasize making gender distribution in classes as balanced as possible, including in elective groups where this applies. In creative and practical classes, some groups have been separated by gender. Sometimes it is also helpful to divide groups by gender, such as during class meetings, group work, self-empowerment groups, and when discussing gender-specific topics.

Learning and educational assessment

Teaching and learning materials must not discriminate based on gender. All students have access to school and career counseling, and we ensure that all guidance remains gender-neutral. We aim to review students' academic performance annually regarding the distribution of exam grades by gender. In this regard, teaching methods and educational materials must be continuously reviewed to address the different needs of each gender.

• How: Teaching and learning materials are reviewed before use to ensure they contain no discrimination.
• Responsibility: Administrators and team leaders
   

Student social activities

Social activities supervisors must ensure that all students participate equally in governing and shaping these activities, and all students are always encouraged to take part. Gender equality must guide the selection of the school's debate and quiz teams and any other opportunity where students represent the school.

We also emphasize equal participation in sports and chess competitions.

• How: Social activities supervisors work to ensure equal opportunity and participation in all forums where students represent the school.
• Responsibility: Social activities supervisors, Frosti youth center
   

Equality education

Students will be educated about gender equality. This education must emphasize the strengths, responsibilities, and rights of all genders. The school is responsible for educating its students on equality issues. This education can use direct and indirect approaches: directly, through projects that address gender issues, and indirectly, by integrating equality into all aspects of school life. Gender equality education in schools has long been required by laws on the equal status and equal rights of women and men.

• How: The school operates according to national curriculum goals. Gender equality education connects to many subjects, and we direct teachers to accessible educational materials on websites
  • http://jafnrettistorg.is/
  • http://grunnskoli.kvenrettindafelag.is/
  • https://island.is/en/o/directorate-of-education-and-school-services
• that can be valuable for this purpose. Gender equality education should be documented in lesson plans where applicable.
• Responsibility: Teachers

Introduction

The gender equality plan will be presented in the fall. Presentations will be held for parents at informational meetings and for students in the fall. The gender equality plan is available on the school's website and is part of the school curriculum. If a student believes gender equality has been violated at Hagaskóli, they should contact the school and career counselor or their homeroom teacher, who will work together to resolve the issue.

Reading is a vital part of life and one of the most essential skills in modern society. Hardly a day passes without the need to read, whether it's news, social media, or other materials related to daily life. It is equally important to be able to read for pleasure and enjoy good literature. In recent years, there has been considerable discussion about declining reading comprehension among Icelandic young people, and research has shown a significant need to strengthen it at the adolescent level. There is concern that many teenagers rarely pick up a book outside of school and find no enjoyment in reading for entertainment.

Below is Hagaskóli's literacy policy. The policy's goal is to strengthen student literacy in the broadest sense, aligned with the new national curriculum priorities and Reykjavík City's new reading policy. It is undisputed that reading is essential for all learning, so reading instruction and training must be diverse and purposeful. Writing also plays an increasingly important role in daily life with the emergence of various communication platforms, making it crucial to strengthen both reading and writing among students. The methods available in schools to strengthen literacy have multiplied, and students now have access to various technologies for communication and learning. Therefore, emphasis is placed on students learning to use the latest technology to improve their reading and comprehension, in addition to focusing is traditional reading and writing training. A clear literacy policy also ensures the continued development of the work done at the school. It is vital to strengthen our students' language comprehension by teaching methods that build vocabulary and reading comprehension. To strengthen our reading culture, the school library is central to our efforts to help students become lifelong readers who can express themselves clearly, both in speech and in writing.

A cornerstone of our literacy policy is ensuring all students get the support they need to reach their full potential. We emphasize ensuring that students' reading education provides a strong foundation for their future studies when they complete their schooling at Hagaskóli and prepares them for secondary school. To make this happen, teachers need access to information about students' progress and the skills to respond to each student's needs. For this reason, all teachers must take responsibility for their students' literacy learning. The literacy policy is tailored for each grade level with specific goals, approaches, and standards.

School administrators are responsible for teacher professional development for literacy

Responsibility and role

We must build a strong foundation for collaboration, and everyone's role in the policy's development, implementation, and review must be clear.

• Students are responsible for reading a book for pleasure at home at least three times a week. They are also responsible for coming to class prepared.
• Parents monitor their children's learning and are responsible for supporting their children's reading progress and signing reading cards.
• All teachers are literacy teachers. They are responsible for making sure students get appropriate reading materials, encouragement, and focused training, and for following up to ensure students complete assigned work.
• School administrators are responsible for implementing the literacy policy.