A School Built for the 21st Century — and the Harbour It Overlooks
Opened in September 2015 in the rapidly developing Teglholmen district of Copenhagen’s Sydhavnen (South Harbour), The School in Sydhavnen is a primary and lower secondary school for approximately 900 pupils from Reception year to Year 9. From its location by the water, it draws a defining metaphor: just as the harbour is a place of movement, exchange, and connection, so the school aspires to be a living hub of learning, community, and sustainability.
The school’s educational philosophy is grounded in 21st-century skills — critical thinking, digital literacy, collaboration, and problem-solving — and in a commitment to bridging formal and non-formal learning through real-world experience. It works closely with Københavns Professionshøjskole (University College Copenhagen) as a practical training school for student teachers, bringing fresh perspectives into classrooms while giving future educators genuine experience of innovative pedagogy.
Maritime Profile and Outdoor Learning
The school’s location next to Copenhagen Harbour is not merely aesthetic: it is pedagogical. The maritime and scientific focus of the school’s curriculum means that the harbour itself becomes a learning resource — for swimming, for boat-related projects, for water safety training, and for interdisciplinary investigations that connect science, geography, environmental studies, and physical education in ways that indoor learning cannot replicate.
Sustainability is not a separate subject at The School in Sydhavnen: it is woven into the daily fabric of school life. The most tangible expression of this is the madskole (food school) programme, through which pupils spend one to two weeks per year participating actively in the school kitchen — from Monday to Friday — learning about food production, responsible consumption, and the relationship between what we eat and the health of the planet. The madskole is a practical, non-formal learning experience embedded within a formal institutional setting, and it exemplifies the school’s broader commitment to making education meaningful and hands-on.
Co-Creation as a School Value
The school explicitly values co-creation — the active involvement of pupils, parents, teachers, and the wider community in shaping the learning environment. Public workshops, shared spaces, and ongoing dialogue with families are part of how the school understands its role in the Sydhavnen district: not just as an educational institution, but as a cornerstone of the community’s cultural and civic development.
Relevance for Sustainable Learning
The School in Sydhavnen is an inspiring model for how sustainability can be integrated into formal education not as a topic but as a way of being — in the architecture of the school, in its daily practices, and in its relationship with the community. It connects to SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).
Website: sis.aula.dk
Contact: skolenisydhavnen@buf.kk.dk
