In order to welcome you we have compiled information about your new hometown.
Get to know the town’s walking and cycling paths, activities and swimming pools but children under 18 get free access to pools.
Children and youth in Hafnarfjörður have access to good education, after-school activities and recreation activities.
Practical information about buses, waste collection, street cleaning, traffic, animal control and more.
Hafnarfjörður hopes to secure financial and social security for all residents. Find out what support is available.
Enjoy culture in Bæjarbíó cultural house, at various museums or attend exciting events.
You can stay at great hotels, hostels or at a family friendly campsite in town.
You can find a lot of outdoors activities and various recreations in Hafnarfjörður.
Check-out upcoming events, or register a new one.
Search for employees or available jobs in town.
Hafnarfjörður Town council consists of 11 municipal representatives. All town council meetings are broadcast live.
Here you can find the town's fees for children, sports and activities and support services.
Contact us with ideas, suggestions, problems or emergencies.
Automatic translation by Google Translate. We cannot guarantee that it is accurate.
Children start primary school in the year they turn 6 years old. Primary school is compulsory for 10 years.
Children can receive various types of support in primary school. Further information on the services can be found at each primary school.
Children with special needs in primary schools are provided with special services in support of their education, either temporary or during all their schooling. All children have right to support, a medical diagnosis is not required.
This support can be provided in class parallel to general teaching, in special classrooms with other special needs students, in special departments within primary schools in Hafnarfjörður or in special needs schools out of town.
Students with a different native language than Icelandic or who have lived abroad for an extended period are entitled to special Icelandic classes. The teaching takes place at all primary schools. It is the responsibility of each primary school to accommodate children that need this assistance and mediate the provision of the services.
Parents who do not understand Icelandic are entitled to free interpreter service at parent-teacher conferences and other events at the schools.
Children dealing with language or speech deviations have the right to diagnoses of a speech pathologist, along with special needs education and supportive education in primary school. A speech pathologist also provides consultation for primary schools’ staff. Parents can also request diagnosis and consultancy of a speech pathologist, a written approval from parents is needed before.
In each school there is a school counsellor that takes care of the education and career advice for students. Among the things that school counsellors do is to provide support for individual students, work on preventive measures in co-operation with prevention counsellors, along with education and career advice within schools.
A school psychologist is available in all primary schools. The psychologist handles diagnoses, education, and consultancy, but does not perform therapy. References to a psychologist must be channelled through student protection committees or solution teams of primary schools. Parents’ approval is always needed. There can be various reasons for requests, but focus is put on early evaluation and diagnoses of the student’s status due to educational, behavioural and psychological difficulties.
Through the schools’ student protection committees you can attend various courses that support students and parents/guardians.
Examples of courses on offer:
If a student does not receive satisfactory support because of a disability, disease, social or emotional difficulties the parent or guardian can contact the supervising teacher, who will refer the issues to the student protection committee.
Members of the student protection committee are: • Headmaster, or a representative appointed by headmaster. • Supervising teacher of the special needs student. • Representative of school health care. • Representative of the municipality’s specialty services. • Education and employment consultant.
Solutions to the difficulties and circumstances of the child are sought, for example with the help of a Bridge team. The role of the support teams is to map out a child’s status and seek cooperative solutions, in support of the child and its family.
