Birkerød Boarding School: The School Founded in 1858 – Now with a New Look!

Written by Anna Overballe

Every year, the graduating students of Birkerød Boarding School gather for a group photograph by Johannes Mantzius’ statue in the garden outside Mantziusgården in Birkerød. It is at this moment — wearing their graduation caps and preparing to move on in life — that the boarding students are introduced to the school’s original buildings, its founder, and its history. It is here, at the conclusion of their journey, that they become part of the school’s shared history themselves. In this way, they finish where it all began — and there is a very specific reason for that.

Birkerød Boarding School was founded as a boarding school for boys in 1858. The group photograph has been a tradition since 1910. Following in the footsteps of history, three photographs are taken: first one with the boys, then one with the girls, and finally a joint photograph. Aside from this concluding farewell ritual, however, traditions are not generally what defines Birkerød Boarding School. It is a modern school, now housed in facilities from the 1960s located on the upper secondary school campus. These facilities have long provided the framework for supporting students’ academic and social wellbeing, and over the past year they have been further modernised and upgraded so that current and future students have the very best conditions for succeeding both academically and socially throughout their upper secondary education. In addition, the school has expanded its capacity from 80 to 100 students.

The new facilities, combined with many years of developing a distinctive pedagogical practice focused on academic achievement, wellbeing, and traditions in moderation, have made Birkerød Boarding School one of the most sought-after boarding schools in Denmark. Despite being among the country’s smallest boarding schools, with space for just 100 students, it has also been the most applied-to boarding school over the past ten years, receiving approximately 200 applications annually.

The Head of Boarding School (name) elaborates:

“Creating a positive environment for our students naturally requires both a clear pedagogical practice and the right physical surroundings. We have spent many years developing and refining our educational approach. The time had now come to focus on the physical environment as well, enabling us to be the modern boarding school that meets young people where they are, while at the same time embracing our shared history and traditions. We believe that traditions should enrich identity, not limit it.”

The pedagogical practice at Birkerød Boarding School is central to life at the school and is inspired by an extension of the Danish efterskole environment. The Danish efterskole tradition is unique and encourages responsibility, learning, and personal development. This forms the foundation for the school’s pedagogical approach, social initiatives, and the diverse professional backgrounds represented within the staff group (Birkerød Boarding School employs upper secondary teachers, pedagogues, and primary/lower secondary school teachers), where different professional disciplines meet and collaborate across fields. Traditions such as the annual group photograph and the subsequent Mantzius Dinner help create the BG spirit and sense of community while students are part of the boarding school. Structure, academic focus, and relationships therefore go hand in hand.

The diverse staff group embraces a broad spectrum of competencies and creates a nuanced learning environment that accommodates the many different types of students living at the boarding school while attending Birkerød Gymnasium. Due to the school’s diverse profile, the students at Birkerød Boarding School also represent a broad mix of young people from Denmark and abroad, enrolled in STX, HF, and IB programmes. The core values are clearly felt: academic ambition and wellbeing, with a focus on a positive and meaningful youth experience where everyone shares responsibility for themselves and for one another.

At Birkerød Boarding School, wellbeing and academic performance are at the centre of daily life, and there are clear expectations regarding students’ education, with a focus on low absenteeism, active participation, and academic progression, supported by initiatives such as mandatory homework cafés and close monitoring of grades. Boarding students are not permitted to exceed 5% absenteeism while attending Birkerød Gymnasium, and the boarding school works closely with the school’s academic advisors and management. As a boarding student, you collaborate with both the boarding school and the gymnasium, and the agreement is simple: the goal is to guide you safely and confidently through your upper secondary education.

Social and academic life are integrated through club activities, corridor communities, and daily interaction between students and teachers. Today, the boarding school functions not merely as accommodation, but as a central pedagogical framework supporting both learning and wellbeing. The newly renovated facilities are designed as an active part of the educational work, balancing a sense of home with structure and stability. Finally, the school’s clear pedagogical direction and continuous investments in modern facilities play a decisive role in the boarding school’s popularity. Renovations, new communal areas, and an updated physical environment — including a cinema, fitness room, club rooms, renovated student rooms, dining hall, and outdoor areas — signal a contemporary boarding school aligned with young people’s needs and expectations. Added to this is the school’s unique location overlooking the protected natural area Dumpedalen, as well as the boarding school’s close connection to BG and the school’s internationally recognised IB department.

As a boarding school connected to an upper secondary school, there is naturally also a strong focus on general education and personal development as part of guiding students successfully through their education. At Birkerød Boarding School, personal development is about preparing students for adult life. Students learn to take responsibility — both for their own learning and for the wellbeing of others — and to navigate social environments characterised by trust and mutual respect. In an international environment with many IB students and students from all over the world, there is a particular emphasis on intercultural understanding and on introducing students to Danish values such as equality and open dialogue.

Traditions and history, such as the example of the group photograph in front of Johannes Mantzius’ statue, play a role as identity-forming elements, but without dictating the pedagogical approach. Instead, the focus is placed on the present and the future, where students develop social skills and an understanding of what it means to be part of a committed community through shared activities, excursions, and everyday interaction. This aspect of personal development aligns directly with the pedagogical practice and educational philosophy students encounter at Birkerød Gymnasium during the two to three years they live at the boarding school.

At the same time, you are also a BG student, and this is reflected not only in the classes you attend at the school together with day students, but also in the world you encounter when you walk the 100 metres back to your room at the boarding school, sit down for dinner in the common dining hall, or participate in mandatory homework cafés and social events. The boarding school is, and should be, an extension of BG — and this is something our boarding students clearly experience every day.