At the local comprehensive school in Helsinki's northern suburb of Jäkomaki, the underlying philosophy behind Finland's globally respected education system is firmly on display.

Thirty teachers look after 300 pupils aged between 13 and 17. The headteacher, Antti-Pekka Ihalainen, says the focus is on development rather than competition. Students, a third of them immigrants, are rewarded for making improvements during their time at the school and not just through final examinations.