Giljaskóli

What Giljaskóli does

Giljaskóli is a public primary school (grunnskóli) located in the Þiðagil area of Akureyri in northern Iceland, operated and funded by Akureyrarbær municipality. It serves approximately 400 students across grades 1 through 10 and employs around 80 staff including teachers, administrators, special education personnel, and support roles. The school was founded circa 1995 (with the 31st graduating class held in June 2026) and offers a comprehensive primary education program aligned with Iceland's national curriculum (Aðalnámskrá), supplemented by a special education department (Sérdeild), academic counseling, health services (Heilsugaesla), a library (Bókasafn), and a cafeteria (Mötuneyti). It also runs a fee-based after-school care program (Frístund) and operates the affiliated Dimmuborgir youth community center for grades 8-10.

The school's technology stack centers on the Mentor (Infomentor) student information system for parent-teacher communication and scheduling, supplemented by Moodle as the learning management system, Google Workspace and Google Sites for content delivery, Padlet for collaborative activities, and Google Meet for remote consultations. Specialized educational tools include a parent-association-funded podcast recording studio, virtual reality headsets in the special education department (donated by Góðvild and the Virtual Dreams Foundation in 2022), and Minecraft-based educational projects. Giljaskóli holds three institutional certifications: Réttindaskóli UNICEF (Rights School, recognized November 2020), Grænfáni (Green Flag, Eco-Schools program), and Heilsueflandi grunnskóli (WHO Health-Promoting School).

As a public institution, Giljaskóli does not operate on a commercial revenue model. Core education services are funded through Akureyrarbær municipal education budgets as part of Iceland's free public education system. The only direct user fee is the Frístund after-school care program, billed on a published municipal gjaldskrá schedule. Distribution is via direct enrollment through the municipality's centralized registration system; there is no commercial sales motion. Governance involves an interlocking ecosystem of the Foreldrafélag (parent association), Skólaráð (school council), Nemendaráð (student council), and Réttindaráð (rights committee), with external partnerships including UNICEF Iceland, ABC hjálparstarf (Uganda child sponsorship), and various Icelandic programming/technology funds. The school is led by principal Elías Gunnar Þorbjörnsson (appointed February 2023).

Name

Giljaskóli

Legal name

Giljaskóli

Website

https://giljaskoli.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Giljaskóli is a public primary school in Akureyri, Iceland, operated by Akureyrarbær municipality, serving approximately 400 students in grades 1-10 with around 80 staff and offering core academics, special education, after-school care, and a youth community center.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education (K-10 Public School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Elementary Schools (EDAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Middle Schools (EDAJAAAC)

Keywords

• Primary school education
• After-school care services
• Special education programs
• Public K-10 education
• Youth community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Akureyri

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Funding: As a public grunnskóli (primary school) operated by Akureyrarbær municipality, Giljaskóli is primarily funded through municipal government education budgets. Core education services are free to students.
2. Frístund (After-school Care) Fees: The school operates a fee-based after-school care program (Frístund) with published fee schedules (gjaldskrá). Fees are charged for childcare services provided before and after regular school hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Giljaskóli is a public primary school (grunnskóli) delivering free compulsory education to approximately 400 students in grades 1-10 under the Icelandic national curriculum, operated by Akureyrarbær municipality. The school provides academic instruction across core subjects along with arts, music, physical education, and life skills, supplemented by fee-based after-school care (Frístund), special education services (Sérdeild), youth community programs at Dimmuborgir, school health services, academic counseling, library access, and cafeteria meals.

Product overview

Giljaskóli is a primary school (grunnskóli) providing comprehensive educational services for students in grades 1-10, located in Akureyri, Iceland. The school operates as a unified educational service with multiple integrated support components: the core academic program follows the Icelandic national curriculum, supplemented by Frístund (after-school care), Dimmuborgir (youth community center for grades 8-10), Sérdeild (special needs department), Bókasafn (library), Mötuneyti (cafeteria), and Heilsugaesla (health services). The school has been recognized as a UNICEF Rights School (Réttindaskóli UNICEF) and implements the 'Læsi er lykillinn' (Literacy as Key) initiative. Giljaskóli emphasizes values of Responsibility, Respect, and Friendliness ('Gerum okkar besta').

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grunnskóli Giljaskóla (Primary School Education) Compulsory primary education service for students in grades 1-10 following the Icelandic national curriculum (Aðalnámskrá), with emphasis on literacy, sustainability, mindfulness, and child rights. Provided free to enrolled students as a public municipal service.
• Frístund (After-School Care)

Quantifiable outcome

• Students reached 8th place internationally in Word Mania literacy competition by Literacy Planet
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Akureyrarbær MunicipalitycoreOthers · 1 January 2026Akureyrarbær municipality operates Giljaskóli as a public grunnskóli (primary school) under the municipal education system. The school follows Menntastefna Akureyrarbæjar 2026-2031 educational policy and operates within the municipality's educational framework and budget.
• Góðvild and Virtual Dreams FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Virtual Dreams Foundation and Góðvild donated virtual reality headsets to the special education department (Sérdeild) of Giljaskóla. The donor, Piotr Loj, visited the school to demonstrate the technology and train staff on its use for student benefit.
• Forritarar framtíðarinnar (Programmers of the Future)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Forritarar framtíðarinnar granted Giljaskóli 200,000 ISK to purchase equipment for programming and technology education, including Lego WeDo 2.0 robotics sets, drones, and Osmo Detective Agency educational games. The fund's main purpose is to promote programming and technology literacy in primary and secondary schools across Iceland.
• UNICEF IcelandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Giljaskóli is a certified UNICEF Rights School (Réttindaskóli UNICEF), implementing children's rights education as defined by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The school has an active student rights committee and conducts regular activities related to children's rights awareness. The certification process involved over a year of implementation work and was recognized in November 2020.
• ABC hjálparstarf (ABC Aid Work)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Giljaskóli supports ABC hjálparstarf's child sponsorship program, regularly fundraising to support children Ibrahim Famba Mohamed and Kevine Jenneth Akello in Uganda with school fees, meals, and healthcare. The school has consistently exceeded fundraising goals and also donated surplus funds to UNICEF Ukraine relief efforts.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Naustaskóli: Public grunnskóli in Akureyri operated by Akureyrarbær municipality. Serves the same K-10 age band under the same Icelandic national curriculum and municipal Menntastefna policy, making it a direct peer for enrollment, funding, and program benchmarking.
• Rimaskóli: Large public primary school in Reykjavík operating within the capital-area municipal school system. Comparable as an Icelandic grunnskóli peer operating under the same national curriculum, with similar integrated services (after-school care, special education, counseling) but larger urban scale.
• Hagaskóli: Public primary school in Akureyri, part of the Akureyrarbær municipal system. Comparable in scale, mandate, and operating model to Giljaskóli, serving as a peer competitor for students and competing for the same municipal education budget allocation.
• Norðlingaskóli: Public grunnskóli in Iceland operating under the same national curriculum and public funding model. Comparable as a same-tier Icelandic primary school peer serving the K-10 age band with similar community-engagement and certification programs.
• Lundarskóli: Public primary school (grunnskóli) in Akureyri, Iceland, operated by Akureyrarbær municipality under the same municipal education framework as Giljaskóli. Directly comparable as a same-city, same-tier, same-system peer — and specifically referenced as the prior workplace of Giljaskóli's current principal.
• Breiðagerðisskóli: Public grunnskóli in Iceland operating under the same national curriculum framework and municipal public-education funding model. Directly comparable on pedagogy, governance structure, and service-line composition (special education, after-school care, etc.).

Broad incumbents

• Menntamálastofnun (Icelandic Directorate of Education): National Icelandic education authority that sets the Aðalnámskrá (national curriculum) governing all grunnskóli including Giljaskóli. Comparable as the broader incumbent establishing the policy, assessment, and standards framework within which the school operates.
• Akureyrarbær (Menntasvið): The Akureyri municipal education authority that operates Giljaskóli, Naustaskóli, Hagaskóli, and Lundarskóli. Comparable as the broader incumbent governing body that determines funding allocations, curriculum policy (Menntastefna 2026-2031), and strategic direction across the school portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=mdR2bAqpA-0
• Instagraminstagram.com/sjonlistirgiljaskoli
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/giljask%C3%B3li

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Giljaskóli