IB School in Milan


Our International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Milan is the longest established in Italy. We are the only school in Milan to offer three IB programmes as a continuum curriculum, and deliver the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the IB Diploma Programme (DP) with exceptional results: our Diploma candidates achieve some of the best IB grades in Italy, helping them gain entry to top universities around the world. Furthermore, by delivering three consecutive IB programmes to our student community, our learners benefit from continuous, holistic, international study that leads to qualifications accepted across 150 countries worldwide. 

The objectives of the International Baccalaureate Organization align with our school's mission to deliver high-quality child-centred, innovative education. At every stage of their development, our students are equipped with broad-ranging skills and the ability to apply them in a cross-curricular manner. We are proud to guide our students towards excellence from Early Years, through Primary and Middle School to High School, and the IB curriculum leads to impressive outcomes.

Benefits of Studying at Our IB School in Milan, Italy


As one of Italy's leading International Baccalaureate schools, IS Milan is committed to exemplary learning and teaching standards which lead to exceptionally high results. Our school is a pioneer of international education as the only IB school in Milan to offer the continuum curriculum, and as IB educators, we aim to help students achieve academic excellence regardless of age or ability level.

Across all year groups, students undertake Service as Action projects, culminating in the IBDP years with Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), fostering an appreciation of international values and active citizenship as part of a global community. Additionally, our IB Programmes benefit students who learn best with access to personalised teaching methods, which we offer to ensure our young learners are given the support they need to attain exceptional results while being happy, healthy individuals. Our aim is to support young learners and ensure they are inspired to do well in their studies and have the confidence to apply themselves to new challenges, so that they are well-prepared to thrive in their chosen future pathways.

As part of a distinguished group of IB schools in Italy, we are proud that our student community is uniquely positioned to enjoy volunteering and student exchanges in Europe and overseas, and learn in one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Not only do our learners achieve excellent results in their formal IB examinations, they also supplement their outstanding education with exciting additional activities, international tournaments and inter-school projects that help them stand out from their peers.

Best IB World School in Milan

The Only IB School in Milan to Offer the Continuum Curriculum

Milan IB schools

Part of a Leading International Schools in Europe

Milan School with IB programmes

Unique Opportunities to Develop Skills with Co-Curricular Experiences

IB Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme encourages personal development and academic achievement by challenging students to think critically, ask the right questions, and apply their knowledge across disciplines. At all levels, an IB education fosters diversity, curiosity, and an appreciation for learning across multiple subjects.

Our International Baccalaureate (IB) school is accredited by the International Baccalaureate Organization to deliver 3 programmes to students aged 2 to 19 years. We offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP) to children in Preschool and Primary School, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) to children in Middle and High School, and the Diploma Programme to students during the last two years of High School.

The International Baccalaureate continuum is a comprehensive education system for children of all abilities, helping them develop into motivated, knowledgeable and globally aware young people who are motivated to learn through an inquiry-based approach. The International Baccalaureate programmes that we provide assist children in building knowledge through structured subjects. Each subject comprises several topics that promote key concepts, intercultural appreciation, and an understanding of the external world.

The IB Diploma Programme includes a Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) module, a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) module and an Extended Essay (EE) module. Those who apply to complete the IB Diploma Programme select a course from each of 6 subject areas, which they study alongside the three core disciplines above. 

IB Entry Requirements


Prospective IB students wishing to study at the school may be subject to entry requirements. As part of the admission process, the school may request school reports from the applicant's current school. In some cases, applicants may also be asked to sit a formal learning assessment in Mathematics and either English or Italian.

Milan IB school teachers

IB Teachers


Teachers at IS Milan have been delivering the IBDP since 1987 and we were accredited to deliver the full continuum curriculum to include PYP and MYP from 2003 onwards. Our teachers and staff are dedicated to preparing all students for success, ensuring they take their place as confident and principled global citizens in a rapidly changing world.

Inspired by the IB Learner Profile, our teachers guide our students in acquiring bilingualism, adaptability, cultural awareness, effective study skills, the value of collaboration and other attributes that will help students navigate an increasingly global environment. As an IB school, we encourage students to constantly seek new challenges and we remain at their side to guide and support them at each step of the learning process.

Learn More About the IB


Differences Between the IBDP and Italian National Diploma


The IB curriculum is accredited by the IBO and follows a trans-disciplinary, skills-based approach. It prepares children to not only understand new areas of learning, but enables them to evaluate and analyse information using the skills of enquiry. 

The IB methodology is flexible and can be adapted to the context of each school, meaning that teachers have the ability to ensure the syllabus is relevant and equips children with a modern skillset.

In contrast, the National Diploma is accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education and follows a more rigid curriculum. Learning is structured within a national context and the curriculum may follow a more uniform approach based on the pre-specified requirements of the course. Within our IB curriculum, we also ensure that Italian students are able to complete Italian state exams if necessary.

Primary Years Programme (PYP)


Students in the Primary School study the Primary Years Programme (PYP), up until the end of Grade 6.

The PYP Curriculum Framework

The PYP curriculum framework emphasizes the central principle of agency (voice, choice and ownership) that is threaded throughout the three pillars of the curriculum: the learner, learning and teaching and the learning community. PYP students with agency use their own initiative and will take responsibility and ownership of their learning.

The PYP subjects are delivered following a cross-curricular approach. Students study:
•    Languages, including English and Italian
•    Digital Technology
•    Expressive Arts
•    Mathematics
•    Science 
•    Physical Education

 

The PYP Learner

PYP students are agents of their own learning and partners in the learning process. They have innate potential to inquire, question, wonder and theorize about themselves, others, and the world around them. Through engaging with the programme of inquiry and reflecting on their learning, PYP students develop knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and the attributes of the IB Learner profile to make a difference in their own lives, their communities, and beyond. 

 

Learning and Teaching

Learning and teaching in the PYP curriculum framework places emphasis on collaborative inquiry and integrative learning, honoring the curiosity, voice, and contribution of students. Students inquire into six transdisciplinary themes aimed at promoting understandings about human commonalities of local, national and global significance. Approaches to learning and approaches to teaching allow students to draw knowledge from subjects, enduring concepts, and skills to actively connect prior and new experiences to broaden their understandings about the world.

 

The Learning Community

Members of the learning community form the bridge that connects learning and teaching. The PYP learning community includes classrooms and schools, extending to the whole IB community and to the world as the broadest context for learning. It is inclusive of everyone involved in the life of the school: students and their families, school faculty and staff members, and other significant adults in students’ lives. This reflects the IB’s belief that educational outcomes are shaped by strong relationships amongst members of the learning community.

 

Elements of the PYP

These PYP elements resonate throughout the programme:

  • Knowledge - Significant, relevant content that we wish the students to explore and know about, taking into consideration their prior experience and understanding.
  • Approaches to Learning – Approaches to learning (ATL) are grounded in the belief that learning how to learn is fundamental to a student’s education. Five categories of interrelated skills (social skills, communication skills, research skills, self-management skills and thinking skills) and associated sub-skills support students of all ages to become self-regulated learners.
  • Concepts - Powerful ideas that have relevance within the subject areas but also transcend them and that students must explore and re-explore in order to develop a coherent, in-depth understanding. There are seven PYP key concepts (form, function, causation, change, connection, responsibility and perspective), as well as subject-specific related concepts.
  • Action – Action is the core of student agency and is integral to the programme’s overarching outcome of international-mindedness. Initiated by students, PYP action is authentic, meaningful, mindful, responsible and responsive. Children are encouraged to view learning as a valuable experience that, in addition to shaping their intellectual development, should provide guidance on how to act. Learning should be demonstrated through positive action and service. Children are also encouraged to reflect, choose wisely, and act responsibly with their peers, school staff, and the wider community. All children are welcome to contribute to the student council.

 

The Programme of Inquiry

The PYP curriculum framework centres on transdisciplinary learning as the curriculum organizer for students to experience learning between, across and beyond traditional subject boundaries. Our programme of inquiry is structured around six transdisciplinary themes (Who we are, Where we are in place and time, How we express ourselves, How the world works, How we organise ourselves and Sharing the planet). The transdisciplinary themes capture human commonalities that are significant and relevant regardless of where students are in the world and to which ethnic or cultural groups they belong. The programme of inquiry ensures students experience a balance of subject-specific knowledge, conceptual understandings and skills, alongside opportunities to develop the attributes of the IB learner profile and to take action.

Middle Years Programme (MYP)


Students in the Middle School study the Middle Years Programme (MYP). The programme also covers the first two years of High School. Overall, the MYP is a five year programme from Grades 7 to 11.

The MYP Curriculum Framework

Following on from the PYP, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) is a framework for learning, designed for students aged 11 to 16. It promotes learning through inquiry and conceptual investigation, encouraging students to pursue excellence in all their endeavours while promoting international mindedness. In the MYP, students are invited to make connections between their studies in traditional subjects and the real world; they are also encouraged to become active and respectful members of their communities through responsible service. 

The MYP subjects aim to encourage the disciplines of enquiry and analysis. Within the MYP, students study in 8 different subject groups, with all students studying English and Italian as two of their languages: 
•    Language & Literature
•    Language Acquisition
•    Mathematics
•    Sciences
•    Individuals & Societies
•    Physical & Health Education
•    Design
•    The Arts

Students also regularly engage in Interdisciplinary Units that link together two or more of these subjects groups, as well as supporting the community with regular Service as Action projects.

 

MYP Contexts

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) requires students to experience and explore each of the eight subject groups through the following contexts:
•    Approaches to learning – the development of learning skills.
•    Approaches to teaching – authentic learning through inquiry, collaborative and reflective learning.
•    Concepts – the basis of the written curriculum.
•    Global Contexts – learning through different contexts.

 

MYP Learners

The MYP encourages students to become increasingly responsible for their own learning through the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes. As independent learners, MYP students are expected to apply relevant knowledge and critically evaluate information in order to understand an ever-changing world. The use of unit questions enables students to focus on key concepts appropriate for their age. The accumulation of thoughts and skills throughout the Middle and High Schools should lead to the development of independent Approaches to Learning. Student learning expectations encourage understanding, reflection and active learning through the Global Contexts and the content of units of work.

 

Assessment and Progression

Students are regularly assessed throughout the five years of the course, using specific MYP criteria for each course. Assessment culminates at the end of Grade 11 with students completing the IB MYP e-Assessment, comprising a series of highly innovative online examinations. 

For existing IS Milan students, a final MYP average grade of 5.0 is required for automatic progression to the IB Diploma (IBDP) at the end of the course. Students with averages between 4.5 and 5.0 are usually advised to enrol instead for individual IB Certificates (IB Courses), although students may sometimes be permitted to progress to the Diploma on a trial basis if their approach to learning is sufficiently positive. For external applicants, a separate entry process is carried out, to ensure that the IBDP will be suitable for their learning needs.

 

The Learning Community

Members of the learning community form the bridge that connects learning and teaching. The PYP learning community includes classrooms and schools, extending to the whole IB community and to the world as the broadest context for learning. It is inclusive of everyone involved in the life of the school: students and their families, school faculty and staff members, and other significant adults in students’ lives. This reflects the IB’s belief that educational outcomes are shaped by strong relationships amongst members of the learning community.

Diploma Programme (DP)


The IB Diploma is widely viewed as one of the most challenging and intensive high school graduation courses in the world. Due to its recognition in over 150 countries across the world, the IBDP offers its graduates a gateway towards unlimited opportunities for future study, and is very well respected by universities and employers. Through completion of the IBDP, our young graduates demonstrate their ability to work to a very high academic level across a broad range of subject areas, showcasing a strong work ethic and a tremendous diversity of life skills. The IBDP is the culmination of the IB Continuum, and the third and final IB course at IS Milan.

 

The IBDP Curriculum

For IBDP, students select three or four subjects at Higher Level (HL) and two or three subjects at Standard Level (SL), meaning they study six subjects in total for their HL and SL courses. These subjects are selected as follows:

• At least two modern languages, including English
• A humanities or social science subject
• An experimental science
• Mathematics
• A creative arts subject or an additional subject from one of the other groups

Additionally, students complete the IBDP Core, comprising Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and a 4,000 word Extended Essay (EE).

Our IBDP curriculum is wide-ranging and covers a diversity of disciplines to prepare young adults for university study in their chosen pathways.

 

IBDP Entry Requirements

Prospective students wishing to study for the IBDP at IS Milan will be assessed prior to their arrival to ensure that the IBDP is suitable for their needs. This process will include requesting reports from the applicant’s current school, an online CAT4 baseline assessment, supplemented with other learning assessments if necessary, as well as a meeting to discuss possible IBDP subject choices. Depending on the applicant’s profile, they may be advised to enrol for Individual IB Courses rather than the full IBDP, though students may sometimes be permitted to enrol in the IBDP on a trial basis.

This process for external students mirrors the IBDP Entry Requirements for existing IS Milan students. For existing IS Milan students, a final MYP average grade of 5.0 is required for automatic progression to the IB Diploma (IBDP) at the end of the course. Students with averages between 4.5 and 5.0 are usually advised to enrol instead for individual IB Certificates (IB Courses), although students may sometimes be permitted to progress to the Diploma on a trial basis if their approach to learning is sufficiently positive.

 

The Value of the IBDP

Once students have successfully completed the IBDP, they will be issued with certificates for their coveted IB Diploma, or for their individual IB Courses if that is their chosen pathway. IB qualifications are among the most widely-recognised in the world, demonstrating to prospective colleges and universities that students have gained the competencies and skills necessary to successfully complete a course at the tertiary level.

For existing IS Milan students, a final MYP average grade of 5.0 is required for automatic progression to the IB Diploma (IBDP) at the end of the course. Students with averages between 4.5 and 5.0 are usually advised to enrol instead for individual IB Certificates (IB Courses), although students may sometimes be permitted to progress to the Diploma on a trial basis if their approach to learning is sufficiently positive. For external applicants, a separate entry process is carried out, to ensure that the IBDP will be suitable for their learning needs.

 

The Learning Community

Members of the learning community form the bridge that connects learning and teaching. The PYP learning community includes classrooms and schools, extending to the whole IB community and to the world as the broadest context for learning. It is inclusive of everyone involved in the life of the school: students and their families, school faculty and staff members, and other significant adults in students’ lives. This reflects the IB’s belief that educational outcomes are shaped by strong relationships amongst members of the learning community.

IBDP Assessments

IB Assessment


At the end of the IBDP, each student’s abilities are measured by means of external, internationally standardised assessments. In addition to examinations, all subjects contain coursework elements that will be internally assessed by teachers.

IB Diploma grading system

IB Grades


The IB Grading System is standardised across all subjects, offering a uniform and reliable way to evaluate student performance. For each subject, IB scores range from 1, the lowest grade, to 7, the highest IB grade. The highest total score that a student may obtain is 45; however, at the IBDP stage, a score of 36 is considered broadly equivalent to 3 A grades at A Level. Once students have completed the IBDP, they will be awarded IB certificates for each subject in which they write an exam; if the number and combination of subjects meet IBDP requirements, then they are issued with an IB Diploma. IB qualifications are some of the most widely recognised in the world and signify that students have gained the competencies and skills necessary to successfully complete a course at the tertiary level.

Benefits of IB Diploma in Milan

IB Diploma Benefits


The IB option is widely-viewed as one of the most challenging and intensive courses of academic study. However, due to its recognition in over 150 countries across the world, it offers graduates a gateway towards unlimited opportunity for future study. Upon completion of the IBDP pathway, young individuals will have demonstrated their ability to work to a high academic level across a number of subject areas, showcasing a strong work ethic and a widespread understanding of how to apply themselves successfully.

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Learn more about International Baccalaureate education at our IB school in Milan to discover how we can prepare your child for fulfilling opportunities in Italy and beyond.