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High School

The High School Program at ISF aims to develop the whole child, while also preparing students for academic success in universities around the world.

Grades 9 + 10

In our Grades 9 and 10, students take a range of courses: English, Italian, Mathematics, History, Physical Education and Health, a third language which is either French or Spanish, the sciences of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Sciences in rotation. Art, Music and Theatre is also in rotation.  

An important part of High School life is our Pre-CAS program (Creativity, Activity, Service), where we introduce students to community service through projects both in and outside school.

Students take part in thematically focused assemblies on a variety of life topics. 

The Life Skills Program at ISF has been created to support all students to flourish and grow in a safe and happy environment here in the school community. It is a program built on the best of other evidence-based well-being practices across the world, including the Positive Education Enhanced Curriculum (PEEC), and is designed to be adaptable and flexible to student needs, keeping pace with changes in global perspectives and supporting intercultural awareness. As an important part of our vision mission, the program’s goals are to:

  • Support students in developing their emotional literacy
  • Promote student voice and interaction
  • Enable students to play a meaningful role in the School Community
  • Empower students by giving them time to develop the social and emotional skills needed to be successful in School and in the Wider World

The program has 3 main strands:

  • Health and Wellbeing: Self-care, managing risks, and personal safety
  • Relationships: Positive, respectful and kind
  • Living in the Wider World: Learning, digital literacy, directions and decisions

Within the teaching students are encouraged to think about how they want to ‘be’ and act in the world. Developing the awareness to make wise choices from a reflective and balanced standpoint; being responsible and caring to themselves and others; and taking effective and meaningful action; are all part of a well-being thread that runs through the program.

In Grades 6-10 lessons are delivered by Homeroom Advisors once a week and are often linked to Homeroom morning activities. Topics vary according to the grade group and the needs of the students and are taught creatively through presentations linked to activities and films, assemblies, visiting speakers, and student-led projects.

International Baccalaureate Diploma at ISF (Grades 11 + 12)

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a demanding and rigorous two-year program leading to examinations for the academically motivated student in Grades 11 and 12. In 1984, ISF became the 308th school to offer the IBDP and since that time over 3,000 schools in over 140 countries have adopted it.

The IBDP is designed to facilitate admission to universities worldwide and earning an IB Diploma is usually the only path to European universities available to international students. For students applying to American universities, enrolling in IBDP courses can enhance university acceptance, while earning the Diploma may lead to university course credit and/or advanced placement.

It should be noted that all courses in 11th and 12th Grade at ISF are IB Diploma classes, although students are not obliged to pursue an IB Diploma. Students may choose to sit for individual examinations in order to earn subject certificates rather than the full Diploma.

In Grades 11-12, students are supported by their Homeroom Advisors and do not have Life Skills lessons but visiting speakers, workshops and projects can be organized upon request.

Founded in 1968, the International Baccalaureate® (IB) is a non-profit educational foundation offering highly respected programs of international education that develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills needed to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world.'

The International School of Florence is proud to be an IB World School, offering the Primary Years Programme and the Diploma Programme. 

The IB has a hard-earned reputation for high standards of teaching, pedagogical leadership and student achievement. Students at International Baccalaureate® (IB) World Schools are given a unique education focused on academic rigor and emphasis on students’ personal development.

IB students are encouraged to think independently and drive their own learning, take part in programs of education that can lead them to some of the highest ranking universities around the world, become more culturally aware through the development of languages and are able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world.

COLLEGE COUNSELING

The College and Careers Counseling Program at the International School of Florence aims to enable students to make clear and informed post-secondary choices to match students’ individual profiles and goals. The Counselor works with students and parents to explore college options and make informed choices about colleges and universities around the world. University preparation workshops, personal visits by university representatives to ISF and organized trips to university fairs in Italy help students gather information and make plans. Students also receive advice and information about external testing for the SAT, ACT and Oxbridge testing, as well as guidance for the annual PSAT test held at the school in tenth grade.