The School has obtained “parità scolastica” for students enrolled in the Early Childhood Programme and the Primary and Secondary School. ISLP offers all Italian students the opportunity to follow the Italian national curriculum, from the beginning of Primary School until the end of Middle School, and to take the relevant examinations when required.
Early Years
The Italian Programme in the Early Years aims to develop the children’s communication skills in order to listen and speak in Italian. At this stage in their language development there is no distinction between students who are Mother Tongue Italian and those learning Italian as an Additional Language (The Italian Mother Tongue and IAL Programmes start in ES1). Where appropriate, the Early Years Italian Programme follows concepts covered by the class teacher in Units of Inquiry.
Primary School
After Early Years, the teaching of Italian is provided in two distinct courses. For students who are learning Italian as a foreign language, language skills are developed to enable children to speak, read and write with increasing fluency, enabling our students to enjoy and better understand the host country.
The Italian Mother Tongue Programme begins in the first primary class and follows the Italian Language strand of the ministerial programme (speaking, reading and writing) but at the same time provides Italian Mother Tongue students with an opportunity to develop a global perspective by making connections with the Units of Inquiry.
Middle and High School
Middle and High school students continue their Italian experience through a Language A or Language B route. Routes will depend on the student’s prior experience and knowledge of Italian and this is explained in the Language Policy which can be made available to parents. Students inquire into a range of unit questions which may also connect to other experiences within the curriculum such as work in Humanities and other Language A and B subjects.
At the beginning of MS3 parents are invited to a meeting where they are asked to confirm if their child will sit the Italian Ministerial Exam ‘Terza Media.’ While the school offers support in enrolling students for the exam and coordinating with the Italian subject teachers who will administer the exam, it is the student and parents’ responsibility to make sure they are adequately prepared to sit the exam. This is also applicable for the ‘Term paper’ which must be completed prior to the Terza Media exams.
