Our Educational Concept in Action

An international school follows an international curriculum that is often only in English. It may not necessarily be in line and / or easily approved by local educational institutions. A bilingual school emphasises the teaching of two languages, usually the native language of the country and a foreign language, such as English. In a bilingual school, the curriculum usually follows the requirements of the local authorities and is recognised and approved by local educational institutions. SIS Swiss International School Italy is a bilingual school, teaching in Italian and English, fully approved by the educational authorities of Italy.

We aim to offer lessons with a balance of 50/50 in Italian and in English. This division allows for both recognition by local education authorities and immersion in the English language.

Bilingual education over a number of years as implemented by SIS results in near-native fluency in the second language. The immersion method of language learning, which is used at SIS, not only promotes children’s language acquisition but also their cognitive development – for example, linguistic awareness, creativity and their ability to think outside the box.

We use the immersion method of language learning at SIS, which invites children to dive headfirst into the foreign language. Students use the second language to engage with the world in a playful and completely natural way. They are immersed in an environment where only the foreign language is used. As a result, they learn unconsciously and lose their initial inhibitions; the foreign language becomes second nature. Children begin by developing a passive understanding of the language, achieved through the use of pictures, gestures and symbols, for example. Then, they gradually begin to actively use the second language. In other words, the foreign language is acquired in a similar way to the mother tongue – with the child’s linguistic development and knowledge of the world progressing hand in hand.

No. Scientific studies and the experiences at our schools have shown that learning in two languages promotes cognitive flexibility and also development. The best results are achieved through extensive early immersion prior to the start of formal schooling. The development of the mother tongue is not adversely affected by this. Students learn a second language best when their native language also develops in an age-appropriate way, so parents are always encouraged to speak their native language at home.

Yes, our offer is recognised by the local authorities.

SIS Swiss International School Italy follows the Italian National Curriculum and is enhanced by the British National Curriculum.

Our day school offers a structured and challenging programme of classroom instruction with fixed hours, lunch, supervised homework hours and additional flexible supervised periods and courses, also during some school holidays.