Middle Years
Secondary school in English (MYP)
International School of Bergamo is officially an IB world school for the IBO Middle Years Programme. While insisting upon thorough study of the various disciplines, the MYP accentuates their inter-relatedness and so advances a holistic view of knowledge.
Students aged 11 to 16 follow the IB Middle Years Programme which offers an educational approach that embraces yet transcends traditional school subjects. While studying disciplines from eight subject groups, the MYP accentuates their inter-relatedness and so advances a holistic view of knowledge, encouraging students to become independent, internationally-minded, lifelong learners.
Students are encouraged to develop intercultural awareness along with genuine understanding of their own history and traditions. Language has an important role in developing international mindedness and as a result our students become truly bi- or even tri-lingual, studying English, Italian and Spanish or French.
The curriculum is divided into 8 subject areas:
- Language & Literature (English and Italian);
- Individuals and societies (History, Geography, Citizenship) ;
- Mathematics;
- Arts (Art, Music, Drama)
- Design (digital and product design)
- Language acquisition (French, Spanish, Italian for non native speakers, English for students who cannot access the Lang&Lit. curriculum);
- Science (Integrated sciences: biology, chemistry, physics );
- Physical and health education
There are 35 periods of lesson per week including Form Time, Individual Tutoring, Enrichment Activities, Public Speaking and Library. Some subjects have double lessons.
There is a full and varied after-school and lunchtime programme with activities including News video making, TED club, Model United Nations, Choir, and an extensive range of personal interest clubs and homework supervision. Maths and Literacy clinics are available on a drop in basis should students need help in these particular area.
Six Global Contexts provide a link between the subject areas. An understanding of concepts themes helps students to see connections between the separate subjects and to understand the relationship between their academic studies and the real world.
They are also a logical continuation of the PYP Transdisciplinary Themes of the Elementary school. The 6 Global Contexts are:
- Orientation in Space and Time;
- Fairness and Development;
- Personal and Cultural Expression;
- Scientific and Technical Innovation;
- Identities and Relationships;
- Globalization and Sustainability
EAL (English as an additional language) support is designed to meet the needs of those students who do not possess the necessary fluency in English to enroll in the school's regular academic program. Students entering the Middle School will follow a specific Language Acquisition course and will receive extra support both in school and after school.
Why the MYP?
The school chose to adopt the MYP because it supports our goals of educating our students within a framework that ensures academic rigour, whilst at the same time, promoting qualities of internationalism. ISBergamo is already an authorised PYP school and following the MYP allows for the school to work along the IB Continuum towards the IB Diploma.
Our aim is to deliver an International Education and at the same time, as for the primary school, we provide the important elements of the Italian State Curriculum. In these three years of middle school we take the Italian Scuola Media Programme and integrate it into the MYP programme so that Italian students are prepared for the end-of-year State Italian Exams. Our international students in the main do not sit the Italian state examinations unless they wish to.
THE DIGITAL PROGRAMME
The International School of Bergamo firmly believes in the importance of digital learning. All classes are equipped with smart boards and, since September 2012, all children from Grade 1 are involved in the iPad 1:1 Programme. Digital media are highly compatible with the school’s teaching methods, based on child-centred education, on the development of skills and attitudes, and on interactive, hands-on and collaborative work.