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Pianca school is based on the same structure as a secondary school in the UK. Secondary school in the UK lasts for 5 years and consists of two parts,
the two parts of secondary school are called Secondary 1 and Secondary 2. Secondary 1 is the first three years and Secondary 2 is the remaining last two years. Our Lower Secondary School, also called Middle School, corresponds to Secondary 1.

The secondary school continues to offer the same level of high quality learning that our bilingual primary school provides. Ensuring that the students have the confidence to deal with the difficulties that may arise during secondary school. Our secondary school will prepare the students to explore new horizons and to try new experiences, but at the same time appreciate what they have learnt. It will help the students to discover themselves and assist them to make correct decisions in regards to all of the different choices and information that the world presents, in a world where everything is so easily accessed. Therefor students will be able to make responsible choices and be aware of the consequences of any bad choices made.

It offers preparation in the terms of skills, knowledge and a study method which makes it easier for the students to progress through the school stages.

The curriculum of our secondary school integrates the Italian Ministerial programs with the British Cambridge Pathway international programs. Both programs are integrated in a way that both languages and cultures work together in unison.

The curriculum is carried out using the Italian language and English language as vehicular languages for the learning of the disciplines according to this subdivision:

Italian, History and Mathematics in Italian,
Spanish in Spanish,
English and Cambridge Pathway in English,
Geography, Science, Technology, Art, Music, Physical education and STEM subjects in Italian – English bilingualism.

In percentage terms, 40% is of the teaching is in Italian, 30% is a foreign language and 30% is bilingual.

Following the Cambridge Pathway program offers our school great opportunity to characterize and reinforce the linguistic and scientific areas. The inclusion of the STEM subjects in our school helps to strengthen the scientific and digital area, which, nowadays are fundamental in our evolving world. This is a valid tool to train and prepare the students to study for the IGCSE subjects in English.

METHODOLOGY

The path of Pianca School puts its students at the centre of its philosophy and helps them to be creative and to be able to learn with interest and enthusiasm. It guides them to develop the capacity for critical and analytical thinking, to develop the aptitude for problem solving, creativity and inventiveness. It also stimulates them to achieve personal curiosity as a stimulus for the learning process and to be prepared to face the challenges of the world of today and tomorrow.

Pianca School offers a path that is rich in experience and planning, so that by observing and experimenting, pupils can learn and can have the opportunity to express all their personal talents and thus build a permanent knowledge in time.

We support the importance of presenting the contents in the right balance between traditional school and digital school. We support our students in the use of books and notebooks as tangible work tools on which to orient themselves and study. In all classes there are computer based tools to provide support as well.

The academic program is enriched by a wide range of educational outings, events, projects and complementary activities.

School general methodology

NEW STUDENTS

Our Middle School welcomes students who have completed primary education at our bilingual school or at another international school, English students or foreign students who have come to Italy because their parents work in Italy or have made a choice to work in an international environment. Also students from other elementary schools, both state and non-state are welcome. For the students who have a lower level of English, there is a dedicated lesson called ‘Learning group’ to help students improve their level of English.

STUDENT CENTRALITY

Teaching at our school is diverse and active, which is characterized by organization and experience. It is full of authentic situations in which the students learn the importance of independent learning (learn to learn – doing research). It offers our students the opportunities to express all their potential, discover new knowledge and to be satisfied with their path of learning.

ACADEMIC TITLES

At the end of year eight the students will obtain the Italian lower secondary school diploma. During the Middle School, the students can confirm their abilities in the Cambridge Pathway disciplines with the Cambridge Lower Secondary Progression Tests and the ESOL Cambridge language certificate exams: Preliminary English Test (PET) for schools and First Certificate in English (First). At the end of Cambridge Lower Secondary, students can do the Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint.

TEXT BOOKS

Text books refer to the Italian curriculum texts and are relative to the National Guidelines. As the subjects are taught in English we use the books approved by Cambridge Assessment International Education. These books offer an analysis based approach which motivates the students to learn English with an international focus, continuing in the same fashion as the students were taught in Primary school.

PARTICIPATION OF FAMILIES

All of the teachers are available to the parents through an organized and effective communications system. All of the events from the school year and meetings are shown on the school website. Also, the electronic register allows parents to keep up to date with their child’s progress and school life.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

The educational activity of the compulsory school follows the regional calendar.

PROJECTS

LOWER SECONDARY SCHOOL

HEALTH EDUCATION

JOUNRNALISM

SECURITY ON THE INTERNET

ORIENTATION

HEALTH EDUCATION

The projects during the three years are also in collaboration with other subjects (ULSS and associations and experts present in the territory) and include projects on health education activities with a focus on food behavior, motor activity skills, living a healthy life and the dangers of smoking.

SECURITY ON THE INTERNET

The project aims to counteract the dangers that derive from an unaware, improper and unaccompanied use of the internet by minors. For the younger generation, the internet represents an extraordinary opportunity for learning and knowledge but it is also a place where you can see unpleasant and unsuitable content. The project uses information, discussion and reflection to help prevent the dangers of the internet and combat the growing problem of cyberbullying.

JOUNRNALISM

The Journalism Project was created with the aim to help children to become aware readers, to teach then about critical awareness and to refine the methods of writing.

The project guides the students along a path that includes a theory and practical part.

The theoretical part is dedicated to the knowledge of the world of journalism which is divided into the following parts

History of the newspaper
Newspaper types
Types of news
Hierarchy and position of the news inside the newspaper
Articles and the role of the images
Operation and the key figures in the newspaper editorial staff
News sources and press agencies

The various types of journalistic sections are then examined, such as the news articles, news reports, news investigation, interviews and film/book/show reviews

The practical part is aimed at:

formulating questions for the interview
presenting the questions that have been formulate
create articles on various subjects or school events
produce a newspaper individually or through group work

JOURNALISM PROJECT OBJECTIVES

To educate the students in the analysis and critical reading of the newspaper for a more aware and critical approach to the reality that surrounds them

To research and gather information from everyday experiences of school life.

To use the information that they have gathered and apply their new skills to produce written work that includes titles, images, captions and comments.

To know how to use the strategies and rules to write a newspaper article

To learn how to conduct an interview and how to formulate the questions using the 5 W rule

To understand the importance of cooperative work by strengthening skills in exchanging and collaborating amongst peers

ORIENTATION

The Orientation project, which runs during the three years of middle school was created to continue the Emotion Management Project which was done in primary school. It helps the students to make reasonable, conscious and coherent choices, providing the student with the confidence to make his or her own choices in Upper Secondary school.

The project has a dual purpose which are training and information. The training purpose is aimed to strengthen the students abilities in:

To know oneself, to self-evaluate critically to acquire a greater self-awareness in terms of skills, attitudes, interests, potential, aspirations and projects.
To develop decision-making skills to be able to make independent and responsible decisions.
To persevere to achieve a goal.
To develop the appropriate strategies to face new situations.
To find the right solutions to solve problems.
To realize a personal life goal.
The educational purpose is for the students to understand the common aspects of the work world and different types of professions and to be able to understand the different paths in the school system.