ᐅ【The IB Guide】 ᐅ International Baccalaureate school in Como

IB School in Como

IB Continuum Programmes

Ages 3 to 18

Our International Baccalaureate (IB) School in Como stands as the sole IB institution in the region, offering a comprehensive continuum curriculum encompassing all three IB programmes from the age of 3: the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Early Years and Elementary School, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP), and the IB Diploma Programme (DP).

The IB Continuum programmes are the most challenging, innovative and rewarding international curricula available in schools today. They prepare learners with a solid knowledge foundation and a wide range of skills applicable across various subjects and real-life situations.

With exceptional preparation and support from our highly qualified teachers, ISC students consistently achieve outstanding results in their final IBDP examinations. This success ensures their admission to top universities worldwide and positions them for future personal and professional fulfilment.

Benefits of the IB Continuum Programmes

The IB Continuum offers a seamless educational experience from early childhood through to high school, with each programme building on the previous one. This consistency helps students develop a strong, coherent foundation of knowledge and skills. The IB Continuum encourages an inquiry-based approach to learning, where students develop proactivity, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and research skills.

By offering the three consecutive IB programmes, our learners benefit from a continuous, holistic, international education that leads to qualifications recognised by universities and employers worldwide.

By emphasising academic excellence alongside social, emotional, and physical development, the IB Programmes focus on nurturing the whole child.

Why Choose IS Como to Study the IB Programmes?

The International School of Como is the only school authorised by the IB Organisation to offer the three IB Programmes in the Como region. These are globally recognised for effectively preparing learners for success in an ever-evolving global landscape while being adapted to the local context.

At ISC, IB students are taught by a dedicated team of experienced, IB-certified subject specialists. These teachers not only guide them to excel in the IB Continuum and final IBDP exams but also prepare them for higher education and beyond. Alongside outstanding pass rates, our students attain excellent results, surpassing the IB world average year after year.

Students at our IB school in Como grow in a nurturing environment and are fully supported to achieve their unique potential. They complement their exceptional education with enriching co-curricular activities, international competitions, and inter-school projects, helping them stand out from their peers.

The IB Continuum Programmes

The IB Continuum programmes are globally renowned for their excellence and innovative approaches. These three programmes promote personalised learning experiences tailored to individual student interests, nurturing their strengths and fostering a flexible environment where students can pursue their passions and develop their unique talents.

Each IB programme—PYP, MYP, and DP—includes a written curriculum or framework designed for the specific developmental stage, including age-appropriate student assessments. Unlike national programmes, the IB approach encompasses a broad range of subjects, encouraging exploration within individual disciplines as well as transdisciplinary or interdisciplinary areas.

Across all three IB programmes, students are encouraged to actively engage in learning both inside and outside the classroom. Emphasis is placed on connecting with local and global communities, fostering a holistic educational experience.

IB Assessments

The IB Continuum includes rigorous, internationally recognised assessments that prepare students for the demands of university-level study and provide a reliable measure of student achievement.

MYP Assessment

If a school's success is measured externally by its DP results, then the MYP serves as the foundation upon which this success is built. Students are regularly assessed throughout the five years of the MYP course, using specific MYP criteria for each subject.

MYP assessment culminates at the end of Grade 11, with students completing the IB MYP e-Assessments, comprising a series of highly innovative digital examinations. These offer students an option to obtain a qualification for their Middle Years' education and an assessment experience that aligns with today’s digital learning environment. Our IB school in Como was among the first pioneering schools to undertake evaluation following the new standards and practices for PYP and MYP, including the new e-Assessments for the MYP. MYP grades provide important, externally-verified results that serve as an alternative to state or national examinations, and support applications for post-16 education.

IBDP Assessment

The IB Diploma is the culmination of the IB Continuum. Each of the six subjects taken in the Diploma is graded from 7 to 1 and the overall sum is combined to give a total score that incorporates further points earned in Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay. The Diploma is awarded to students with at least 24 points, providing certain general conditions are met, and the maximum number of points earned in the Diploma is 45. A small number of students may take a seventh subject, although this does not contribute to the official IB Diploma score.

Learn More About the IB Continuum

How are the IBDP and Italian National Diploma Different?

The IB curriculum, accredited by the IBO, adopts a transdisciplinary, skills-based approach to education with an international perspective. It not only helps children grasp new areas of learning but also equips them with future-ready skills. At IS Como, the IB programmes are fully delivered in English, except for language lessons, fostering native-level proficiency.

The flexibility inherent in the IB methodology for the PYP, MYP, and DP allows it to be adapted to the specific context of each school. This enables teachers to tailor the curriculum to remain relevant and equip students with a contemporary skill set.

In contrast, the Italian National Diploma, accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, follows a more rigid curriculum and is taught in Italian. Learning is structured within a national context, adhering to a uniform approach based on the predefined course requirements. Despite the flexibility of the IB curriculum, we also ensure that Italian students are thoroughly prepared to excel in Italian state exams.

Key Differences Between the IB PYP, MYP and DP

To reflect children’s unique learning styles, the IB Primary Years Programme features a transdisciplinary framework that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries and promotes a more integrated, holistic understanding. In contrast, the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes are interdisciplinary. While these programmes still encourage connections between different subjects, they are not as deeply integrated as in the PYP.

How is an IB Diploma useful?

Upon completing the IBDP, students will receive certificates for the prestigious IB Diploma. IB qualifications are globally recognised, showcasing to prospective colleges and universities that students have acquired the competencies and skills necessary to thrive in tertiary education. Graduates from this programme will have demonstrated their ability to work independently to a high academic standard across several subject areas with excellent time management and organisational skills.

IB Teachers

Our exceptional IB teachers, from PYP to DP, engage in continuous professional development through the IB Organisation and Inspired Education. This ensures the highest quality education for our students, starting from the Primary Years. Additionally, the majority of our DP instructors are certified IB examiners, which grants them a unique understanding of assessment standards and equips them to effectively prepare our students for success in their IBDP exams.

The IB Learner Profile

Throughout the IB Continuum programmes, students will gain an understanding of and become familiar with the IB learner profile. The ten attributes that make up this profile inspire and motivate the work of teachers, students, and the entire IB community at our school. These attributes reflect the IB's goals and values, defining what it means to have an international mindset. Members of the IB learning community strive to be inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, knowledgeable, principled, open-minded, caring, balanced, and reflective, which align with the International School of Como’s core values.

Additional Information about the IB Continuum Programmes

IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)

The IB Primary Years Programme introduces inquiry-based learning and self-reflection, encouraging learners to take initiative and assume responsibility for their educational progress. The PYP follows six transdisciplinary themes of global significance that provide real-life contexts for students to reinforce their knowledge and competencies across different subject areas. They inspire diverse inquiries and projects, encouraging learners to ask questions, problem-solve, and develop 21st-century skills.

Subjects are woven into Units of Inquiry and include English, Italian, Mathematics, Arts, Performance, Computing, Physical Education and Dance. Bridges between subject disciplines are fostered and developed to build transferable knowledge, understanding and skills.

The PYP includes the following key elements:

Knowledge: Essential, relevant content for students to explore, considering their prior experiences and understanding.
Approaches to Learning (ATL): Five categories of skills (social, communication, research, self-management, and thinking) that help students of all ages become self-regulated learners.
Concepts: Important ideas relevant within and beyond subject areas, requiring exploration for deep understanding.
Action: PYP action, initiated by students, is authentic, meaningful, and responsible. Students learn to view learning as valuable and act positively, reflect, choose wisely, and engage responsibly with peers, staff, and the community.

IB Middle Years Programme (MYP)

At ISC, the MYP lasts for the three years of Middle School and the first two years of High School (11 to 16 years). The MYP programme builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired during the Primary Years, fostering the development of independent, internationally-minded, and lifelong learners.

MYP Study Areas

Within the MYP Curriculum, there are eight distinct subject areas: Arts, Individuals & Societies, Language & Literature, Language Acquisition, Mathematics, Physical & Health Education, Science, and Design. This approach ensures a holistic education, preparing our students to thrive with a strong foundation of knowledge and skills in the DP. Additionally, MYP students regularly participate in Interdisciplinary Units that connect two or more subject groups, and support the community through Service as Action projects.

In MYP4 and MYP5, the final two years of the MYP, subject specialisation takes place in some of the eight subject groups. They are the culmination of the MYP and serve as preparation for the IB Diploma Programme, where subject choices should align with university course aspirations and career goals.

IB Diploma Programme (DP)

In the last two years of High School, ISC offers the rigorous two-year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for 16-19-year-olds, which is widely considered to be the world’s leading pre-university qualification and one of the most challenging and intensive high school programmes. The IB Diploma Programme continues the international ethos of IS Como and builds on the IB philosophy from both the PYP and MYP Programmes.

Our IBDP curriculum covers a wide range of disciplines to prepare our senior students for university study in their chosen pathways.

IBDP Subject Groups & Core Elements

In the IB Diploma, students study subjects from six subject groups, selecting three subjects at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). Students are guided in their selection process to ensure their subject choices fully align with their university course aspirations and requirements:

two modern languages
a humanities or social science subject
an experimental science
mathematics
one of the creative arts or an additional subject from the previous groups.

Additionally, students must complete the IBDP Core elements, which include Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and a 4,000-word Extended Essay (EE).

We are thrilled to announce that the International School of Como is now a candidate school for the IBCP.*

We are aiming to offer two pathways for students joining us in Grade 12: The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP).

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a rigorous pre-university programme for students aged 16 to 19, focusing on academic excellence across six subject groups and core components like Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP) is designed for students interested in career-related education, combining academic courses with practical, career-focused learning. Both programmes promote critical thinking and global awareness, preparing students for exciting futures. We aim to offer six business-related pathways.

*Only schools authorised by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.

Learn more about the International Baccalaureate programmes at our IB school in Como to discover how we can prepare your child for future success in Italy and beyond.

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IB: International Baccalaureate