By Giulia Ceccon · Chief Marketing Officer
Italian international schools follow the Ministero dell'Istruzione curriculum, ending with the Esame di Stato (Maturità) at 18–19. The system is known for depth in the humanities, classical languages at the liceo classico, and strong maths & sciences at the liceo scientifico.
The learning pathway
-
Ages 3–6
Scuola dell'Infanzia
Preschool education, play-based with early language and socialisation.
-
Ages 6–14
Scuola Primaria & Secondaria di primo grado
Five years of primary followed by three years of middle school. Culminates in the Esame di terza media — the middle-school leaving exam.
-
Ages 14–19
Liceo / Esame di Stato
Five-year upper secondary in one of several tracks — liceo classico (classical), scientifico (sciences), linguistico (languages) and others. Ends with the Maturità.
Choosing a liceo track
The choice of liceo shapes the child's academic profile from age 14. Classico is Latin- and philosophy-heavy; scientifico is maths/science-strong; linguistico focuses on three modern languages; artistico specialises in visual and applied arts. Universities in Italy are generally track-agnostic at admission.
Is Italian right for your child?
It tends to suit families who…
- •Have Italian connections or are moving to Italy
- •Value humanities depth and classical education
- •Are targeting Italian or European universities
It may be less ideal if…
- •Your child has no Italian and is joining at secondary
- •You'd prefer a broad senior programme like IB
- •The five-year liceo commitment feels inflexible
Common questions
FAQs about the Italian curriculum
Is the Maturità accepted internationally?
Yes. UK universities usually cite a specific overall grade out of 100 (e.g. 85+ for competitive courses); US universities treat it as equivalent to a strong high school diploma with subject depth.
Can non-Italian speakers attend?
Younger children adapt quickly with school support. Secondary entry without Italian is genuinely difficult because the philosophical and literary content is language-heavy.
Find schools