Erasmus+ TIPS Project - Presentation of the School from Italy

1. Istituto «Enrico Fermi»
Castellanza
Italy
Greetings to our new partners

2. Who we are
O Our school is a private high school with two
courses of education:
- a language high school
- a school for accountancy, marketing,
finance
o In 2012 a Junior High School ( 12 – 14 yrs )
was opened.
o At the moment we have 180 students.

3. Our European tradition
O Our school has been involved in
European and international projects for
over 15 years.
O We have developed several eTwinning
Projects ( 4 Quality Labels ) and 4
Comenius Multilateral Partnerships
O We also have contacts with schools in
Australia and the USA.
O We frequently host students and
university trainees from other countries.

4. Certilingua
O Since 2012 our school has joined the
network of Certilingua schools and offers
students the opportunity to obtain the
Certilingua certificate at the end of their 5-
year course.
O A Certilingua school offers a curriculum of
study oriented to the achievement of
excellence in the knowledge of at least
two foreign languages ( B2 level CEFR )
and in the development of intercultural
skills.

5. Castellanza
and the Olona Valley

6. Our location
O Our school is located in Castellanza, a
small town close to Milan and Varese,
situated in the so-called Olona Valley.
O The area can be defined as urban / sub-
urban.
O The economic background of the town is a
tradition in the textile manufacturing
industry, now replaced by more emphasis
on services.

7. Education in Italy
O The Italian school system has 3 main cycles of
education:
- Primary school ( from 6 to 11 )
- Junior High School ( from 12 to 14 )
- High School ( from 15 to 19 )
O Schooling is compulsory until the age of 16 but
further learning paths are recommended until the
age of 19.
O Access to university study is open to any student
with a high school degree ( 5 years of secondary
education ) but regulated by the academic
institutions with entry tests.

8. Syllabi and curricula
O In the Italian school system we do not
have any distinction between core
subjects and optional subjects, instead,
every course of study has a fixed syllabus.
O Our Language High School is more
oriented to the study of Foreign
Languages and Humanities
O Our Accountancy School is more
oriented to the study of Business
Administration, Economics, Law,
Marketing.

9. Language High School
O Our students study English, Spanish, German
or French for 5 years.
We have recently introduced Chinese
language and culture.
O Other important subjects are Italian Literature,
History, Philosophy, History of Arts ( in the
last 3 grades )
O Sciences: 2 hours/week x 5 years of
integrated science
O Math: 3 hours/week x 5 years
O Physics: 2 hours/week in the last 3 years

10. Accountancy High School
O Main subjects are Law and Business
Administration
O Marketing has been introduced as an
additional subject recently
O Two foreign languages: English and
Spanish
O Math: 4 hours/week
O Science: 4 hours /week in the first two
years of course

11. Teaching methods
O All students at our school work with tablets
and portable devices. All classrooms are
equipped with Interactive Whiteboards.
O Incorporating digital technology into everyday
teaching and learning is one of our main
concerns.
O The educational approach we try to follow is
based on the development of skills and
competences, on the active involvement of
students, on project based learning and
problem solving

12. Teaching methods
O As regards the development of skills in the
foreign languages, we encourage
students to use their knowledge and
abilities in real-situation tasks.
O Different subjects are studied in a foreign
language, mainly English but also Spanish
and German, applying the CLIL
methodology
O All languages are officially tested through
international certifications.

13. Study visits and exchanges
O The development of language skills is
supported by means of several occasions
for on-site learning:
- Learning weeks
- Students’ exchanges
- Summer study holidays
- Hosting opportunities

14. Work placement projects
O In the last 7 years our school has
developed a model of work placement
program which involves all students in the
3° and 4° grades of both high school
courses.
O The program fosters the development of
cross-curricular skills and skills for life
through work placement experiences
during the school year both in Italy and
abroad.

15. IFS
O Starting from this year our 3° grade Language
High School will be developing a three-year
project dedicated to the knowledge and
promotion of science museums in our area to
an international audience.
O The project will involve scientific preparation,
visits, meetings, talks with experts and work
placement periods in some local and
international museums and research centres.
O Main topic is the evolution of flight.

16. Extra-curricular activities
O ECDL preparation
O Chinese language course
O Drama project in English
O Charity and volunteering opportunities
O Students’ tuition and after-school study