Parent's Review of International School of Modena in Modena, Italy

What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)

International School of Modena

In what town or city is this school located?

Modena

How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)

International

What grade levels are represented at this school?

Kindergarten, PYP and MYP

How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)

bus / car - some on foot

How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?

The school buildings are modern, light and spacious - easy to park and access. It is a relatively new site. The school shares a gym and lunch/dining facilities with the school next door. From September 14 the school will not allow children to bring in packed lunches and now parents must pay nearly 9 euro a day for school lunches. There were some after school clubs, though limited choice. On average we were able to partake of one or maybe (if we got lucky) two clubs a term. Clubs did not run for the first few or last weeks of the term.

What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?

Our children moved into the school in Year 1 and 2 (aged 5 and 6). This was an easy transition for them due to the PYP system being less advanced and less challenging that the KS1 curriculum they had come from - we were also English mother tongue. For children from non English speaking countries this was more of a challenge.

How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?

As the school was quite small parents were close and met regularly, there was an active PTA, though in latter years heavily controlled by the school manager. Parents often organised events away from the school.

What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?

Ask to see the inspection report, ask about budgets for books and IT resources, ask to see the books of children in the school - this will give you an idea of what you are letting yourself in for. Ask to see curriculum plans in place for the years of your children. Ask the school to show you any Online resources they subscribe to. I advise this because had we were somewhat naïve when we looked at the school and had some shocks once we arrived. Please ask to see how they develop the children grammatically and mathematically and about differentiation and progression. I did not see any examples of this happening during our 3 years at the school but things may have improved.

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Italian For A While

Become ‘Italian for a While’ with IFA! Learn in Italy on a 1-week to 12-month program - open to students, young adults, graduates, digital nomads, professionals, groups, faculty-led programs, and more. Take courses at an accredited school while immersing yourself in the language, life, and culture among your international peers. Submit an inquiry with IFA to learn more.
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