The High School at the International School of Florence provides a leading pre-university education for students aged 14 to 18. As a critical differentiator, International School of Florence is one of the very few international schools in Italy to offer a dual-pathway curriculum including both the full IB Diploma and an accredited American High School Diploma.
Based at our historical Upper School Campus, our High School programs maintain an average class size of 15 to 18 students. This intimate setting allows our faculty – composed of 100% IB-trained and certified educators, predominantly native English speakers with international teaching experience – to deliver highly individualized academic and college counseling.
Why Choose the International School of Florence for High School in Italy: two Diploma Pathways
Selecting the right secondary school pathway determines a student’s global university options. International School of Florence stands out in Tuscany and across Italy by refusing a “one-size-fits-all” approach. Through our dual accreditation, we offer a single, unified High School curriculum where all students study the same rigorous subjects side-by-side, while providing the flexibility to graduate with either the full IB Diploma or the accredited American High School Diploma, depending on the final examination and assessment track chosen.
Whether your child is targeting highly competitive Ivy League institutions in the United States, Russell Group universities in the United Kingdom, top-tier European programs like Bocconi, or domestic Italian universities, our structured academic tracks ensure complete alignment with global matriculation requirements. Our students graduate not just with a diploma, but with the analytical skills and global mindset demanded by the world’s leading higher educational institutions.
Pre-IB Years at the International School of Florence: What Happens in Grades 9 and 10
Grades 9 and 10 at International High School serve as the vital “Pre-IB” foundational phase. Essentially, it represents a deliberate, two-year preparatory curriculum designed to bridge the gap between middle school exploration and the rigorous demands of upper-level diplomas.
During these two years, the curriculum focuses heavily on developing pre-diploma skills, including advanced laboratory reporting, historical data analysis, and extended essay writing mechanics. Academic guidance is highly structured: during Grade 10, students reach a crucial milestone as they transition smoothly into their upcoming upper-secondary path for the final two years, deciding whether to pursue the full IB Diploma layout or focus exclusively on the American High School Diploma track. Our university counseling team begins working directly with students in Grade 9, helping them navigate these choices, build strong academic profiles, understand credit accumulation, and develop long-term co-curricular portfolios well before the university application process begins.
The Personal Project: Grade 10 Capstone at the International School of Florence
As a major differentiator against non-IB systems, our students begin preparing for their capstone independent inquiry during the later months of Grade 8, leading into a structured execution phase. This major landmark project requires students to set a real-world goal based on personal passions, manage a detailed action plan, and produce a tangible product alongside a formal reflective report.
During this process, students take full ownership of their learning: they conduct independent research, interview experts, manage deadlines, and present their final results to the school community. This independent project builds critical self-management and critical thinking skills, directly preparing students for the advanced academic requirements they will face in the upper grades and during their final high school diploma years for the Extended Essay.
The IB Diploma Pathway at the International School of Florence
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) at the International School of Florence is a rigorous, pre-university two-year course of study designed for students in Grades 11 and 12. Highly regarded by competitive universities worldwide for its depth and academic integrity, the framework challenges students to excel across multiple disciplines. Students select six subjects from diverse areas – including advanced sciences, mathematics, humanities, and languages – studying three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL).
In addition to traditional coursework, every student must complete the distinct IB Core components:
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK): A course challenging students to reflect on the nature of knowledge and how we know what we claim to know.
- The Extended Essay (EE): An independent, 4,000-word research paper on a topic of the student’s choice, simulating university-level scholarship.
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): A framework requiring experiential learning outside the classroom through artistic, physical, and community service projects.
To learn more about the specific course configurations, assessment criteria, and subject choices available at our campus, explore our comprehensive IB Diploma.
The American Diploma Pathway at the International School of Florence
For families seeking a highly flexible, individualized secondary education, International School of Florence offers an accredited American High School Diploma track spanning Grades 9 through 12. This pathway is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA-CESS), ensuring immediate, seamless recognition across all US colleges and universities.
Operating on a credit-based academic system, students earn foundational credits annually across core academic disciplines and elective options. The primary advantage of this track is its outstanding flexibility: students can configure their course loads to favor specific strengths – such as advanced arts, design, or humanities – without the rigid cross-disciplinary distribution rules of the full IB. Students follow the same high-level curriculum but can opt for alternative internal assessments instead of the full IB exams, allowing them to balance their academic load and maximize their secondary school transcript for university admissions.
One Shared High School Curriculum: Choosing the IB or American Diploma Exam
At the International School of Florence, all Upper Secondary students share the exact same classroom experience. There are no separate academic tracks; every student sits side-by-side, engaging with the same high-level curriculum and university-level coursework.
The distinction between the IB Diploma and the American Diploma lies solely in how students are assessed at the end of the journey. While the classroom learning is identical, students can choose the final certification track that best fits their goals. They can either sit for the six-subject IB Diploma exams or fulfill course requirements to graduate with the accredited American High School Diploma. This unique structure ensures that every student benefits from the highest level of academic rigor, while maintaining the flexibility to choose the exam framework that matches their future university plans.
Standardised Testing at ISF: SAT and ACT
For families targeting North American and global universities, navigating standardised testing is a key component of the college journey. The International School of Florence serves as an official on-campus testing center for the SAT, hosting 3 to 4 sessions per academic year. For the ACT, ISF is not an internal center, but our counseling team fully supports students in registering at approved external locations nearby.
Because our unified High School curriculum is centered around the IB framework, ISF does not offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses; however, the school accommodates students requiring specialized UK assessments by hosting Oxbridge admissions tests upon research and request.
Rather than offering commercial test prep classes, International School of Florence provides comprehensive informal guidance on timing, scheduling, and high-quality self-study resources. For students completing their transcripts, SAT scores complement their school records. US universities evaluate these metrics holistically, viewing strong standardized scores as a validation of the rigorous, university-level coursework shared by all International School of Florence students in the classroom.
College Counseling at ISF: Overview for High School Families
University placement at the International School of Florence is an intentional, multi-year journey rather than a final-year rush. By introducing our University Success Program (USP) early in Grade 9, our college counseling department works closely with families to demystify global admissions landscapes and ensure a structured, stress-free timeline. We utilize a highly personalized, dedicated one-to-one counseling model, ensuring every student receives regular, individual planning sessions to map out transcripts, arrange summer opportunities, track achievements on a master resume, and draft vital personal statements or college essays.
Throughout this journey, our counselors provide bespoke mentorship tailored to each student’s specific academic strengths and global ambitions – with the added advantage of International School of Florence serving as an official on-campus testing center for the SAT. Beyond individual sessions, International School of Florence hosts an annual international university fair on campus, bringing admissions directors from elite institutions across the US, UK, and Europe directly to Florence to meet our students. To view our full counseling timeline from Grade 9 to Grade 12, workshop schedules, and resources for global applications, please visit our University Admissions & College Counseling page.
Where our Graduates Go: University Destinations Worldwide
The success of our rigorous, shared High School curriculum and flexible final assessment tracks is clearly reflected in our global matriculation records and excellent academic results. The International School of Florence is committed to academic excellence, with our students consistently performing well above the global average. Our recent IB Diploma outcomes showcase a remarkable pass rate of 85% to 98% (exceeding the global average of ~79%) and an average score of 33-35 points, well above the world average of 30. Furthermore, highlighting our commitment to multilingualism, over 60% of our graduates earn a Bilingual Diploma, with top achievers regularly reaching scores of 40+ and even the maximum 45 points.
Thanks to this foundation, our graduates consistently secure placements at the world’s most selective institutions. In the United Kingdom, our students have transitioned to the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, LSE, and the University of St Andrews. In the United States, top-tier destinations include Yale, MIT, Stanford, NYU, and the University of California (Berkeley/UCLA). Across Europe and Italy, our graduates seamlessly enter premier institutions such as ETH Zurich, the University of Amsterdam, IE University in Spain, and Bocconi University in Milan. For a complete, validated directory of our university placements and historic exam success metrics, explore our official results page.
Student Life at ISF High School: Co-Curricular activities
Academic excellence at the High School level is complemented by a vibrant, high-profile co-curricular ecosystem at Villa Torri di Gattaia. Our students lead and participate in exceptional experiential programs that build leadership, public speaking, and collaborative skills.
Key high-school programs include our renowned Model United Nations (MUN) delegation and our very own student-hosted FloMUN conference, which draws international schools from across Europe. Additionally, students organize and speak at TEDxISF Youth, providing a powerful platform for public speaking and big ideas. High schoolers also challenge themselves through the prestigious Duke of Edinburgh International Award and compete in varsity sports leagues against other international schools across Italy. To view the full directory of current clubs and schedules, visit our co-curriculum page.