PRIVATE SCHOOL ADMISSIONS PROCESS
SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
As a first step families should submit an enquiry form below. Once the form is submitted the admissions team will be in contact to discuss the application process.
ADMISSION POLICY
The International School of Monza serves a diverse community of students and their families. We offer a holistic education for children aged 2½ to 18 which promotes curiosity and international mindedness. English is our primary language of instruction, as well as being considered our inclusive language. Our Mission and Core Values intend to succinctly and honestly represent who we are:
Curious and internationally-minded learners striving for a world without frontiers.
IS Monza learners are:
Happy learners We value a safe and caring environment, where wellbeing is prioritised and all learners are included in a holistic and personalised approach
Experiential learners We value learning which is driven by inquiry and where learning experiences integrate technology and action mindfully
Ambitious learners We value the agency of learners and help develop their resilience on the journey to achieving the highest standards
Respectful learners We value a community which is based on respect where we are caring towards ourselves, towards all others and towards our environment
Thoughtful learners We value the development of creative and critical thought and the nurturing of transferable skills for a complex and interconnected future
We hope, through your initial exploration of the school, that you might already start to realise how we truly live and breathe these values in all aspects of our educational provision.
Alongside our Mission and Core Values, the standards and practices of the International Baccalaureate (IB) guide every feature of our educational provision, as articulately outlined in our policies for language, assessment, inclusion and academic integrity, all of which are made available to our school community and available to prospective families upon request.
The school is fully authorised by the IB to offer its Primary Years Programme (Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 6 / ages 2½ to 11), Middle Years Programme (Grade 7 to Grade 11 / ages 11 to 16) and Diploma Programme (Grade 12 to Grade 13 / ages 16-18). Furthermore, in Early Years, our practices are heavily influenced by the Reggio approach to early childhood education. Introductory information about each of these programmes is available on our school website. Our admissions policy is articulated to encourage the maintenance of diversity in our student body, as well as to ensure that students who are admitted to IS Monza can benefit from our educational provision throughout the continuum of IB education. Our policy and procedures are designed to identify these students in order to help parents and the school make the best choices in line with the individual needs of each student.
Students can be admitted to the school at any time of the academic year (with the exception of students joining Grades 11 to 13) and decisions are primarily based on a student’s prior school record (where available), confidential reference and a personal interview in which students and their families can demonstrate a commitment to the Core Values of the school. In addition, Primary-aged students are invited to spend a trial day with us and Secondary-aged students are required to take placement tests in English and Mathematics.
- Kindergarten - 3 years old
- Transition - 4 years old
- Grade 1 - 5 years old
- Grade 2 - 6 years old
- Grade 3 - 7 years old
- Grade 4 - 8 years old.
- Grade 5 - 9 years old.
- Grade 6 - 10 years old.
- Grade 7 - 11 years old
- Grade 8 - 12 years old
- Grade 9 - 13 years old
- Grade 10 - 14 years old
- Grade 11- 15 years old
- Grade 12 - 16 years old
- Grade 13 - 17 years old
- Family completes Enquiry Form on the school’s OpenApply admissions portal,
- Family attends Open Day, virtual or in-person school visit with admissions officer and leadership team member;
- Family invited to complete Application form and Checklist on OpenApply, uploading the following documentation:
- school reports;
- vaccination records;
- documentation pertinent to special learning or social-emotional needs (individual learning plans/psychological reports);
- proof of legal guardianship in the event an applicant will not be living with their parent(s).
- Primary-aged students are invited to spend a trial day
- Secondary-aged students are required to take placement tests in English and Mathematics
- Confidential reference to be submitted to IS Monza by applicant’s current/previous school
- Admission decision communicated to family based on evaluation of student’s application by school leadership and inclusion coordinator
For admission in preK-G1, we do not require students to have had previous exposure to the English language.
For admission into G2-6, upon admission, our English as an Additional Language (EAL) team will assess a student’s needs and coordinate a programme of support for the student’s first year at the school. Language assessments will continue throughout this first year in order to evaluate the need for a second year of in-school EAL support. In some cases, we may also require the family to engage with additional EAL lessons outside of school, funded directly by parents.
For admission into G7-9, students will take a placement test in English. Should the level of English be insufficient to access our English Language and Literature course, students will be placed in our English Language Acquisition course and may also be asked to enrol in a specialist English Language Acquisition course with an external provider, funded directly by parents.
For admission into G10-11, students will take a placement test in English. Should the level of English be insufficient to access our English Language and Literature course, students will be placed in our English Language Acquisition course and will also be asked to enrol in a specialist English Language Acquisition course with an external provider, funded directly by parents. Admission to the IB Diploma Programme come G12 will be evaluated during the course of G11.
For admission into G12, students will take a placement test in English. Should the level of English be insufficient to access the academic demands of the curriculum, admission will not be granted.
We seek to accommodate students with diverse learning needs, utilising the skillset of our inclusion team to support each individual’s learning needs. Students with learning or social-emotional needs, whether diagnosed or suspected, will be evaluated by the school’s inclusion coordinator. The outcome of this evaluation may result in parents being required to commit to providing extra support for their child, which may take the form of specialist in-class support or out-of-school provision.
We require that families inform us of any previously identified special needs or previous educational support at the time of application. Should it emerge at a later date that information was not disclosed to us at the time of application, the school reserves the right to discontinue enrolment.
Where we are in doubt about the suitability of our programmes for a particular applicant, we occasionally admit students on a trial basis. In this case the targets and criteria for success will be clearly identified before admission. The aim of the trial is to give a specific period to assess whether the student can be successful at IS Monza, ensuring that the trial is also short enough for him/her to transfer elsewhere if we find that our system is not appropriate for the student concerned.
In the event that a particular class is fully subscribed, successful applicants will be invited to place their name on a waiting list. In such circumstances, priority will be given to:
- Siblings of IS Monza students
- Children of IS Monza alumni
- Applicants from the international community
- Applicants who are proficient in the English language or transferring from English-medium schools
We usually place students in the grade appropriate to their age according to our placement chart, seeking to differentiate for their individual needs within this context. However, transfers will also take into consideration the student’s previous educational records and seek to provide continuity in the progression of their ongoing education.
Admission is at the discretion of the school and may not be granted for any reason, such as the impossibility to find a place due to full enrolment or an evaluation that IS Monza cannot cater for the student’s individual learning or social-emotional needs.
Families whose students enrol in IS Monza are expected to commit to the following:
- Our Core Values
- Respect for our policies in language, assessment, inclusion and academic integrity
- Their contractual obligations indicated in the enrolment contract
- Attendance at informative school presentations, workshops and conferences
- Provision of continuing opportunities for their child to engage with their cultural heritage and mother-tongue(s)