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Middle School (Grades 6-8)

The ONLY International Baccalaureate (IB) Education for San Francisco Middle Schools.

No Italian required for incoming students! 70% of the curriculum is taught in English.  Italian and Spanish make up the balance and are taught at different levels - beginner/intermediate and advanced.

Not all private middle schools in the Bay Area are alike. We believe that La Scuola's middle school program provides students with a strong foundation for success in high school, college and life. La Scuola middle school students have inquisitive minds, are phenomenal collaborators and empathetic global citizens.  They don't just think outside the box, they know that the box is an illusion. The curriculums we have combined are proven to build critical thinking skills, creative acumen, and a global perspective through the rigor of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years program. We maintain our strong Reggio Emilia pedagogy in middle school, ensuring subject work is planned such that students may indulge their passion in art, music, and the garden. We believe that multilingual education builds empathy along with the executive function and that our students graduate as independent learners and creative, critical and reflective thinkers.

We have combined the best of what is known about learning globally. The core elements include:

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP)

The IB-MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning. The program empowers students to inquire into a wide range of issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical and reflective thinkers. Read more about the IB MYP program below.

High Image of the Student

We assume students are capable of excellence and complexity. Our students contend with high quality literature and read scholarly research and nonfiction books that are generally considered for high school audiences. We scaffold as needed to ensure that students have the support to contend with complex writing about science, social science and literature.

A Pedagogy of Listening

The student voice continues to be key in middle school. Students learn to develop and answer their own conceptual and debatable questions and, after subjects are introduced by our faculty, lead their own research to find the answers and evaluate the factual nature of sources.

100 Languages

Students show learning in a wide variety of modalities - writing essays, oral presentation, drawing, podcasting, video, dance, and action such as advocacy letters. Students are exposed to traditional testing methods as well.

Focus on the Learning Environment

We place a premium on beautiful learning spaces because we believe that a beautiful place to ‘work’ inspires the student and the teacher and builds a love of learning for life. 

Sophisticated Discussions

An example of this is our Atelier on Democracy and Culture. The Reggio pedagogy accentuates the values of citizenship in a democratic society and the significance that beauty and culture play in a fully-developed life. We create space for students to bring this about in their own lives.

Hear from our Middle School Community

Meet Lilly, Grade 8
Meet Matteo, Grade 7
Meet Chiara Fornetti, IB-MYP Teacher

La Scuola is the only school in San Francisco accredited by the International Baccalaureate for both the Primary Years (PYP) and Middle Years (MYP) Programs.


Student Success

Research shows that students participating in the IB-MYP:

  • build confidence in managing their own learning
  • learn by doing, connecting the classroom to the larger world
  • outperform non-IB students in critical academic skills
  • consistently have greater success in high school and university
  • thrive in positive school cultures where they are engaged and motivated to excel
  • develop an understanding of global challenges and a commitment to act as responsible citizens

To learn more about how the International Baccalaureate program is a part of our entire school experience from PreK to Grade 8, read more on our International Baccalaureate page.

Learn more about Middle School

Apply for Middle School - No Italian required!

La Scuola is enrolling Grade 6 - 8 students into the Middle School Program for the 2024-2025 school year. To apply, please complete our application form, in Ravenna. You can always reach out to our Admissions team at 415-551-0000 x 412, or complete our inquiry form.