Rome International School

Via Guglielmo Pecori Giraldi, 137, 00135 Rome, Italy. The RIS Rome campus sits in Monte Mario Natural Reserve in north-west Rome, close to the city centre, on more than 3 hectares of natural parkland.

Early Years (ages 2-5); Elementary School (ages 5-11); Middle School (ages 12-14); High School (ages 14-18). The school offers the IB Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, together with Cambridge IGCSE.

IB World School offering the IB Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programme, and Cambridge IGCSE.

60+ nationalities represented.

In very special circumstances, external support for the student is guaranteed, which may be provided as additional tutoring at home or continuous support in normal lessons by a qualified specialist.

Italy

The school day starts at 08:30. The campus has three lunchrooms serving organic lunches; Middle and High School have a self-service lunchroom.

RIS Rome is an IB World School and a Cambridge IGCSE examination centre. The Primary Years Programme is offered in the Early Years and Elementary, integrated with the Italian curriculum. The Middle Years Programme (ages 12–14) leads to the Cambridge IGCSE (ages 14–16). The High School offers the IB Diploma Programme with equivalency to the Italian Maturità. RIS Rome is the only school in Rome authorised to offer the PYP and the IB Diploma Programme. The Italian Ministerial Curriculum is also offered in Early Years, Elementary and Middle School (Licenza Media), with some hours for Italian language study; all Year 11 students study Cambridge IGCSE Italian, while Italian A and Italian B options apply in the Diploma.

In 2025, Terza Media exams achieved a 100% pass rate, with several perfect scores.

RIS Rome provides university preparation and guidance through a Careers and University Counsellor. The university application process is a two-year exercise with workshops, one-to-one meetings, university fairs and lectures. Students receive personalised support to identify study areas and career ambitions and to select universities worldwide; recent destinations include the University of St Andrews, Imperial College London, the University of Bath, the University of Warwick, LUISS, the University of Exeter, and others. Students applying to universities in Europe, the USA, Canada or the UK receive tailored assistance.

RIS Rome embeds social and emotional learning across the whole school through a Wellbeing programme that aims for every student to feel valued, safe, happy and to have a strong sense of belonging. The wellbeing approach is based on Positive Psychology principles, represented by the PERMAH model (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment and Health). The programme involves a whole-school commitment with age-appropriate wellbeing activities, bi-annual student and staff surveys, and a dedicated staff wellbeing team that meets each half term to plan and monitor action. It includes half-termly wellbeing assemblies, regular staff training, parent workshops, and Globeducate-wide initiatives such as the Body Confidence programme. Student wellbeing ambassadors (Years 7–13), a Listening Centre, and two school psychologists support students, with PHSE lessons and a strong emphasis on student voice and pastoral care.

In very special circumstances, families may be informed that a student can be accepted into Middle School only if external support for the student is guaranteed, which may include additional tutoring at home or continuous in-class support provided by a qualified external specialist (RIS Srl).

Nursery, Kindergarten and Transition use English as the first language, with English as the primary language of instruction across the school; the admission policy also assesses suitability for English as an Additional Language (EAL). Where needed, EAL support lessons are offered within the normal timetable, and extra English support during and after school hours can be provided at parental expense. All students take a third language (French, Spanish or Chinese), Italian is taught as part of the curriculum, and there is preparation for Italian Licenza Media exams in Middle School.

Mental wellbeing is a core part of RIS Rome's culture. The Wellbeing programme is grounded in Positive Psychology with the PERMAH framework and focuses on helping students develop positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment and health. The school surveys students and staff, has a 12-member wellbeing team, and runs termly wellbeing themes and assemblies. It provides a Listening Centre, Counselling services, and weekly wellbeing activities, supported by two school psychologists and a dedicated safeguarding structure. Globeducate wellbeing resources and webinars support staff and families, and a student wellbeing ambassador program helps lead assemblies and peer support.

Safeguarding is a priority at RIS Rome. All teachers complete comprehensive mandatory safeguarding training, and a dedicated safeguarding team is in place to support students and staff. Globeducate's Safeguarding and Welfare Officer provides oversight, and RIS adheres to Globeducate safeguarding policies (Nos 10a–e), covering child protection, ICT acceptable use, safer recruitment, risk assessments and whistleblowing. Welfare and counselling are available, with confidential counselling, a self-referral option, and guidance for medical and mental health concerns. RIS also participates in safeguarding initiatives such as Safer Internet Week, the Body Positivity Project and Anti-Bullying Week.

1. Initial Enquiry and School Contact
Parents initiate the admissions process by completing and submitting the online Admissions Enquiry Form on the school's website. Following this submission, the Admissions team contacts the family to provide specific guidance on how to move the application forward. During this initial stage, parents can also arrange virtual or in-person campus visits or attend open days to meet the leadership team. It is helpful for families to use this initial contact to ask about class capacity and specific curriculum paths.

2. Submission of Documentation
Once the inquiry is made, parents must compile and submit a comprehensive set of required documents to the school. This documentation includes the completed Enquiry Form, copies of the applicant's birth certificate and passport, a completed Medical Information Form signed by a parent or guardian, and official school reports for the past two years (translated into English if applicable). Additionally, recommendation forms must be sent directly to Rome International School from the student’s current school. Parents should note that previous school reports are not required for applicants under five years of age.

3. Academic Review and Assessments
After receiving all documents, the school's Senior Management Team evaluates the application based on academic, behavioural, and language development history. For Middle and High School applicants, the school requests a Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT4) assessment prior to enrolment. Placement in a specific grade depends on multiple factors, including the student's age, an interview, academic entrance tests for secondary levels, and consultations with parents. Parents must be aware that class placement relies on the student's age as of September 30th, since the school year follows a September-to-August calendar.

4. Application Outcome and Communication
The Senior Management Team finalises their decision after checking the entry criteria, which require families to respect the school's philosophy and demonstrate the student's ability to thrive in an English-instruction international environment. The official outcome of the admissions application is communicated to the family within seven working days of full submission. If the application is not accepted, any standard application sums paid up to that point are returned to the family. Parents should monitor their communication channels closely during this week-long window for the formal decision letter.

5. Enrolment Finalisation
Upon receiving an acceptance offer, parents must complete the enrolment procedure in person at the school's admissions office. This step requires the physical presence of the parents or guardians to provide necessary legal signatures on the enrolment contracts. At this stage, families will also arrange the payment of applicable registration and tuition fees, which vary depending on the year group. Parents should prepare for this final visit by coordinating schedules with the enrolment team to secure the student's place.

Rome International School offers a dedicated Scholarship Fund that provides financial assistance to qualified students based on merit and financial need. The school typically allocates four scholarships per academic year: two for the Elementary School and two for the Middle/High School. These awards can provide full coverage of annual tuition fees. In the Middle and High School sections, the school may also split a full award into two partial scholarships covering 50% of the tuition fees to recognise special student merit.