St. Stephen's School in Rome, Italy, is a non-denominational, co-ed, English, International Boarding and Day School, for students in grades 9-12. Founded in 1964, St. Stephen's provides a demanding classical and liberal arts college-preparatory curriculum. We use our unique position in the historical centre of Rome to enhance our signature courses as well as our wide range of arts, clubs and sports programs. Our graduates obtain the International Baccalaureate Diploma and the American High School Diploma.
St. Stephen's School was founded by a group of North American educators who took the American independent school as a model, though with the intention of superseding it, literally creating a “pace-setter,” in their terminology, that other schools would seek to emulate. Notably, it was non-denominational, firmly set within the liberal-arts ideal, offering a course of study toward educating students to take active part in civic life, locally and globally. The founders chose Rome because of its stature in world history and its proximity to some of the prime moral, artistic, and political antecedents of western life. Unusual for the time, it would also be an international school in the sense that we think of it today, one where students come from around the world to grow and learn together, gaining a sense not only of their talents, but also how to deploy them in international settings. In 1975 it became the first school in Italy to adopt the IB. Today the enrollment remains intentionally small, with a high student-instructor ratio, and is attractive to students who share a dedication to learning in a truly international and intercultural environment. The facilities are as good as it gets, sparkling in every way, located in a villa—one that itself sympathetically reflects the architectural heritage of the region—steps from a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the Circus Maximus, Roman Forum and the Colosseum. Instructors also arrive from around the world, all bringing a close experience of the IB and a passion for what it can offer. A majority of students live locally, though boarding is available, and the school is rightly a draw for students arriving from IB programmes in North America, Europe and Asia. Throughout, St. Stephen's continues to realise the founders’ desire to create an institution that would be more than just another school, one that would exemplify the cosmopolitan ideal and serve as an important model of academic excellence.
Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at St. Stephen's School, Rome.
Promotional video for St. Stephen's School, Rome.
Central to your child's school experience is the underlying curriculum taught in the classroom. "Curriculum" refers to both what is taught and how it's taught. When considering the different curricula outlined in the next few pages, keep in mind that few schools fall neatly into one category or another. Most schools' curricula comprise a blend of best practices drawn from multiple curriculum types. Having said that, most schools do have a general overall curriculum type. These are identified for each school on OurKids.net.
Primary Curriculum: Liberal ArtsSuch an approach to curriculum shares with traditional programs their emphasis on core knowledge-acquisition, but tends to borrow more best practices from the progressive approach. The goal isn't to prepare students for vocational life, but rather to encourage an appreciation of the benefits of education itself, including academic and personal development. There is an emphasis on knowledge acquisition as well as theoretical and academic learning, but the real focus is on cultivating the intellect.
Secondary Curriculum: American Curriculum| Focus |
|---|
| Academic |
| Flexible pacing style | offered |
|---|---|
| Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
| Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
| Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
| Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
| Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
| Differentiated assessment |
| Subject type | offered |
|---|---|
| Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
| Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
| Subject type | offered |
|---|---|
| Accommodations | |
| Modifications | |
| Extra support |
| Special needs | Accomodations
Formal adjustments are made to the delivery of lessons to help mitigate the learning difficulty or exceptionality. The underlying content and expectations remain unchanged with accommodations, however. (Example: allowing a student to write tests in a quieter room). | Modifications The underlying content and expectations are modified and/or simplified for the sake of the student. (Examples: allowing student to use a calculator on a test when other students can’t; allowing students to bring word-banks or “cheat sheets” into certain tests, etc) | Remediation Research-based therapeutic measures that target and ameliorate the underlying weakness. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning disabilities | |||
| ADHD (moderate to severe) | |||
| Dyslexia (Language-Based Learning Disability) | |||
| Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) | |||
| Dyscalculia | |||
| Dysgraphia | |||
| Language Processing Disorder | |||
| Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD) | |||
| Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit | |||
| Developmental | |||
| Autism | |||
| Asperger's Syndrome | |||
| Down syndrome | |||
| Intellectual disability | |||
| Behavioral and Emotional | |||
| Troubled behaviour / troubled teens | |||
| Clinical Depression | |||
| Suicidal thoughts | |||
| Drug and alcohol abuse | |||
| Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) | |||
| Physical | |||
| Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder) | |||
| Blindness | |||
| Deafness | |||
| Cystic Fibrosis | |||
| Multiple physical |
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
| Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: This information is not currently available.
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
| Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
| Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
| Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
| Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
In grade Gr. 12, SSS Rome students perform an average of >2 hours of homework per night.
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SSS Rome | 90 mins | 90 mins | 160 mins | 160 mins |
| Site Average | 70 mins | 74 mins | 105 mins | 112 mins |
| Sports Offered | Competitive | Recreational |
|---|---|---|
| Basketball | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Tennis | ||
| Volleyball |
| Clubs Offered |
|---|
| Jazz Ensemble |
| Math Club |
| Photography |
| Poetry/Literature club |
| Robotics club |
| School newspaper |
| Science Club |
| Student Council |
| Yearbook |
| Yoga |
| Art Club |
| Band |
| Choir |
| Community Service |
| Computer Club |
| Dance Club |
| Drama Club |
| Environmental Club |
| Grade | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | EUR €25,145 | |||
| Boarding | EUR €39,095 | |||
This information is not currently available.
| Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day School | 250 |
| Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 | Coed | Boarding School | 47 |
| Total enrollment | 297 |
| Average enrollment per grade | 74 |
| Average class size | 10 to 15 |
| Gender | Coed |
| Grades | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 |
| Boarding offered | Gr. 9 to Gr. 12 |
| % in boarding (total enrollment) | 16% |
| % of foreign students | 70% |
| # of nationalities attending school | 55 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|
| Services | Offered |
|---|---|
| Career planning | |
| Internships | |
| Mentorship Program | |
| University counseling |
| Key Numbers | |
|---|---|
| Average graduating class size | 80 |
| Alumnus | Grad Year | Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
| Ettore Vulcano | 2001 | Dr. Vulcano is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in disorders of the foot and ankle as well as deformities of the extremities. |
| Diana Paredes | 2002 | Diana Paredes is the CEO and Co-Founder of Suade, a benchmark software platform that enables financial institutions to understand and deliver their regulatory requirements. |
Nestling at the foot of the Aventine, the most exclusive of Rome’s seven hills, and a stone’s throw from the city’s great imperial sites, our international non-denominational high school for boarding and day students has built its academic program and reputation on the classical heritage of our host country, Italy, and the rigor of two prestigious educational models: the American, independent college-preparatory curriculum, and the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
Mens Voluntas Gratia
Our students come from all over the world to pursue their high school education in an atmosphere of scholarly endeavor, creative exploration and multicultural exchange. Our motto articulates the dedication to academic excellence shared by students and faculty alike:
At 275 students we are small, forty boarders constitute our ‘nuclear’ family, the experiential dimension of our curriculum, which includes an extensive trip program, confers a ‘hands on’ feel to our academics and our location, in the heart of the Eternal City and at the crossroads of Europe, provides a rich cultural context in which to learn and grow.
The faculty at St. Stephen’s are scholars, artists, writers and scientists who are passionate about their subjects and illuminate the minds and lives of the students they teach, each day and every year.
We look forward to welcoming new students who wish to join us; we would love to hear from you again if you already belong to our global family. Meanwhile, from inside the walls of our cloistered campus, we invite you to tour our site, virtually, or in person, whenever you wish.
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