Olona International School
Bilingual Primary and Lower Secondary School
Fagnano Olona
Why are more and more families choosing OIS?
Bilingualism
At Becoming schools, bilingualism is not just an educational choice: it is a core value. At OIS, Italian and English coexist naturally as everyday tools for communicating, thinking and learning about the world. Thanks to the everyday presence of native-speaking teachers, our pupils develop flexible thinking, logical reasoning skills and an open-minded, global outlook from an early age.
As early as third grade of Primary School, we introduce the study of German: a first step towards multilingualism, which pupils build on in Middle School as they work towards international qualifications.
STEAM
Through the STEAM programme, we integrate science, technology, art and mathematics into interdisciplinary courses that develop critical and design thinking.
Through the Tinkering & Coding workshops and the Flipped Classroom approach, pupils learn by doing, “‘think with their hands’ and to work together. Creativity is also expressed through Drama and the arts, taught in English (CLIL) to bring self-expression and language learning together.
Active Learning
Our approach focuses on children’s direct experience and natural curiosity through active teaching methods that promote hands-on and meaningful learning.
With Inquiry-Based Learning, pupils start with their own questions to observe, formulate hypotheses and collect data, developing answers and solutions with increasing independence. At OIS, we see experimenting — and making mistakes — as a valuable opportunity to reflect and grow.
Outdoor education
At OIS, as in all Becoming Education schools, outdoor education is not just an occasional activity; it is a way of experiencing school.
The outdoor environment becomes an extension of the classroom: a living space in which to develop independence, curiosity and awareness. The garden, the vegetable patch and the Olona Valley area all become open-air science laboratories.
Getting out and about and observing nature every day promotes physical wellbeing and helps us to grow as citizens who care about sustainability and biodiversity.
That is why we make sure children spend time outdoors every day.
Emotional and social development
We support children and young people’s all-round development through a programme focused on emotional and relational intelligence.
At OIS, learning to recognise one’s own emotions, manage conflicts with empathy and collaborate with others is as much an integral part of the curriculum as the academic subjects. The school provides a dedicated pastoral mentor, offering pupils a safe space to be heard and to grow, along with ongoing support for families.
Teacher training
The quality of a school depends on the quality of its teachers. We believe that training teachers means ensuring, day in, day out, that children receive a high-quality education.
That is why, in Becoming Education schools, training is not a one-off event but an ongoing process that fosters competence, awareness and a caring approach to teaching.
The Becoming Academy is the dedicated training centre for all teaching staff within the Becoming Education group.
Nutrition Education
Learning to eat well as adults starts with developing a healthy, curious and joyful relationship with food from an early age.
For us, lunchtime is both an educational and a social experience. Our children also help evaluate the quality of their school meals.
Teachers are trained to guide the children through this process, and throughout the year we focus on understanding the food pyramid and reducing food waste.
Bilingualism
At Becoming schools, bilingualism is not just an educational choice: it is a core value. At OIS, Italian and English coexist naturally as everyday tools for communicating, thinking and learning about the world. Thanks to the everyday presence of native-speaking teachers, our pupils develop flexible thinking, logical reasoning skills and an open-minded, global outlook from an early age.
As early as third grade of Primary School, we introduce the study of German: a first step towards multilingualism, which pupils build on in Middle School as they work towards international qualifications.
STEAM
Through the STEAM programme, we integrate science, technology, art and mathematics into interdisciplinary courses that develop critical and design thinking.
Through the Tinkering & Coding workshops and the Flipped Classroom approach, pupils learn by doing, “‘think with their hands’ and to work together. Creativity is also expressed through Drama and the arts, taught in English (CLIL) to bring self-expression and language learning together.
Active Learning
Our approach focuses on children’s direct experience and natural curiosity through active teaching methods that promote hands-on and meaningful learning.
With Inquiry-Based Learning, pupils start with their own questions to observe, formulate hypotheses and collect data, developing answers and solutions with increasing independence. At OIS, we see experimenting — and making mistakes — as a valuable opportunity to reflect and grow.
Outdoor education
At OIS, as in all Becoming Education schools, outdoor education is not just an occasional activity; it is a way of experiencing school.
The outdoor environment becomes an extension of the classroom: a living space in which to develop independence, curiosity and awareness. The garden, the vegetable patch and the Olona Valley area all become open-air science laboratories.
Getting out and about and observing nature every day promotes physical wellbeing and helps us to grow as citizens who care about sustainability and biodiversity.
That is why we make sure children spend time outdoors every day.
Emotional and social development
We support children and young people’s all-round development through a programme focused on emotional and relational intelligence.
At OIS, learning to recognise one’s own emotions, manage conflicts with empathy and collaborate with others is as much an integral part of the curriculum as the academic subjects. The school provides a dedicated pastoral mentor, offering pupils a safe space to be heard and to grow, along with ongoing support for families.
Teacher training
The quality of a school depends on the quality of its teachers. We believe that training teachers means ensuring, day in, day out, that children receive a high-quality education.
That is why, in Becoming Education schools, training is not a one-off event but an ongoing process that fosters competence, awareness and a caring approach to teaching.
The Becoming Academy is the dedicated training centre for all teaching staff within the Becoming Education group.
Nutrition Education
Learning to eat well as adults starts with developing a healthy, curious and joyful relationship with food from an early age.
For us, lunchtime is both an educational and a social experience. Our children also help evaluate the quality of their school meals.
Teachers are trained to guide the children through this process, and throughout the year we focus on understanding the food pyramid and reducing food waste.
Becoming Education
Becoming Education is a project for children aged 0–13 that promotes an inclusive, participatory approach to learning, combining expertise, pedagogical research and extensive experience in education. .
OIS is part of the Becoming Education network and shares its principles, vision and approach. Through this partnership, the school draws on shared research, professional development and teaching resources, whilst keeping its own local identity and close, day-to-day relationship with children and families.
Frequently Asked Questions
OIS offers a unique combination of a solid bilingual and multilingual pathway and a real focus on motivating every pupil.
Our strength lies in making every child and young person an active part of the school community, helping them recognise their own talents and build a personal and mindful approach to study.
Choosing OIS means entering a school that integrates active teaching methods, Outdoor Education, and internationally recognised qualifications of excellence (Cambridge and Goethe).
The offer includes the Primary School (ages 6–11), a bilingual primary school, and the Middle School (ages 11–13), a bilingual and multilingual lower secondary school.
This joined-up journey helps pupils build key European competences through daily language use and practical experience.
From Year 3 of Primary School, German is also introduced— a further step towards multilingualism, which pupils go on to develop in Middle School with official certifications.
You can book a visit or sign up for Open Days by filling in the contact form on the Visit the School page.
Additionally, you’re welcome to bring your child along for a morning of “typical school activities” alongside our students, to get a real feel for school life.
Start your journey at OIS
Come and discover the school: book a visit or request information. We look forward to welcoming you!