La Scuola International School
728 20th St, San Francisco 94107
Founded in 2002, La Scuola International School – the only Reggio Emilia inspired, International Baccalaureate (IB) and Italian language immersion school in the world – is serving the Bay Area with two San Francisco campuses (Preschool - Grade 8), and one new campus in Silicon Valley (Preschool - Grade 1). Our mission is to inspire brave learners to shape the future. Every day, it’s the students at La Scuola who ask challenging questions and lead their learning across languages, across cultures, and across subjects.
At a glance
What this means
Reggio Emilia is a child-led approach where learning grows out of children's own questions and projects, with teachers as guides rather than instructors.
Full immersion means most of the day is conducted in Italian Immersion, so children absorb the language naturally. It's normal for kids to understand little at first — they pick it up quickly.
Tuition shown is as of 2024 and may have changed — confirm with the school.
Good questions to ask on a tour
- 1How do children's interests shape the projects you do, and can you share a recent example?
- 2What are the exact drop-off and pickup times, and is there any flexibility?
- 3Beyond the listed tuition, what other fees should I expect (application, deposit, materials, field trips)?
- 4How do you handle the transition for children starting mid-year or moving up from a younger classroom?
- 5What is your potty-training policy, and how do you support children who are still learning?
- 6How do you handle discipline, conflict between children, and big feelings?
- 7How much of the day is in Italian Immersion, and do children need any prior exposure to the language?
- 8How does the transition to kindergarten work, and which elementary schools do graduates typically attend?
- 9What is your application timeline, and when do families typically hear back?
- 10How large is each class, and what is the teacher-to-child ratio?