Where our Italy families are
Smartious Italy families concentrate across Milan (Italy's largest international school market — finance, fashion, pharmaceuticals, and the heart of the northern belt where roughly 75% of Italian homeschooling families live), Rome (the largest diplomatic corps in Italy plus the UN's FAO, WFP, and IFAD agencies — genuinely itinerant families), Florence (Italy's largest American study-abroad community and a long-settled Anglo-Florentine population, but thin upper-secondary provision and effectively none across rural Tuscany), Turin (Stellantis, Iveco, Thales Alenia Space — automotive and aerospace engineering), Bologna (Europe's oldest university plus the Motor Valley cluster — Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Maserati — spread across towns rather than one city), and Naples (NATO Allied Joint Force Command and the US Navy community, the largest concentration of military families in Italy, where curriculum continuity across rotations matters more than fees). Every one of them shares the same national legal framework and the same two parallel examination tracks.
Financial and fashion capital · largest international school market in Italy · Northern Italy holds roughly 75% of the country's homeschooling families
Capital · FAO, WFP, IFAD UN agencies · largest diplomatic corps in Italy · Rome International School, St. George's British International School
Renaissance art capital · largest concentration of American study-abroad programmes in Italy · substantial long-settled Anglo-American community
Automotive and aerospace capital · Stellantis, Iveco, Thales Alenia Space · Politecnico di Torino · established northern-Italy homeschool community
Europe's oldest university · Motor Valley — Ferrari, Lamborghini, Ducati, Maserati · packaging and automation engineering cluster
NATO Allied Joint Force Command · US Navy Support Site Gricignano · largest concentration of American military families in Italy
How Smartious compares to top Italy schools
Italy has a real international school landscape concentrated heavily in Milan and Rome, thinning markedly across Florence, Turin, Bologna, and the south. Fees at established schools typically run EUR 11,000-22,000/year. The dedicated online home-education market serving Italy is notably underdeveloped at upper-secondary level: the most visible provider stops at age 15, with no Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, or IB continuation — leaving families with older teenagers to choose between a fee-paying campus, relocation, or nothing.
| School | Curriculum | Fees (EUR/year) | Status / Rating | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
British School of Milan Milan | British curriculum, IGCSE, A-Level | ~USD 13,000-21,700/year | 4.5 | Long-established British-curriculum option in Italy's largest market |
International School of Milan Segrate, Milan | IB continuum | ~USD 14,100-22,800/year | 4.5 | Full IB provision, competitive admissions |
Rome International School Rome | IB PYP, Cambridge IGCSE, IB Diploma | ~USD 13,000-20,600/year | 4.4 | Founded 1988, Cambridge IGCSE plus IB DP, Italian Maturita also available |
St. George's British International School Rome | British curriculum, IGCSE, IB Diploma | ~USD 15,200-23,900/year | 4.5 | Premium Rome British-curriculum option |
International School of Turin Turin | IB continuum | ~USD 12,000-19,600/year | 4.3 | Turin's primary established international school |
bina (online, targets Italy directly) Online | Own accredited curriculum, ages 4-15 only | Varies | 4.3 | Live small-group classes, publishes an Italy homeschooling guide — but stops at 15, with no Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, or IB continuation |
King's InterHigh / Cambridge Home School Online (UK-based, online) Online (UK-based) | Cambridge, Edexcel, IB Online | Varies by package tier | 4.2 | DfE-accredited live-lesson model, but priced far above Smartious and without Italian exam-cycle support |
Smartious Homeschool (Italy via online delivery) Delivered to all Italy | Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, IB DP, AP | ~EUR 2,000-6,000/year | 4.8 | Every class live, through to A-Level (unlike bina) + curriculum documentation built for the esame di idoneita application + planned around the 16-year exam cutoff + CET/CEST timezone within 1-2 hours |
Fee ranges reflect published 2026 tuition for Year 7-13 across the school's tier structure. Specific fees vary by year group and additional school charges (registration, capital fee, books, transport, uniforms). Smartious USD pricing translates to fixed EUR via the peg.
Homeschool laws & regulatory framework in the Italy
Homeschooling in Italy is legal, long-established, and works by notification rather than permission. The part most families are not told clearly is what the annual exams actually involve — and when they stop.
Istruzione parentale is legal by declaration, not authorisation
Article 30 of the Italian Constitution establishes that parents have the right and the duty to educate their children, and Legislative Decree 297/1994 (Articles 111 and 112) provides the operative framework for istruzione parentale. Families notify the dirigente scolastico of their local school each academic year, declaring that they possess the technical or economic capacity to provide the education. This is a declaration, not an application: there is no permit that can be refused. If you have read elsewhere that Italy requires a home-education permit, that is incorrect — it confuses the Italian system with jurisdictions that do require prior authorisation.
The annual esame di idoneita — and the fact that it stops at 16
To progress a year, a child in istruzione parentale sits an esame di idoneita as an external candidate at a state or paritaria school. This is the real operational commitment, and it runs annually — but only until the obbligo di istruzione, the education obligation, is discharged at 16. After that point no further annual exams are required unless the student wants to enrol in an Italian state or paritaria school. In practice this means the IGCSE years run alongside the Italian exam and the A-Level years do not, and it is the single most important fact for structuring a Cambridge pathway in Italy. Very few providers state it.
The educational project is the exam specification
The exam application is due by 30 April each year and must attach the progetto didattico-educativo actually followed during the year. This matters more than families expect: the examination commission builds the exam paper from that document. A family teaching an English-medium Cambridge curriculum needs it presented coherently and mapped against Italian expectations. Smartious supplies the underlying material — scheme of work, contact hours, assessments, progress reports — while the declaration and submission remain the family's own.
Key dates worth putting in the calendar now
Withdrawal from an enrolled school, if switching mid-year, is generally notified by 15 March. The exam application is due 30 April. The examination itself is held in a single session by 30 June. In the final year of lower secondary the student sits the esame di Stato conclusivo del primo ciclo as a private candidate. Missing the April deadline is the most common avoidable problem families hit.
A growing, organised community — concentrated in the north
Italy's homeschooling population has grown from roughly 4,000 before the pandemic to more than 15,000 in 2024 according to Ministry of Education figures. LAIF (Associazione Istruzione Familiare) is the main national association and the most authoritative source on practice, alongside Controscuola and Libera Schola. LAIF's 2024 survey places around 75% of homeschooling families in northern Italy and over 60% at primary level — meaning families in the south, and families with older teenagers anywhere, have thinner local community support to draw on.
Two examination tracks, not one
It is worth being explicit that Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations and the Italian esame di idoneita are entirely separate processes, sat at different venues under different rules. Before 16 they run in parallel; after 16 only the Cambridge track remains. Smartious plans the academic year around both rather than treating the Italian requirement as an afterthought.
Why Italy families choose Smartious
Reasons grounded in the realities of Italy education — local school capacity constraints, corporate transfer and diplomatic timing, commute and logistics, currency stability, and the curriculum portability that mobile expat and dual-nationality families need.
We build the year around the Italian exam calendar
The 30 April application deadline, the June examination window, and the educational project the commission builds the paper from are planned for from the start — not discovered in spring.
We tell families the annual exams stop at 16
Annual esami di idoneita run only until the education obligation is discharged. The A-Level years carry no annual Italian exam requirement. This changes how the whole pathway should be structured, and almost no competitor says it plainly.
Live teaching right through A-Level
The most visible dedicated online provider serving Italy stops at 15, with no Cambridge, A-Level, or IB continuation. Smartious covers the full span, with every class taught live by a subject specialist.
The 13-year point, flagged from Year 10 rather than at application
Italian universities expect 13 years of schooling. Cambridge A-Level reaching Year 13 satisfies it; a 12-year American route may not. We raise this early, when it is still easy to plan around.
CET/CEST timezone is a genuine, verifiable advantage
Italy is only 1-2 hours behind Nairobi EAT — live afternoon Nairobi teaching lands naturally within the Italian school day.
Coverage where Italian international provision is thin
Florence and rural Tuscany, the Motor Valley towns, and southern Italy all have far less international school capacity than Milan or Rome. Smartious extends full curriculum access regardless of local provision.
Honest about exam-centre availability
Cambridge private-candidate provision in Italy is less uniform than in countries with a standing British Council service. We confirm a centre per family per session rather than promising a fixed venue we cannot guarantee.
What you can verify about Smartious
We publish only facts we can substantiate — operational history, curriculum coverage, teacher base, and infrastructure. No invented testimonials or pass-rate claims.
Founder-led education company
Founded 2019 by Alfred Ouko (BEd Mathematics & Physics). Smartious operates a full teaching team of 11 with two international-standard operational centres established 2022 and 2023. Not a marketplace, not a freelance network.
Two operational centres
Live teaching is delivered to Italy families from two international-standard operational centres, established 2022 and 2023. Teachers work from professional academic facilities with accountability and infrastructure beyond marketplace or freelance models.
Cambridge-trained PGCE specialists
Teachers are PGCE-qualified subject specialists with Cambridge International training. Subject specialism means a Chemistry teacher teaches only Chemistry — not generalist primary-style teaching.
120+ countries served
Active students in Italy and 13 other markets across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. Verifiable through cross-country cohort interaction in live classes.
Ontario Diploma (OSSD) partnership
Smartious students can earn the Ontario Secondary School Diploma through our partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private school). The OSSD is recognised by Canadian universities (OUAC), US universities (Common Application), UK universities (UCAS) and globally — particularly valuable for Canadian U15 applications.
5 international curricula
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level (primary offering), Pearson Edexcel International GCSE & A-Level, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) via Canadian Cross International School partnership. Multiple credential pathways per family.
Live class transparency
Every class is live with recorded sessions for review. Parents can audit class quality directly. This is materially different from pre-recorded video courses with light tutor support.
4.9 from 123+ verified Google reviews
“Smartious Homeschooling delivers genuinely effective one-on-one instruction. The teachers are patient, consistent, and skilled at identifying and addressing each learner's specific academic gaps. Since enrolling, our child has become more confident, enjoys lessons, and is now performing above grade level. For families in Nairobi seeking a dependable, academically rigorous homeschooling programme with personalised support, Smartious is a standout choice.”
“What I love most about Smartious is how they make learning enjoyable. The tutors use engaging methods that keep children interested throughout the lesson. My child now looks forward to studying instead of avoiding it.”
“I have peace of mind as a Smartious Homeschool parent. No more traffic and early morning rush to school. Smartious are the most organized homeschool providers.”
Reviews above are from our verified Google Business Profile. For Italy-specific parent references during your decision-making, request these during your free assessment — we can introduce you to current Italy families happy to share their experience directly.
Accreditation, Recognition & University Pathways
Smartious students earn qualifications administered by independent international examination boards. Recognition flows from the board itself — not from the school that delivered the curriculum. Below is the accreditation, examination and verification framework that connects Italian Smartious students to universities worldwide.
Cambridge International
Cambridge Assessment International Education · University of Cambridge
Smartious's primary offer for Italy families. Cambridge IGCSE (Years 10-11) and Cambridge A-Level (Years 12-13) delivered as live online classes on a CET/CEST-aligned schedule. Two things make this fit Italy specifically: the A-Level years fall after the Italian education obligation is discharged at 16, so they carry no annual esame di idoneita requirement, and A-Level reaching Year 13 satisfies the 13-year schooling expectation for Italian university entry.
Pearson Edexcel International
Pearson · UK Edexcel curriculum adapted for international delivery
International GCSE and International A-Level qualifications, administered by Pearson. Three examination series annually (January, May/June, October/November) providing additional flexibility versus the Cambridge twice-yearly schedule.
International Baccalaureate Organisation
IB Diploma Programme · IBO Geneva
IB Diploma administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation in Geneva. Recognised by leading universities globally with particularly strong weighting at US Ivy League, US selective liberal arts colleges, Canadian U15 and top European universities.
College Board
American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP)
AP courses and examinations administered by the College Board, the US non-profit responsible for the SAT and AP programmes. AP scores are widely recognised by US universities for university credit, plus by Canadian, UK, Australian and many universities worldwide.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD)
Canadian Cross International School · Ontario Ministry of Education
OSSD earned through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School, an Ontario-inspected private school. Smartious students enrol concurrently with CCIS to complete the OSSD curriculum and credit requirements alongside Cambridge or other pathways. OSSD is one of the most recognised secondary credentials worldwide — particularly strong for Canadian U15 admissions via OUAC, US universities via Common Application, and UK universities via UCAS.
Examination centre arrangements in Italy
International examinations require attendance at authorised examination centres on specific dates. In Italy, established examination centres serve Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel and other major international qualifications.
Smartious manages examination registration logistics including centre selection, registration paperwork and deadline compliance. Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel examinations for Italy-based students sit as private candidates at Cambridge-authorised international schools that accept external candidates. Availability varies by school and by session, and is less uniform than in countries where the British Council administers a standing private-candidate service, so Smartious identifies and confirms a centre for each family before each registration window rather than assuming a fixed venue. Separately, and not to be confused with the above: families in istruzione parentale also sit the Italian esame di idoneita at a state or paritaria school, with the application due 30 April and the examination held by 30 June. These are two distinct examination tracks running in parallel during the years before 16, and Smartious plans the academic year around both.
University recognition worldwide
Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications are recognised across the major university systems globally.
University of Bologna (founded 1088, the oldest continuously operating university in the world), Sapienza University of Rome, University of Milan and Politecnico di Milano, Politecnico di Torino, University of Padua, Bocconi University (Milan), Scuola Normale Superiore (Pisa), University of Naples Federico II, plus a substantial and growing range of English-taught degree programmes across the system.
Cambridge · Oxford · Imperial College London · UCL · LSE · King's College London · Edinburgh · Manchester · Bristol · Birmingham · Warwick · Durham · the Russell Group · the broader UK system via UCAS
Harvard · Yale · Princeton · Columbia · Penn · Brown · Dartmouth · Cornell · Amherst · Williams · Pomona · UC Berkeley · UCLA · Michigan · Virginia · top liberal arts and public research universities via the Common Application
Toronto · McGill · UBC · McMaster · Waterloo · Western · Queen's · the U15 research universities · OUAC for Ontario applications
Melbourne · Sydney · ANU · Monash · Queensland · UWA · Adelaide · UNSW · the Group of Eight via UAC
NYU Abu Dhabi · Sorbonne Abu Dhabi · Khalifa · AUS · AUD · UAE branch campuses · KFUPM · KAUST · KSU · KAU · Saudi national universities · Education City Doha (Georgetown · Northwestern · CMU · Cornell · Texas A&M · HEC Paris · UCL)
Berlin Humboldt · Munich LMU · Heidelberg · RWTH Aachen · TU Munich · French Grandes Écoles · Amsterdam · Leiden · Utrecht · Bologna · Sapienza · ETH Zurich · EPFL
How universities verify qualifications
Universities verify Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American AP qualifications directly with the issuing examination boards through standard verification services — Cambridge International Verification of Awards, Pearson's Verification of Results, the IB Organisation's verification service, and the College Board AP Score Reporting service. The qualification's credibility comes from the examination board itself, which is why these qualifications are equally valid whether earned at a physical school or through Smartious.
Curriculum approaches we offer Italian families
British Curriculum
Cambridge IGCSE & A-Level · Pearson Edexcel
Cambridge IGCSE: Years 10-11, eight to ten subjects. Cambridge A-Level: Years 12-13, three or four subjects in depth. Pearson Edexcel as British alternative with three examination series annually.
Italy families targeting the Cambridge IGCSE + A-Level pathway. Best fit for: (1) families who want the strongest position for Italian university entry via CIMEA, given the 13-year point, (2) families relocating from the UK maintaining British curriculum trajectory to UCAS, (3) families in regions where international provision is thin — Florence and rural Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna's Motor Valley towns, southern Italy, (4) rotational corporate, diplomatic, and military families needing curriculum portability.
Live online classes scheduled to land within the Italian school day given the 1-2 hour CET/CEST-EAT offset, small groups 4-6 students. Cambridge examinations at Cambridge-authorised international schools accepting external candidates, confirmed per session.
IB Diploma Programme
International Baccalaureate Organisation
Grades 11-12. Six subjects (three Higher Level, three Standard Level), plus Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay (4,000-word independent research paper), and Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS).
Italy families targeting the IB Diploma's breadth — internationally mobile diplomatic, UN-agency, and military families, and families wanting a qualification CIMEA recognises directly for Italian university entry without the Maturita.
Live online IB DP classes across all six subject groups plus Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay supervision.
American Curriculum
College Board · AP · SAT & ACT
US high school curriculum through Grade 12. Advanced Placement courses Grades 9-12 with college-level subject specialisation. SAT or ACT preparation integrated alongside curriculum delivery.
Italy families targeting US universities via Common Application — particularly the Naples military community and Florence's American academic community. Worth pairing with an early conversation about the 13-year point if Italian university entry is also a possibility.
American Curriculum with AP courses Grades 9-12, SAT/ACT preparation, Common App essay coaching.
Ontario Secondary School Diploma
OSSD · via Canadian Cross International School partnership
Grades 9-12 Ontario curriculum delivered through Smartious's partnership with Canadian Cross International School (Ontario-inspected private secondary school). Students complete the 30 credits required for OSSD including the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) and 40 community involvement hours.
Italian families targeting Canadian U15 universities (Toronto, McGill, UBC, McMaster, Waterloo, Western, Queen's) via OUAC, US universities via the Common Application, UK universities via UCAS, and Australian universities. The OSSD is particularly strong for direct Canadian university applications because students apply as Ontario secondary graduates rather than international students.
Live online instruction by qualified subject teachers, concurrent enrolment with Canadian Cross International School for official OSSD transcripting, Ontario course codes (ENG4U, MHF4U, SCH4U etc.) recorded against each student. CCIS issues the official Ontario diploma and transcript on successful completion of the OSSD requirements.
Primary, Secondary & Sixth Form
Primary Programmes
Ages 5-11 · Years 1-6 · Grades 1-5 · IB PYP
Cambridge Primary, Common Core or IB Primary Years Programme. Live classes are age-appropriate in length (40-50 minutes), scheduled in your local CET/CEST time zone to suit Primary-age attention spans. Small group sizes support individual attention. Weekly parent dashboards and monthly written reports cover academic and developmental progress.
Secondary Programmes
Years 7-11 · Grades 6-11
Lower Secondary (Years 7-9) builds the foundations for IGCSE entry. IGCSE Years (10-11) cover eight to ten subjects with examination registration at Cambridge-authorised international schools across Italy. One-on-one subject choice consultation at IGCSE entry aligns subjects with university targets. Mid-year arrivals accepted with academic catch-up support.
Sixth Form & University Preparation
Years 12-13 · Grades 11-12
Students holding Cambridge or Pearson Edexcel A-Levels, or an IB Diploma, access Italian universities through recognition rather than the Italian Maturita. CIMEA — Italy's ENIC-NARIC centre — issues a statement of comparability that universities use to assess the qualification, and has largely replaced the older Dichiarazione di Valore route issued by embassies, being both faster and fully digital. The IB Diploma is explicitly recognised as an equivalent foreign secondary qualification. One point worth planning for early: Italian universities expect 13 years of prior schooling, so a Cambridge A-Level route reaching Year 13 satisfies this cleanly, whereas a 12-year American high school diploma may require an additional year of study or a foundation year unless paired with sufficient AP results — this catches families out at application stage and is easier to plan around from Year 10. Non-EU applicants resident abroad also pre-enrol through the Universitaly portal. Restricted-access programmes (medicine, dentistry, architecture and others) require a national entrance examination regardless of qualification, and Italian-taught degrees require documented Italian proficiency, typically CILS B2, CELI 3, or PLIDA B2. Internationally, Cambridge A-Levels are accepted by universities in 160+ countries via UCAS (UK) or direct application. Smartious provides personalised university guidance across Italian (CIMEA and Universitaly), UK (UCAS), and US (Common Application) destinations.
Eight reasons Italian families choose Smartious
Each reason is grounded in something verifiable — not in marketing claims.
Experienced international educators
Subject-specific degree-qualified teaching staff with cumulative experience across Cambridge International, Pearson Edexcel, IB Diploma and American Curriculum. Many hold advanced teaching credentials including PGCE, Cambridge PDT certification, or national teaching registration in their home jurisdiction.
Personalised learning plans
Every student begins with an initial assessment. The learning plan that follows is tailored to academic level, subject preferences, target universities and family situation — not a one-size-fits-all schedule.
Academic assessments
Initial diagnostic assessment. Weekly informal assessment within classes. Monthly formal assessments. Mock examinations under timed conditions during IGCSE and A-Level years. Results inform teaching adjustments.
Small class sizes
Online tier classes have four to six students. Online Plus has smaller groups. Premium is one-on-one. Class size affects individual attention, question response time, and student speaking time during class.
Progress monitoring
Weekly parent dashboards showing attendance and assessment results. Monthly written subject reports from each teacher. Termly comprehensive reports covering academic progress, study habits and university preparation.
Parent communication
Direct communication with subject teachers and form tutors via the parent portal. Email for admissions and pastoral matters, with response within one business day. Scheduled parent-teacher meetings each term.
Global student community
Live classes bring together students from across 14 countries. Wednesday afternoon enrichment programmes — coding, robotics, debate, Model UN, chess, journalism, leadership — develop collaborative learning across geographies.
University admissions guidance
Progressive guidance from Year 10 onwards. UCAS, Common Application, OUAC, UAC and direct university application support. Personal statement coaching, interview preparation and offer-management guidance.
Alfred Ouko
Founder, Smartious Homeschool & eSchool
Alfred Ouko is the founder of Smartious Homeschool & eSchool, established in 2019 while studying at the University of Nairobi. He has grown the organisation from a tuition support service into an international online school serving families across 14 countries, including Alfred Ouko founded Smartious in 2019 to make international qualifications (Cambridge, IB, American) accessible to families across emerging markets and international corporate rotational communities at online-delivery fees. Italy families join students in 22 other countries — from Milan's Brera to Nairobi's own Diamond Plaza HQ, Paris's Neuilly to Copenhagen's Nordhavn..
Bachelor of Education (Science) — Mathematics and Physics, University of Nairobi (2022)
- Over six years supporting students through international curriculum pathways — Cambridge International (IGCSE and A-Level), Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, American Curriculum with AP, and homeschooling pathways.
- Direct teaching experience in secondary-level Mathematics and Physics across multiple international curriculum boards.
- Leadership of curriculum development, teacher recruitment and academic standards across Smartious's two international-standard operational centres and online programmes serving Italy families.
- Specialism in supporting students through university admissions to Alfred holds a BEd in Mathematics and Physics — Smartious's Cambridge A-Level and IB Diploma STEM subjects are led personally when needed, which suits Italy's engineering-heavy corporate communities in Turin and Emilia-Romagna. Head of Academics supervises curriculum delivery and university placement strategy per family, including the CIMEA pathway for Italian university destinations..
“International curriculum mastery is achievable for students from any background when subject specialists, small class sizes, and individual academic plans are combined with the discipline and structure good schools provide.”
Common questions from Italy families
Is homeschooling legal in Italy?+
Yes, clearly and confidently. Istruzione parentale rests on Article 30 of the Constitution and Legislative Decree 297/1994, and it works by annual declaration to your local dirigente scolastico — you state that you have the technical or economic capacity to educate at home. There is no permit that can be refused. Some English-language sources online wrongly describe Italy as requiring authorisation; they are confusing it with other countries.
What exactly is the annual exam, and does it ever stop?+
To move up a year, your child sits an esame di idoneita as an external candidate at a state or paritaria school, in Italian. It runs annually — but only until the education obligation is discharged at 16. After that no further annual exams are required unless your child wants to enrol in an Italian state or paritaria school. So the IGCSE years run alongside it and the A-Level years do not. This is the single most useful thing to know when planning a Cambridge pathway in Italy.
How does Smartious help with the esame di idoneita?+
The application is due 30 April and must attach the educational project you actually followed — and the commission builds the exam paper from that document. Smartious supplies what it rests on: scheme of work, contact hours, assessments, and progress reports, produced continuously rather than assembled in a panic in April. The declaration and submission remain yours to make.
Can my child study Cambridge in English and still satisfy the Italian requirements?+
Yes, and it is a common arrangement — but it needs planning rather than improvisation. The Italian exam is in Italian and built from your submitted project, so the curriculum needs to be documented in a form that maps onto Italian expectations, and most families maintain an Italian-language component alongside. We would rather set that expectation clearly at the start than have it surface in April.
How does Smartious compare to bina, the other online provider active in Italy?+
bina is a real, accredited option with live small-group classes, and it publishes a useful Italy guide. The structural difference is coverage: bina serves ages 4-15, with no Cambridge IGCSE, A-Level, or IB continuation. Smartious covers the full span through A-Level. For a family with a nine-year-old, both are worth considering; for a family with a fifteen-year-old, only one of them continues.
Can my child access Italian universities with Cambridge A-Levels or an IB Diploma?+
Yes, via recognition rather than the Maturita. CIMEA, Italy's ENIC-NARIC centre, issues a statement of comparability that universities use to assess the qualification; it has largely replaced the older embassy-issued Dichiarazione di Valore and is faster and fully digital. Note that Italian universities expect 13 years of schooling — A-Level reaching Year 13 satisfies this, while a 12-year American diploma may need supplementing. Restricted-access courses require a national entrance exam regardless, and Italian-taught degrees require documented Italian proficiency.
Where do students in Italy sit Cambridge examinations?+
At Cambridge-authorised international schools that accept external candidates. We want to be straight about this: availability varies by school and by session, and Italy does not have the standing British Council private-candidate service that some other countries do, so we confirm a centre for each family before each registration window rather than promising a fixed venue.
How does live class scheduling work given the Italy-Nairobi time difference?+
Italy runs CET (UTC+1) in winter and CEST (UTC+2) in summer — only 1-2 hours behind Nairobi EAT. Live afternoon Nairobi teaching lands naturally within the Italian school day, without early-morning or late-evening compromises.
Which Italian cities does Smartious cover?+
Milan, Rome, Florence, Turin, Bologna, and Naples have dedicated pages with local school comparisons and community context. Live online delivery works the same for families anywhere else in Italy, including rural Tuscany, the Motor Valley towns, and the south.
Italian students join a 14+ country global cohort
Live classes bring together students from across Africa, the Gulf, Europe and Asia. A Italy student in our Year 11 IGCSE Mathematics class will be alongside peers in Cairo, Dubai, Bangkok, Seoul, Casablanca and Kigali. The Wednesday enrichment programmes (debate, Model UN, robotics, journalism) operate as one global classroom rather than thirteen separate national ones.