POLICIES
Our Admission Policy is by nature inclusive and we support students with learning differences whenever possible and appropriate. We will accommodate the needs of applicants unless there is reason to believe that admission would not be in the interests of the candidate or the school.
The proposed project aims to enhance the resources of each pupil, the development of its potential, respecting individual differences and the right of equality and participation that also includes and also the practice of a high-level competitive activity certified by its federation to which it belongs.
Every subject, every discipline, every field has its own language, its own internal architecture, a key to reading that makes fascinating the possibility of discovering how to enter the learning mechanisms taking up the challenge that each language launches as a rebus to be solved and dominated.
It is the student who takes control of the subject and discovers its implications for reality and for itself.
The Admissions Department, parents, relevant professionals and the student; where appropriate, examine and or assess the learner’s abilities and may require further screening, and or an assessment carried out with a parent’s report before making the acceptance decision. Please refer to admission policy for more details.
In addition, knowledge of the student’s language is also taken into account during collaborative planning meetings to agree on how to support students with additional strategies, teaching and learning practices to support differentiation and the use of various tools in the evaluation of learners’ progress. Please refer to language and evaluation policies for further details.
Admission policy for the diploma programme The A’ksent Academy Diploma Programme aims to enhance students who bring a wide range of talents to the school. For this reason, the A’ksent Academy programme is inclusive and available to all students. There are no additional entry requirements to participate in the Diploma programme. To participate, students must have completed the firts eight years of schooling and must have met the specic prerequisites of the course or equivalent.
At A’ksent Academy students and teachers are carefully selected, as they will contribute to the life of the school community and must recognise themselves in its goals and ideals which, among others, include:
• The promotion of international understanding, respect for others, regardless of culture, sex, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, social position.
• Being athletes at a high competitive level.
• The enhancement of languages and cultures from all over the world with particular attention to English, Spanish and Italian.
• Personal responsibility and responsibility towards others, in every situation.
• The pursuit of good academic results while maintaining integrity.
• The programme chosen by A’ksent Academy, which guarantees its students the opportunity to obtain an International Diploma with which to proceed to their chosen university pathway in Italy or the rest of the world, aims to support schools by providing an outstanding research-based education, developing disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and understanding, which is why it is very important that the student wishing to embark on the pathway to obtain the International Diploma has.
• A good level of English (at least B2).
• The grades from the previous 2 years of the curriculum must be “good” for high level subjects, “satisfactory” for standard level subjects (on a 7 point scale: very poor – poor – mediocre – satisfactory – good – very good – excellent).
• In the case of specific deficiencies, if the student already attends our school, the teachers may request specific courses to be taken in the summer prior to the start of the course, in order to achieve the desired grades, previously assessed by a test.
• Priority for entry will be given to students who communicate their decision to attend A’ksent Academy by February of the school year in question.
The student can enrol at our school regardless of where he or she lives. The family of the student concerned will contact the school tel. +39 034 1323 843 – mailto: head@aksentacademy.org.
*Students who do not meet the basic requirements listed may be accepted at the discretion of the School Director/ Principal/Diploma Coordinator. At the discretion of the Head of School/Dean/Diploma Coordinator.
Important dates
Registration opens on 7 January and the last day is 15 May of each school year. At the end of May the student will receive a preliminary decision on his/her application. The last day to make changes to the application is 15 June. The final decision will be made at the beginning of July.
Language Policy
A’ksent Academy Programme Language Policy A’ksent Academy is a school recognised by the (MIUR) Italian Ministry of Education and the Municipality of Lecco, open to all, regardless of their origin, ethnicity or religion. To explain the guidelines, it is necessary to respond to the famous remark by Seneca – Non vitae, sed scholae discimus – by forcefully relaunching the perspective of a school that is first and foremost ‘life’ and that therefore calls into question every person involved, starting with teachers and students, in their uniqueness, singularity, freedom and responsibility.
A commitment that is as important as it is complex and that precisely for this reason concerns various historical, pedagogical and didactic angles and perspectives. Language Portfolio Being located in Italy, Italian is the official language of the school. Both in the preparatory courses and throughout the four-year high school course. English, as a compulsory international language, Spanish, German and Chinese as a second language are also introduced immediately.
Communication between the school, students and parents takes place in Italian. All relevant documents will also be provided in English. Students whose mother tongue is not Italian can choose to study Italian as their first or second language.
The A’ksent Academy team will analyse, work and find the best individual solution based on the available resources and taking into account the student’s level in the other subjects.
If the student wants to take Italian as a first language but it is not his or her mother tongue, the school organises the lessons in such a way as to achieve this goal.
English
English is taught throughout the four-year study cycle. It is the language of instruction during the high school years in the following subjects: Secondary English Language, Economics, Business, History, Environmental, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Physical Education, Communication and Technology, Food and Nutrition, Law.
This is also the language of communication between A’ksent Academy and the certifying bodies and is the language used in examinations.
The school organises summer and autumn campuses and offers exchanges during the course of study with charities such as the Lions club international and other school affiliated with ISA which is the association of international schools based in Geneva of which we are a member and of which we are honoured to be the only Italian school A’ksent Academy.
For those students who wish to join the international programme, the school offers extra-curricular support to achieve the English language prociency required to be able to cope with the other high school subjects taught in the Italian system.
SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS POLICIES
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to ensure equal access to the four-year high school curriculum for all students. To emphasise that all students and staff are encouraged to embody the prole of the student who chooses an international high school pathway, supporting them by fostering passion and communicating effectively.
Promote a differentiated curriculum to support all students in reaching their unique potential. Communicate the responsibilities of all stakeholders in the success of students with special needs.
Introduction
This policy sets out the ways in which the school will support students with special educational needs in participating in a learning community that allows every student to be challenged academically, enhance positive self-esteem, develop respect and concern for others and become responsible independent global thinkers.
Objectives:
• To provide students with access to a rich and balanced global curriculum that encourages inquiry and is relevant to their needs and interests.
• To identify, assess and provide for students with special educational needs.
• To support all staff in working with students with special educational needs.
• To encourage cooperation and coordination between students, classroom teachers, parents and Learning Center teachers to create a positive learning experience for students with special educational needs.
• To use Response to Intervention tools and techniques to better support all students, regardless of whether they are identified as having Special Educational Needs.
ASSESSMENT POLICY
Assessment Policy Introduction The Diploma Programme faculty exposes students to a rigorous and challenging curriculum that aligns with the goals, objectives, syllabus and assessment expectations of the international track and our Italian Ministry of Public Education (MIUR).
Evaluation philosophy
Assessment is an essential part of the learning process and its proper use inevitably improves teaching as well as learning. The various opportunities, such as internal, external, formative and summative assessments, are used to maximise teaching practices and improve student achievement. We could speak of circular relationships between the aforementioned assessments, whereby one becomes the premise of the other within a fruitful and unceasing collaboration.
Ultimately, assessment offers students the opportunity to demonstrate their learning. Careful management of learning assessment processes and devices is, on the other hand, a powerful tool for school inclusion and the promotion of pupils’ academic and personal success.
Given the essential role of assessment, certain expectations are demanded and assumed by those engaged in the programme. All stakeholders actively participate in the evaluation process.
The evaluation criteria are based on the following objectives:
- Evaluation should support the curricular and philosophical objectives of the program, through the encouragement of good practice in the classroom. Encourage good classroom practice and adequate student learning.
- Evaluation should reflect the international outlook of the program wherever possible, avoid cultural bias and take into account students working in their second language.
- Program evaluation should pay attention to higher-order cognitive skills (synthesis, reflection, evaluation, analysis, critical thinking), as well as more fundamental cognitive skills (knowledge, understanding, application).
- Assessment for each subject must include an adequate range of tasks and / components to ensure assessment of all subject objectives.
- The main tool for assessing and determining the marks is the professional judgment of the teachers supported by the pedagogical support and the supervisors.
All the assessments and requirements for each subject of the four-year course are discussed and deepened within the individual courses. Applicants will progress through internal and external evaluations and all of this will happen throughout the high school pathway.
Internal evaluations are evaluations that are carried out regularly every month and internally by the teacher and moderated externally by supervisors.
External evaluations are mainly assessments that are taken in May/June and/or October/November in the second, in the third and fourth year of attendance of the candidate and are externally marked by official examiners according to the international study path for the A Level Diploma which is the natural extension of the international GCSE program.
Accurately measuring a student’s potential and progress can transform learning and help you make informed decisions about individual students, their educational needs, and where to focus your teaching efforts.
Academic Honesty Policy
A’KSENT ACADEMY Scuola liceale ad indirizzo sportivo aims to enhance the resources of each student. the school will ensure that all Diploma Program students understand the basic meaning and significance of academic honesty and provide authentic work during their training, they will do their best to achieve the goal, following rules and guidelines.
A’ksent Academy aims at the integral education of the student and for this reason considers the plagiarism prevention as an educational opportunity to train the person to honesty intellectual and academic. It therefore undertakes to identify the possible causes and reasons for the plagiarism and to offer the methodological tools that help the student in his path training which also include the penalties envisaged for non-compliance with the rules.
Plagiarism is the attribution to oneself of the intellectual property of the text or content of a work of others, in any of its parts. In the field of academic studies, plagiarism consists more often in the inclusion in a written work “of a text taken by another author without the usual one indication and precise reference to the source “, as expressed by the Rules of Academic Ethics.
There are various types of plagiarism, which, in order of decreasing severity, consist of: a. in presenting as one’s own a text of others, however obtained, even with the author’s consent; b. in citing ad litteram some passages (even short or translated) of a text of others without present it as a quote (for example, omitting the quotation marks and the indication bibliographic, or even just the quotation marks); c. in paraphrasing someone else’s text, without indicating the source, when such a paraphrase appears willfully intentional, and not merely occasional.
Instead, the use of information or acquisitions that, in our context, are allowed is allowed common heritage of general and academic culture, or can be found in the tools of most used consultation. However, it is recommended to always indicate the sources that have been used and to mention them in the bibliography.
Procedures for handling cases of plagiarism and sanctions They are those sanctioned by the constitution. When students arrive at the A’ksent Academy School, they should speak with teachers to have clear academic integrity and plagiarism policies. Information on these policies helps students avoid problems.
There is real progress only when the benefits of a new technology become for everyone.
I am looking for several men who have the infinite ability to not know what cannot be done.
Henry Ford