Student Life High School

Structure

We are building a new facility dedicated to the high school, designed to provide students with a modern, functional, and stimulating environment that meets the highest educational standards. The new campus, set in a natural setting, will feature spacious, bright classrooms equipped with the latest educational technologies to support interactive and digital learning. The indoor spaces will include fully equipped laboratories for science, technology, and the arts, offering students hands-on opportunities to explore and develop their academic and creative skills.

Outdoors, students will benefit from state-of-the-art sports facilities, including tennis and volleyball courts and football, and rugby fields, promoting physical activity and recreation in a safe and welcoming environment.

The same building will also house a cafeteria and a bar area exclusively for high school students, designed to offer moments of relaxation and social interaction during breaks.

The new campus will fully reflect the educational philosophy of Northlands International, combining modernity with close attention to students’ needs, in a setting that encourages academic, personal, and social growth.

Trips

We believe that learning should not be confined to the classroom alone. School trips are one of the best expressions of experiential learning, which is based on action and the concrete application of concepts. They provide students with tools to learn while having fun through cognitive, emotional, and sensory experiences.

From an educational perspective, school trips enhance socialisation among students and between students and teachers, fostering a sense of responsibility and independence, and stimulating curiosity. These experiences enrich the educational journey by promoting autonomy, curiosity, and cooperation.

Each year, three school trips are organised – one per term — and for high school students, an additional multi-day trip abroad is also planned.

Events

Throughout the year, Northlands International organises and promotes various initiatives and events, some of which have now become regular fixtures.

Winter Fair: held between the first and second week of December, our winter fair has a large market where there are stands of different products, crafts, services and associations as a food and drink area where you can taste delicious typical dishes from different parts of the world. At dusk, adults and children excitedly await the lighting of our unmissable bonfire, whose brightly blazing flames create a truly magical atmosphere. Many games with prizes are organised for all ages and everything is accompanied and enlivened by live music and circus performers.

Summer Fair: held in May along the same lines as the winter fair, with a market and an area dedicated to food and drinks; games with prizes are organised, including treasure hunts. Watermelon, lemonade, sangria, piña colada and ice cream are always available to help cool off, and thanks to the music of the DJ set, adults and children can dance until sunset and beyond.

The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) also organises various initiatives throughout the year such as its Bake Sale, Movie Night and more. For more information see the dedicated PTA section (PTA.).

Outdoor Pursuits

At Northlands International, we firmly believe that contact with nature is a fundamental component of both learning and the overall well-being of our students. For this reason, our high school programme includes numerous outdoor activities that go well beyond traditional classroom lessons.

The campus offers a wide range of outdoor experiences, such as outdoor physical education classes, sports competitions, and environmental sustainability projects.

House System

Northlands International is divided into three Houses: Phoenix, Gryphon, and Pegasus. The “House” system refers to a well-established tradition from the British education system. Belonging to a house, in addition to being part of a class group, allows children to develop a broader sense of belonging and to socialise with peers of different ages. This organisation also promotes a sense of responsibility among older students toward younger ones, respectively teaching through example and learning through imitation. It fosters social responsibility, mutual respect, and an understanding that others are essential to achieving shared goals. At the beginning of each school year, during the first Assembly, each new student is informed of the house to which they have been assigned. All members of a house are equally important, and are expected to collaborate and support one another. This system will accompany students from primary school throughout their entire academic journey. Pupils earn house points through various events and competitions, as well as through their individual work and behaviour, all in an effort to win the annual House Cup, which is awarded to the house with the highest total score at the end of the school year. During monthly Assemblies, all the Seniors gather together for awarding of the House Cup for that month. The best student work is showcased, and exemplary behaviour is recognised. These gatherings also give children the opportunity to engage in debates, raise concerns, and put forward proposals.

Midterm

The school year runs from September to the end of June, divided into terms:
  • Autumn Term from September to December
  • Spring Term from January to March
  • Summer Term from April to June
Midterm, held in the middle of the first two terms (approximately at the end of October and the end of February), are weeks in which the school remains open but normal curriculum activities are suspended. The midterms are more than a time of pause: they are days that students perceive as light and happy but which mainly have the objective of making them recover their energy, and prepare themselves to conclude the term with newfound energy and enthusiasm. The midterms at Northlands International are dedicated to the theme “Cultures and Traditions” when these special weeks are dedicated to one or more countries. All the activities are designed and structured in order to discover through books, food and games, the habits and customs of different countries thus giving us the opportunity to focus on the value of diversity and to “travel” to discover difference, multiculturalism and comparison. The mid-term point in the summer term coincides with the Easter holiday, and the school is closed.