La Scuola International School - San Francisco Mission Campus

Mission Campus, 3250 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110; Dogpatch Campus, 728 20th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. The San Francisco campuses are named Mission Campus (K–Grade 8) and Dogpatch Campus (Preschool). A Silicon Valley Campus is located at 2086 Clarke Ave, East Palo Alto, CA 94303, and Milano Campus is in Milan, Italy.

Preschool (2-5 years); Elementary School (Grades K-5); Middle School (Grades 6-8).

Private, day school; International Baccalaureate World School; Reggio Emilia-inspired; Italian Language Immersion; multi-campus.

International community with families representing many nationalities; over 30 languages spoken on campus; only 17% of families have at least one Italian speaker at home; the majority are not Italian speakers.

Learning Differences is listed among the school's learning styles.

Italy (Italian language immersion and cultural roots; listed by the Italian government as a paritarie school abroad).

IB Primary Years Program (PYP) for Elementary (K-5) and IB Middle Years Program (MYP) for Middle School (6-8). The school integrates the Reggio Emilia Approach with the IB framework. Language of instruction is Italian and English with a Montreal Model balance by grade: K-1 approximately 80% Italian / 20% English; Grade 2 approximately 70% Italian / 30% English; Grades 3-5 approximately 50% Italian / 50% English; Grades 6-8 approximately 30% Italian / 70% English. Spanish is taught in Grades 4-5. The curriculum uses transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry, culminates in the PYP Exhibition, and aligns with the Italian National Curriculum; the school is an IB World School for both PYP and MYP.

Graduates have attended high schools in San Francisco and beyond, including the International School of San Francisco, University High School, Lick-Wilmerding High School, The Urban School, Drew School, Saint Ignatius, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, Lowell High School, Mission High School, and others. The first graduating class of 2020 is attending universities such as Georgetown University, Pratt Institute, University of Southern California, Loyola Marymount University, UC Santa Cruz, University College Dublin, University College London, and Bocconi University in Milan.

Pedagogy of Relationships centers on trusting and loving relationships between teachers and students to support emotional wellbeing and learning. Responsive Classroom and Restorative Justice guide the development of classroom and school communities and provide tools to address conflicts with empathy, respect, and open communication. The school maintains a caring, safe, and supportive environment where the wellbeing of everyone comes first. Foundations for SEL come from the CASEL framework, including social awareness, relationship skills, self-awareness, and self-management. Ongoing SEL skill-building includes check-ins, grounding, active listening, body language, relaxation exercises, and the development of respect and empathy. Values such as kindness, inclusion, health, communication, peace, self-advocacy, mindfulness, integrity, respect, empathy, responsibility, cooperation, compassion, resilience, and leadership guide SEL; lessons aim to build intrapersonal and social skills and to improve well-being and academic performance.

La Scuola uses a Tier 1 and Tier 2 support model: strong classroom teaching (Tier 1) with small-group or targeted supports (Tier 2) to meet all student needs. Support is embedded in everyday classroom life; the approach differentiates for those who need more support or deeper challenge; it helps students leverage their strengths and learning profiles. All learners can access robust academics in both Italian and English. The school partners closely with families and specialists to support the whole child—academically, socially, emotionally, and linguistically.

La Scuola is a language immersion school with Italian as the primary language in PreK–Grade 3, and children do not need to speak Italian to enroll in the Italian immersion program. In Grades PreK–3 the primary language in the classroom is Italian; starting in Grade 4, students learn Spanish as a second language, and in Middle School students can follow paths with English, Italian, and Spanish. Languages are differentiated in instruction according to student ability, and the Middle School is inherently multilingual due to the languages taught and used. Many graduates continue language study in high school, and bilingualism is associated with cognitive and academic benefits.

Emotional wellbeing is a central focus; La Scuola strives to provide a caring, safe, and supportive environment that prioritizes wellbeing alongside learning. The SEL program builds social-emotional skills through regular check-ins, grounding, active listening, body language, relaxation exercises, and the development of empathy and respect. Tools such as the Emotional Thermometer and growth-mindset practices support students in managing pressure and stress. Core values—kindness, inclusion, health, peace, and resilience—guide daily interactions and behaviors. The school also emphasizes fostering physical and emotional wellbeing as part of its health and safety practices.

La Scuola is Open to the World and emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, rejecting discrimination on multiple grounds and aiming to empower all community members to participate fully. The Pollyanna Racial Literacy Curriculum, guided by the DEIB Director with Kindergarten through Grade 8 teachers, supports constructive conversations about race and racism. The school highlights languages spoken by families and staff, reflecting a richly multilingual community, and partnerships such as the SMART program extend opportunities to lower‑income families. These practices contribute to a safe, inclusive environment that protects and supports student wellbeing.

Apply to La Scuola International School. Sign up for an account with Ravenna to manage the application, register for campus tours and events, and view admissions decisions. Through Ravenna you can schedule a in-person tour or join a virtual event, and you can submit an application through Ravenna by January 15, 2026; enrollment decisions are sent in March 2026. Admissions are organized by grade level: Preschool process (ages Piccoli 2-3, Grandi 3-4, Grandissimi 4-5); Kindergarten process (age 5+ by September 1, 2026); Grades 1-5 process; Grades 6-8 process. Students are not required to speak Italian to enroll in preschool, kindergarten, grade 1, or grade 6; Grades 2-5 and Grades 7-8 are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Middle School instruction is primarily in English with 6 hours of language instruction per 6-day rotation, split 4 hours/2 hours between the second language and the third language (Italian or Spanish). Admissions events include Open Houses, Campus Tours, and Parent Education Series; see Tours & Events for details. The three La Scuola campuses include Mission (K–8) and Dogpatch (Preschool) in San Francisco, Silicon Valley (PreK–Elementary), and Milano (Italy). Sliding Scale Tuition is described separately; see Tuition & Affordability for details.

Sliding Scale Tuition Grants are awarded to families based on demonstrated financial need as determined by the Clarity application and the La Scuola Tuition Committee. The Clarity application is used to assess financial need, and the process is designed to include a $65 submission fee. Sliding scale tuition is available for Grandi (3-4 years old), Grandissimi (4-5 years old), and Kindergarten through Grade 8; there are no merit-based awards. Award determinations are made after reviewing the Clarity application and the school's budget, and awards are not guaranteed due to limited funds. The deadline for completing the sliding scale tuition application and submitting supporting documents is January 21, 2026 for current families and February 1, 2026 for prospective families. Award letters are mailed with enrollment contracts. Questions about sliding scale tuition can be directed to Nichole Leon, Director of Admissions, SST & DEIB, at nichole.leon@lascuolasf.org. The school is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and does not receive state or federal funding.