Headteacher Norman Doyle talks about life at the New School Rome.
Q. The New School Rome (NSR) curriculum follows the A-Level programme. How distinctive is this approach within the Roman or Italian educational landscape? What specific opportunities does it open up for students in terms of university access and global mobility?
A. We are the only school in Rome offering a complete suite of the Gold standard A-Level qualifications that are recognised by universities across the world. We are also one of only two schools in Italy to have an accord with the Italian Ministry of Education that allows our bilingual Italian speaking students to sit the Esame di lingua e cultura italiana which, when combined with their A-Levels is recognised as an equivalent to the Italian Maturità, opening up even more opportunities for our students.
NSR is known for its small class sizes and strong sense of community. In your experience, how does this environment translate into academic performance, confidence, and overall student wellbeing?
With our small classes we can provide a bespoke curriculum for all of our students which focuses on individual strengths and potential. Our alumni often talk of the warmth and support they experienced as students and how this close personal touch encouraged their high performance. Year on year our students achieve excellent exam results and go on to attend elite universities in Europe and further afield.
Beyond academics, what would you identify as the school’s other core strengths? Are there particular programmes, values or traditions that you feel define the NSR identity?
Our Vision is ‘to create a community of lifelong learners who value inquiry, critical and creative thinking, and act with integrity and compassion.’ This focus on acting with integrity and compassion is supported by the high level of student leadership and participation in our decision making. All of our students complete the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and many take part in our Model United Nations programme which builds public speaking skills whilst developing empathy for the plight of others.
The school has undergone several recent developments. Can you share more about these changes and what they aim to achieve? Are there any upcoming initiatives or long-term plans you’re particularly excited about?
Absolutely. We have just finished the redevelopment of our dining area and most excitingly we have opened an on-site kitchen for the first time in over 20 years, meaning we can now provide our students with freshly cooked organic meals.
Our next project is the construction of a new indoor sports facility which is on schedule to be ready for September 2026 and will allow us to host tournaments as well as provide a state-of-the-art facility for regular PE lessons.
Norman Doyle, Headteacher at the New School Rome.
NSR welcomes students from ages 3 to 18, representing many different nationalities. How would you describe the dynamic between the various age groups? How does the school cultivate unity and interaction while meeting the needs of each developmental stage?
Our school is a ‘Family School’ where friendships across year groups are common and our older students act as positive role models for our younger students. It is common to find our Sixth Formers reading to primary classes and coaching them in sporting activities. We hold regular whole school assemblies to ensure that a common school spirit is reinforced but at the same time our faculty are experienced age group specialists who are focused on the learning needs of each developmental stage.
With such an internationally diverse student body, what role does intercultural education play in everyday school life? How do students benefit from learning in such a globally minded environment?
We celebrate the national days and traditions of our diverse student body inviting students and parents to share their culture through special assemblies, international foods events, topical debates and even traditional dancing. This provides a ‘world centred’ education that leaves our students with a clear understanding of the importance of empathy for the other.
How does NSR support students’ transition between different stages of schooling—early years, primary, secondary and sixth form? Are there specific programmes that ease these academic and emotional transitions?
Yes, we have members of the faculty who work together on these key transitions, inviting students for ‘going up days’ as they make their transition through the key stages. We also have specialist tutors for each stage who help the students to navigate these changes and make sound decisions about subject choices, university destinations and career choices.
Students studying A Level art at the New School Rome.
The A-Level programme allows for more specialised study. How does the school guide students in choosing the right subjects, and how early does this guidance begin?
It always starts with a focus on what our students enjoy most and where they have demonstrated affinity and strong progress. However, we are also great at signposting which subjects are required if a student has a particular undergraduate or career ambition ahead. The targeted guidance begins in Year 9 (age 13/14) and continues throughout the rest of our students’ education.
In an era of rapid technological, cultural, and social change, how is NSR adapting its teaching methodologies to prepare students for the world they will enter after graduation?
As for all schools, the most prescient challenge is that posed by AI. As a faculty we are busy upskilling to ensure that we can equip students with the tools to use AI with academic integrity and to understand the power that they have at their fingertips. Increasingly the faculty are also using AI and other technologies to develop their own teaching and learning and to create exciting, dynamic lessons.
Finally, what do you hope each student takes with them when they leave NSR—academically, personally, and as global citizens?
I will return to our Vision here, ‘to create a community of lifelong learners who value inquiry, critical and creative thinking, and act with integrity and compassion.’ It is a cliché, but we are greeting future leaders and it is our hope that those leaders will adopt these characteristics and make decisions in their futures that will genuinely improve the lives of others as well as themselves.
Interview by Marco Venturini
New School Rome, Via della Camilluccia 669, tel. 063294269, www.newschoolrome.com.
Cover image: A key part of the New School Rome is engagement in outdoor learning and play.
