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The British School of Milan: IB Maths and Physics, from IGCSE to the Diploma
5 min readBy Renzo DiazLast reviewed October 7, 2026
The British School of Milan has taught the IB Diploma since February 2008, in English, after Cambridge and Edexcel IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11. Its Sixth Form offers both IB Mathematics courses, Analysis and Approaches (AA) and Applications and Interpretation (AI), at Standard and Higher Level, and Physics at either level. A place in Higher Level Mathematics depends on the IGCSE grade: the school's course-confirmation rules ask for a Grade 8 or 9 for AA HL and at least a 7 for AI HL.
This page gathers what the British School of Milan (BSM) publishes about its IB Diploma, with Mathematics and Physics in focus: the courses and levels it offers, the IGCSE grades it asks for, what it advises for university, and the results it reports. Every fact comes from the school's own pages and the IB's directory of schools, read on 7 October 2026. The page is independent: the school has not reviewed or endorsed it.
I teach IB Mathematics and Physics online from Milan, and British School students are among those I have taught. One of them, Aline Pascarelli, studied IB Math AI SL there and worked with me through both years of the Diploma; her result is set out below.
At the British School the Maths decision is made twice: once when the course is chosen, and again in August, when the IGCSE grade confirms it.
Key takeaways
- IB Diploma since 2008: authorised by the IB on 11 February 2008, taught in English, examined in May.
- Both Maths courses at both levels: AA and AI at SL and HL, and Physics at SL or HL.
- HL Maths follows the IGCSE grade: a Grade 8 or 9 for AA HL and at least a 7 for AI HL, confirmed in August.
- IGCSE Mathematics first: Cambridge 0980, aiming at the Extended tier, with Additional Mathematics (0606) for the strongest mathematicians.
- A documented result from the school: Grade 7 in both IB Math AI SL exam papers, May 2024.
The IB Diploma at the British School of Milan
The British School of Milan is a 3–18 school on one campus in Lambrate, in the north-east of the city. Its Sixth Form, Years 12 and 13, teaches the IB Diploma. Students take six subjects, three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level, one from each of the six groups; the arts can be replaced by a second language, humanities or science subject. Alongside the six comes the core: Theory of Knowledge as a taught course, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service over 18 months.
The Diploma at a glance
- Language
- English
- Italian A can take the place of a second language.
- Subjects
- 3 HL + 3 SL
- One from each group, plus the core.
- Exams
- May
- The May session, in the IB's directory.
Entry requirements and the August confirmation
The school sets its Diploma requirements in IGCSE grades on the 9–1 scale, and confirms every course choice only once the IGCSE results are out. Higher Level Mathematics carries its own threshold, and it differs by course.
| To take | IGCSE grade required |
|---|---|
| The IB Diploma | Six IGCSEs at Grade 5 or above, including English and Mathematics |
| Any Higher Level course | Grade 6 or above |
| Any Standard Level course | Grade 5 or above |
| Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL | Grade 8 or 9 |
| Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation HL | At least Grade 7 |
Source: the school's IB course confirmation page, read 7 October 2026. Its Mathematics page gives "at least an 8" for Higher Level Mathematics without separating the two courses; ask the school which rule applies in your year.
The timeline
Results in August, choices confirmed by 31 August
In the school's published timeline, Cambridge IGCSE results arrive on 11 August and Edexcel results on 20 August, consultations with the Sixth Form team run from 24 to 28 August, and every course choice is confirmed by 31 August, before term starts on 2 September. A place in AA HL rests on the IGCSE Mathematics result itself, not on the mock that came before it.
Mathematics in the Diploma
The British School teaches all four IB Mathematics courses: Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation, each at Standard and Higher Level. Its Mathematics page also says which route suits which degree. For Mathematics, Computer Science or Physics at a competitive university, it points students to AA HL. For Engineering, Mathematics at HL, with AA often recommended. For Economics, HL is often advised, and a few highly competitive universities require AA HL. For Medicine, Mathematics HL may not be needed alongside two sciences at HL.
The school adds that every requirement should be checked on each university's own website, and the published ones differ more than families expect: some engineering degrees accept either course at HL, others only AA. The degree-by-degree picture is in IB Math AA or AI: what universities require, and the choice itself in how to choose between AA and AI.
Physics in the Diploma
Biology, Chemistry and Physics are each offered at Standard or Higher Level, and every student takes at least one science; many take two, the second in place of an arts subject. The school's science page puts the practical work at 60 hours at HL and 40 at SL, and states that Physics HL is often required for Engineering, Physics or Mathematics at university.
Since the May 2025 session, every IB Physics candidate sits the new course, organised in five themes, with a new data booklet. How its papers are weighted is in IB Physics 2025 exams: marks by theme, and the difference between the two levels in IB Physics HL vs SL.
Before the Diploma: IGCSE at the British School
In Years 10 and 11 students take nine IGCSEs. Every student studies the Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Mathematics course, 0980, aiming at the Extended tier, and the strongest mathematicians also take Additional Mathematics, 0606. Physics comes either as its own IGCSE, within Triple Award Science, or inside Co-ordinated Sciences, a double award; the separate Physics IGCSE is assessed entirely by three external examinations.
Additional Mathematics matters for the step into AA. It covers logarithms, exponential functions and radians, which Analysis and Approaches meets in its first year. The comparison, topic by topic, is in From IGCSE to the IB Diploma.
The results the school reports
The British School publishes its average IB Diploma score each year. The figures below are the school's own; it does not publish the number of candidates or subject-by-subject averages.
| Year | Average points |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 39 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2024 | 37.3 |
| 2023 | 36 |
| 2022 | 37 |
Source: the school's results and university destinations page, read 7 October 2026. For 2026 the school also reports that more than half of its students scored 40 points or more.
A documented result from the British School of Milan
Aline Pascarelli studied IB Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation SL at the British School of Milan, and we worked together online across the two years of the Diploma. Her own public review describes starting at Grade 3. Her May 2024 IB Results Summary records Grade 7 in Paper 1 and Grade 7 in Paper 2, the two externally assessed exams, which carry 80% of the assessment. The full record, with every component and its source, is on the case page: IB Math AI SL exam results (May 2024).
| Measure | Grade | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Starting grade, beginning of the Diploma | Grade 3 | Her public Google review, 17 July 2024 |
| Paper 1, external exam (40%) | Grade 7 | IB Results Summary, held on file |
| Paper 2, external exam (40%) | Grade 7 | IB Results Summary, held on file |
| Exploration, internal assessment (20%) | Grade 5 | IB Results Summary, held on file |
The exam grades are a transcription of her IB Results Summary; the document itself is not reproduced. They are component grades, not the final subject grade.
Lessons for British School students
Lessons are one-to-one, online, 60 or 90 minutes, once or twice a week, and follow the student's own schoolwork: the IGCSE year that decides the HL place, the internal assessments, the mocks and the May exams. Every lesson is recorded, with an AI-generated summary and a searchable archive. Sessions run online; in Milan, in-person sessions can be arranged on application. Lessons are in English or Spanish, and the first step is a free strategy call. More on the IB Maths tutor in Milan and IB Physics tutor in Milan pages.
Terms used in this article
- AA
- Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, the IB Mathematics course built around algebra, functions, calculus and proof.
- AI
- Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation, the IB Mathematics course built around modelling, statistics and technology.
- HL and SL
- Higher Level and Standard Level: each Diploma student takes three subjects at each.
- IGCSE (9–1)
- The version of an IGCSE graded from 9, the highest, to 1, the scale the British School uses for its entry requirements.
- Additional Mathematics (0606)
- A Cambridge IGCSE taken beside Mathematics, covering topics such as logarithms, exponential functions and radians.
Questions about IB Maths and Physics at the British School of Milan
Does the British School of Milan offer IB Maths AA HL?
Yes. It teaches both IB Mathematics courses, Analysis and Approaches and Applications and Interpretation, at Standard and Higher Level.
What IGCSE grade do you need for IB Maths HL at the British School of Milan?
A Grade 8 or 9 for AA HL, and at least a 7 for AI HL, on the school's course-confirmation page. Its Mathematics page gives at least an 8 for Higher Level Mathematics, so check which rule applies in your year.
Does the British School of Milan offer IB Physics HL?
Yes, at Standard or Higher Level. Any Higher Level course asks for a Grade 6 or above at IGCSE, and the school advises Physics HL for Engineering, Physics or Mathematics degrees.
Which IGCSE Maths does the British School of Milan teach?
Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) Mathematics, 0980, aiming at the Extended tier. The strongest mathematicians also take Additional Mathematics, 0606.
What was the British School of Milan's average IB score in 2026?
39 points, as the school reports it, up from 37 in 2025. The school does not publish its number of candidates.
Do you teach British School of Milan students?
Yes, IB Mathematics and Physics, one-to-one. Lessons run online, with in-person sessions in Milan on application, in English or Spanish. One British School student's IB Math AI SL exam results are documented.
Written by
Teaching IB since 2016. Seven years of IB reviews you can check on Google — and named results with the documents behind them.
Last reviewed October 7, 2026
Sources
The school's IB authorisation, language and exam session come from the IB's directory of IB World Schools; everything else about the school from its own website, read on 7 October 2026. The results are as the school reports them. This page is independent of the British School of Milan, which has not reviewed or endorsed it. Aline Pascarelli's result comes from her IB Results Summary, held on file, and her own public review.
- IB — The British School of Milan, directory entry
- The British School of Milan — IB course confirmation
- The British School of Milan — IB overview and course choices
- The British School of Milan — Group 5: Mathematics
- The British School of Milan — Group 4: Experimental Sciences
- The British School of Milan — Academic faculties
- The British School of Milan — Results and university destinations
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