RENZO DIAZ — Reference library
St. Louis School Milan: IB Maths and Physics, from IGCSE to the Diploma
4 min readBy Renzo DiazLast reviewed October 7, 2026
St. Louis School has taught the IB Diploma since February 2013, in English, at its Archinto campus on Via Olmetto in central Milan, after Cambridge IGCSE in Years 10 and 11. Its own site lists Mathematics at Standard and Higher Level without naming the two IB courses, while the IB's directory shows St. Louis students registered in both, Analysis and Approaches (AA) and Applications and Interpretation (AI), and in Physics. The school reports an average IB score of 37.5 for 2026.
This page gathers what St. Louis School publishes about its IB Diploma, with Mathematics and Physics in focus: the courses it lists, the route through IGCSE, 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 St. Louis students are among those I have taught.
The school publishes Mathematics SL and HL; the question a family needs answered is which of the two IB courses that means for their child.
Key takeaways
- IB Diploma since 2013: authorised by the IB on 12 February 2013, taught in English, examined in May.
- Both Maths courses registered: AA and AI in the IB's directory; the school's own list reads Mathematics SL and HL.
- Cambridge IGCSE first: nine subjects in Years 10 and 11, Physics as its own IGCSE, and Additional Mathematics as an extra subject.
- Average IB score of 37.5 in 2026, as the school reports it, after 37 in 2025.
- Not published: which Maths course runs at HL, and the IGCSE grade needed for it; ask the school.
The IB Diploma at St. Louis School
St. Louis teaches its High School, Years 10 to 13, at the Archinto campus, Palazzo Archinto, a restored historic building on Via Olmetto near the cathedral, where more than 470 students aged 14 to 18 follow the Cambridge IGCSE and the IB Diploma. Diploma students choose six IB subjects, at Higher and Standard Level, alongside the core: Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service. To join the Diploma the school asks for good English and a willingness to work to the IB's requirements; it publishes no grade thresholds.
The Diploma at a glance
- Language
- English
- As listed in the IB's directory.
- Campus
- Via Olmetto
- The Archinto campus, Years 10 to 13, since 2019.
- Exams
- May
- The May session, in the IB's directory.
Mathematics in the Diploma
The school's IB page lists its Mathematics options as "Mathematics SL" and "Mathematics HL", without naming the two courses the IB introduced in 2019. The IB's directory, which lists the subjects a school's students are registered for, shows St. Louis students in both: "Math Analysis", Analysis and Approaches, and "Math Apps", Applications and Interpretation. So both courses have students at the school; which of them runs at Higher Level, and what a student needs to be placed in it, is not published.
The choice matters for university. Several engineering, physics and computer science degrees ask for AA at Higher Level, while others accept either course. 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.
Four questions to ask the school about Mathematics
Which course runs at Higher Level?
AA HL, AI HL, or both, and whether that holds every year.
What does a place at HL require?
An IGCSE grade, an internal test, a teacher's recommendation, or a combination.
Does Additional Mathematics count?
Whether the extra IGCSE is expected, or simply helpful, for AA HL.
When are choices confirmed?
Before or after the IGCSE results in August, and how a change is handled.
Physics in the Diploma
Physics is on the school's list of IB sciences, with Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Sports, Exercise and Health Science, and Environmental Systems and Societies at SL. The school says it offers subjects at both Higher and Standard Level, without giving a level per subject. Engineering and Physics degrees often ask for Physics at Higher Level beside Mathematics, so the level is worth confirming early; the requirements by degree are in IB requirements for engineering.
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: Cambridge IGCSE at St. Louis
In Years 10 and 11, students aged 14 to 16 normally take nine Cambridge IGCSEs. The sciences come as three separate subjects, Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and Mathematics as Mathematics, with Additional Mathematics offered as an extra IGCSE. The school does not publish its syllabus codes or which tier students sit.
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
St. Louis publishes its average IB Diploma score each year. The figures below are the school's own; it does not publish the number of candidates, a pass rate or subject-by-subject averages.
| Year | Average points |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 37.5 |
| 2025 | 37 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2023 | 36 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2021 | 38 |
Source: the school's academic results page, read 7 October 2026.
Lessons for St. Louis 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 years that lead into the Diploma, 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.
- Additional Mathematics
- A Cambridge IGCSE taken beside Mathematics, covering topics such as logarithms, exponential functions and radians.
Questions about IB Maths and Physics at St. Louis School
Does St. Louis School Milan offer IB Maths AA or AI?
Both have students there. The IB's directory lists St. Louis students registered in Analysis and Approaches and in Applications and Interpretation; the school's own site lists Mathematics SL and HL without naming the courses.
Does St. Louis School offer IB Maths HL?
Yes, Mathematics HL is on its IB list. Which course runs at HL, and what a place requires, is not published, so ask the school.
Does St. Louis School offer IB Physics?
Yes. Physics is on the school's list of IB sciences, and the school offers subjects at Higher and Standard Level.
What was St. Louis School's average IB score in 2026?
37.5 points, as the school reports it, after 37 in 2025 and 36 in 2024.
Where is the St. Louis High School campus?
At the Archinto campus, Via Olmetto 6, in central Milan, where Years 10 to 13 have studied since 2019.
Do you teach St. Louis School students?
Yes, IB Mathematics and Physics, one-to-one. Lessons run online, with in-person sessions in Milan on application, in English or Spanish.
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, exam session and registered subjects come from the IB's directory of IB World Schools; everything else from the school's own website, read on 7 October 2026. The results are as the school reports them. This page is independent of St. Louis School, which has not reviewed or endorsed it.
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