Marco Polo – The Italian School of Sydney – CNA Multicultural Services

Your 2023 Italian Style begins with Marco Polo!

Whether you want to learn about all things Italian, are studying to sit a language exam or are on a last-minute cram before your life-time trip to Italy, we are delighted to offer you a fulfilling learning experience with rich, challenging and quality lessons, together with many fellow like-minded students.

Teachers and tutors working at Marco Polo are competent speakers of Italian. They all possess relevant qualifications obtained either in Italy or in Australia and experience in teaching Italian to locals and foreigners. Staff members teaching the HSC class are experienced educators accredited with NESA.

Marco Polo is part of the Community Languages Schools Program of the NSW Government and delivers classes for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 as well as adult classes for Beginners, Intermediate and Advanced learners.

In 2023, the school will also offer FOUR special-interest courses (subject to enrolment numbers):

HSC Preparation Class for Students in Years 11-12
Cultural Immersion Course covering special interest topics
CILS Examination Preparation Course
Conversation Class held at different venues across the year

Students preparing for the CILS exam can also purchase tutoring packages to prepare for examinations. Please contact our office via email learning@cnansw.org.au or call us on (02) 8786 0888 for further information.

2023 Courses (Semester 1) – Updated Timetable

Not sure which course is best for you?

You can find a self-assessment guide on the website of the Council of Europe. This guide will help you to assess your level of proficiency in the languages you know according to six reference levels defined within the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). To assess your level of proficiency in the Italian language you can use the Self-evaluate your language skills tool.

Enrolment and Fees:

To begin your journey as a lover of Italian, complete an Enrolment Form. Answer every question on the form an email back your proof of payment back to the school at learning@cnansw.org.au.

Marco Polo accepts enrolments at any time during the year. We strongly recommend that you finalise your enrolment as soon as possible, as some courses fill up very quickly.

Paper forms are no longer accepted. All enrolments must be done through the digital enrolment.

Marco Polo reserves the right to cancel or rearrange classes. A full refund will be given only if a course is cancelled due to insufficient enrolments and no reasonable alternatives or arrangements can be offered. Once a course has begun, fees cannot be refunded or transferred.

Fees are fixed at the beginning of every year. The 2023 fee payable per semester for standard courses is $550. Students enrolling after the commencement will be paying an enrolment fee calculated on a pro-rata basis. The school is not responsible for any changes in your personal circumstances.

Parents, guardians and carers are eligible for a Creative Kids Voucher with a value of up to $100 per calendar year for each student aged 4.5 to 18 years old enrolled at Marco Polo – The Italian School of Sydney. To apply go to the Service NSW website, call 13 77 88 or visit your local Service Centre. Vouchers released on 1 January 2023 are valid until Friday 30 June 2023.

Standard Courses:

Semester 1 (19 weeks | February-July) – $550
Semester 2 (19 weeks | July-December) – $550
Full Year (38 Weeks | February-December) – $1,100
Pro-rata (please contact the school at learning@cnansw.org.au)
CILS Preparatory Course (19 hours | February-July) – $720 (Exam Fees Excluded)

Tutoring Packages:
Individual Tutoring Packages 3 ‘one hour lesson’ $250 5 ‘one hour lesson’ $380 10 ‘one hour lesson’ $730		Partnered Tutoring Packages (Max 2 people) 3 ‘one hour lesson’ $290 5 ‘one hour lesson’ $430 10 ‘one hour lesson’ $810

Paying Fees:

All fees are paid through Direct Debit directly to the school’s bank account:

Name: Marco Polo Language School
NAB Bank BSB: 082-490
Account number: 41-190-7854

Locations:

Marco Polo – The Italian School of Sydney currently operates from two locations:

Centro Italia – 1 Coolatai Crescent, Bossley Park, NSW 2176
Greenway Park Community Centre – Greenway Drive, Greenway Park NSW 2171 (Not in 2023)

Textbooks and Workbooks:

The textbook and workbook for Adult courses are:

Beginner and Pre-Intermediate (Blue Cover) – Sample Pages
*New Italian Espresso Beginner & Pre-Intermediate – Textbook + DVD. By Butrini & Graziani.
*New Italian Espresso A1-A2 Workbook. By Butrini & Graziani

Intermediate and Advanced (Red Cover) – Sample Pages
*New Italian Espresso 2 Intermediate/Advanced – Textbook + DVD. By Butrini & Graziani.
*New Italian Espresso 2 A2-B1 Intermediate / Advanced Workbook. By Butrini & Graziani

Textbooks can be purchased here.

Curriculum:

We provide a range of study options to support learning diversity across ages, prior knowledge and skill outcomes.

Our K-10 topics respond to the needs of growing academic minds in the contemporary society.
The Senior High School curriculum, reflects the topics explored in the Beginners and Continuers Courses in NSW.
Our Adult curriculum is centred upon opportunities for both functional and academic use of the Italian language.
- Beginner/Pre-Intermediate Topics
- Intermediate/Advanced Topics

K-12 NSW Community Languages Schools Program

Marco Polo – The Italian School of Sydney is part of the NSW Community Languages Schools Program. The NSW Department of Education provides funding to eligible community languages schools, provided certain criteria is met and maintained, including:

1. Be open to school students from Kindergarten to Year 12, regardless of language background
2. Have students who attend for at least 70 per cent of lessons in Term 1
3. Hold classes outside school hours at least 35 weeks of the year
4. Provide a minimum of two hours per week face-to-face language teaching based on a sound educational program.

For more information, visit the Community Languages Schools Program website.

FAQ: NESA course eligibility criteria for Italian Beginners

In order to enter the Beginners course for the Stage 6 (Year 11 – HSC), a student must be determined eligible on the basis of the NESA course eligibility criteria. Year 7-10 students enrolling at a community language school may be impacted in their eligibility to enter the Stage 6 Italian Beginners course where:

1. Students have more than little prior spoken or written knowledge or experience of Italian; o
2. Students have previously or are currently studying Italian at their day secondary school of enrolment (or the equivalent); and
3. The day secondary school language course in Italian (or the equivalent) satisfies the compulsory 100 hours in one school year in Stage 4 or 5 (Year 7-10);

Year 7-10 students who are enrolled at a community language school may withdraw from the school prior to the reaching of the maximum allowable number of hours at a secondary level (or equivalent) in order to satisfy the eligibility requirements of entry to the Stage 6 Italian Beginners course. Eligibility is determined by NESA at the time of entry to the Stage 6 course, at the end of Year 10.

From the entry point onwards, a student remains eligible for Beginners and may enrol at a community language school for additional hours of study. Students who do not satisfy entry to the Beginners course may apply to enter the Continuers course. For more information and sample case studies visit NESA website.

The Manzoni Scholarship Program

The Manzoni Scholarship Program is established by the Marco Polo Language School to encourage and recognise students in their pursuit of excellence in Italian language learning.

The Manzoni Scholarship Program is intended to provide students K-12 with the financial support to further their education in learning Italian as well as reward achievement and effort. For more information and to apply for a Manzoni Scholarship, click here.

Integrated Italian Language Curriculum Program (ILCP)

Marco Polo – The Italian School of Sydney is working to establish a range of integrated Italian language curriculum programs within primary and secondary schools in Sydney’s South West to further promote and contribute to excellence in language teaching and learning. ILCP projects are supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fund qualified educators and resources into schools.

Marco Polo Italian Language School has a strong interest in keeping children safe in the teaching and learning environment.

Good child safe policies and practices are the best way to reduce potential environmental risks and keep kids safer in those environments. The child safe approach includes education and supervision of both paid and unpaid staff about appropriate and acceptable behaviours.

Implementing effective child safe policies and practices is the best way for an organisation to protect the children they are involved with. As a child safe organisation, our school has developed a Child Safe Policy and a Child Safe Code of Conduct.

Marco Polo Italian Language School supports the Principles for Child-Safe Organisations developed by the NSW Children’s Guardian.