Turin school search: IST and Lycée Jean Giono compared

Turin’s international-school search is manageable because the two main routes answer different questions. One preserves an English-medium IB education. The other provides a French national pathway with Italian built into the programme. Both are day schools, but they sit on different sides of a housing decision.

Choose the curriculum first

The International School of Turin is in Chieri, at Strada Pecetto 34. It is authorised for the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes and teaches mainly in English. The school also awards its own high-school diploma. Applicants to Grades 6–12 take English and mathematics assessments, so ask how the results affect placement and language support.

IST is the more direct fit for a child moving from another IB or English-medium international school. Before assuming continuity, compare the actual subjects. Diploma Programme combinations and language courses can differ even between IB schools.

Lycée Français International Jean Giono is an AEFE-contracted French school on Corso Casale. It runs from age two through Terminale and leads to the French Baccalauréat. French, Italian and English begin in maternelle, and pupils can add another language in collège. French-language support is available for newcomers, so a child does not necessarily need fluent French at entry.

Giono also maintains routes relevant to Italy, including the terza media examination and provisions connected with recognition of the maturità. Families considering a later transfer into an Italian liceo should ask which route and assessments apply to their child.

Compare the published 2026–27 fees

IST’s annual tuition ranges from €8,500 in Nursery to €19,200 in Grades 11–12. Grades 1–5 cost €13,400 and Grades 6–8 cost €16,600. New-student registration was €3,300 up to 31 January 2026 and is €3,800 after that date. The published fee includes lunch, textbooks, many trips, examination fees and several school activities. Bus transport, uniforms, after-school care and some English-language or additional-needs support cost extra.

Giono’s annual tuition is €7,167 in maternelle, €7,029 in élémentaire, €7,113 in collège and €8,085 in lycée. First registration is €800. Re-enrolment is €290 through collège and €390 in lycée. The cooperative invoices tuition in September, January and April, and offers sibling reductions from the second child. Ask separately about meals, book hire and supplies.

The headline difference is substantial, but it is not a like-for-like purchase. One fee buys an English IB continuum; the other buys a French national education. Compare the route your child can use, then add every required extra.

Treat location as an admissions question

Giono is on the eastern side of Turin beside the Po. IST is outside the city in Chieri. Check both routes from the neighbourhoods you are genuinely considering, including the school start time and after-activity return. Ask IST for the current bus stops rather than assuming a Turin address is covered.

The distinction can also affect siblings. If one child needs French lycée and another needs an English IB primary place, calculate the two-school journey before committing to housing.

A practical application sequence

1. Ask each school about a place in the exact grade and the documents used for placement.
2. Send recent reports and identify any English, French or learning support before a visit.
3. Confirm the leaving qualification and subject choices available from the child’s entry year.
4. Request a written fee estimate including transport, meals, registration and support.
5. Visit the relevant campus and test the journey on a normal school day.

IST advertises an open day on 7 November 2026 and also offers individual appointments. Giono directs families to contact the school, visit and then complete the Eduka application. Do not infer a 2027 deadline from a 2026 event; ask both schools for the next cycle’s timetable.

The Italy country guide explains the relationship between international schools and Italian routes. The curriculum guide helps compare the IB and French systems.

Friendly orientation, not formal admissions advice. Always confirm dates with the school.