UK CURRICULUM & LEARNING
...The International Baccalaureate
Research reveals that the IB is indeed highly regarded by universities. In its annual survey of admissions officers, ACS International Schools, in collaboration with the IBO, asks respondents to rate three exam systems – A Levels, the DP and BTEC – and rank them against factors such as ‘encouraging independent enquiry’ and ‘developing ability to cope with pressure’.
Among the 81 UK universities surveyed, the DP was rated top in developing 13 out of 14 factors considered useful in preparing students to thrive at university.
Karin Purcell, development director at Marymount International School London, supports the view that the IB gives students the edge when it comes to applying for a university place. “Our experience shows that our students who graduate with an IB Diploma are increasingly at an advantage when applying for university, especially here in the UK,” she says. “We have a lot of hard evidence that the trend is in favour of students with an IB.”
DIPLOMA SCORES The IB Diploma is awarded to students who receive a minimum of 24 points, and who successfully complete the core components, including the Extended Essay and the Theory of Knowledge. Students receive their diploma results in July and January.
The maximum score a student can achieve is 45 points.
Scores are calculated on the awarded grades of 1 to 7 for each of the six subject areas, to combine for a total of 42 points,
plus an extra three points for the Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge components.
Unlike GCSEs and A Levels – which have seen grade inflation and been criticised for lowering standards – the IB has maintained consistently high standards across the globe for more than 40 years. According to the IBO, DP pass rates have remained consistent at around 80 per cent, with the average score consistently sitting at around 30 points.
CAREER-RELATED PROGRAMME The newest addition to the IB is the Career-related Programme for students aged 16–19. The CP gives students the option to pursue employment, apprenticeships or further education alongside academic study. Taught in more than 100 schools in 14 countries across
the world, the CP helps students along the path to their chosen career, while arming them with transferable and lifelong skills, such as the ability to work as part of a team, time management skills and intercultural understanding.
Students develop rigour through a combination of academic and career-related courses, resulting in a more rounded understanding of the working world through components that
develop skills problem-solving and responsibility. “The IBCP appeals to students who wish to pursue
career-related studies, combining the IB’s rigorous approach to education with practical hands-on experience within the working world,” says Kristi Sedlacek, IBCP coordinator at ACS Egham. The fact that the IB is accessible to students from any
country, and from different educational backgrounds, makes it a popular choice for the relocating family concerned about the transferability of their child’s education. Linda Kavanagh, dean of admissions at ACS Egham International School, in Surrey, believes that the IB is a truly internationally transferable qualification for families with globally mobile lifestyles. “Families in transition face many challenges,” she says,
“from dealing with the logistics of relocating and finding accommodation to coping with being physically apart from loved ones. Finding the right school is often a family’s first priority, as it gives children stability and friendships. This impacts positively on the family as a whole.”
She adds, “The IB is taught and respected worldwide, and allows us the flexibility to offer places to students from school systems throughout the world. Wherever students have studied the IB before, its fundamental approaches to learning and assessments are the same worldwide, allowing them to pick up their studies where they left off.”
such as communication,
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