...The question of curriculum


programmes across the full range of school ages. The aim of each programme is to develop enquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people with transferable skills. IB programmes emphasise learning how to learn, and teach students to value learning as an essential, integral part of their everyday lives. Many international schools offer the full range of IB programmes, which include:


• The Primary Years Programme (PYP), for students aged from three to 12


• The Middle Years Programme (MYP), for students aged from 11 to 16


• The Diploma Programme (DP), for students aged from 16 to 19. This is an academically demanding two- year curriculum leading to a qualification accepted by universities around the world


• The Career-related Programme (CP), for students aged from 16 to 19. This is the newest IB programme and combines academic preparation with career-related studies. The programme is


designed for students


who want to specialise in career-related education, and gives them the option to pursue employment, apprenticeships, or further education. It is increasingly recognised by universities


Simone Lorenz-Weir, head of upper school at Oakham School, in Rutland, England, recognises that the IB has grown to become one of the most highly regarded educational programmes in the world. “The IB ticks many boxes academically because of its rigour and the breadth of subjects students take,” she says, “but ultimately it is the skills that students learn that make the programme so very desirable. “In addition to their chosen subjects, all students take


Theory of Knowledge (a challenging critical-thinking course) and undertake an Extended Essay (a dissertation-style research project). Both of these prepare them for the rigour of university, teaching them to research independently, to analyse evidence, and to prepare their thoughts into a well- written (or verbalised) point of view.


“Universities certainly recognise this, as they often find IB students settle in quicker and feel more comfortable with the self-sufficiency demanded by higher education.” Nearly a fifth of university admissions officers responding to ACS International Schools’ latest annual


survey of their views on post-16 qualifications in the UK cited the IB Diploma Programme as a better preparation for thriving 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.”


INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY AND MIDDLE YEARS CURRICULUM


Although currently used by a fairly small percentage of international schools (4 per cent, according to ISC Research), the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) continue to grow in popularity amongst international schools that want to go beyond subject teaching to introduce what are often referred to as ‘soft’ skills. These attributes, which include the learning of international-mindedness and personal goals, are reinforced throughout both curricula.


In addition to helping children develop a global awareness and a sense of themselves and their community, each IPC unit includes specific international learning tasks, and approaches learning from both a host- and a home-country perspective. This allows children – expatriate children in particular – to feel a connection with where they are currently living (their host country) and their home country. The IMYC continues the IPC’s learning approach in a way that responds to the specific needs of the maturing adolescent brain. The IMYC is designed to inspire students during a time when many, overwhelmed by the transition from primary education as well as the changes happening in their bodies and brains, can become disengaged from their learning. Ultimately, school choice should take into consideration many aspects of the school, and not focus purely on the curriculum.


“Children are resilient, and educational systems, at their core, have more in common than meets the eye,” says Craig Johnson. “All countries have quality schools. It is the transferring between these quality schools that most families should be concerned with.”


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