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statement of the IB, and believe that its programmes develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. We have students who study with us from all


over the world, therefore, ensuring that our students understand and appreciate their own culture and personal history, as well as being open to the perspectives, values and traditions of others is key, and something that comes alive in our classrooms through our curriculum. Rather than our students sitting rigidly during their lessons, they are encouraged to converse and debate; developing their natural curiosity by engaging fully in all lessons and opening themselves up to complex and sometimes hard discussions with their classmates and teachers. This also prepares our students well for their


next steps, and gives them the skills to be able to interact with a range of people that they will meet throughout the stages of their lives and educational journeys.


what the IB can offer each individual, we’re able to mould the curriculum so that it suits our students’ strengths and most importantly, interests. We also ensure that small class sizes are maintained so that our teachers know all of their students on a personal level and appreciate where each individual’s strengths lie.


IIC is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School. What do you think are the benefits of an IB education? A huge advantage of the IB is that its assessment methods focus on the development of skills and application of knowledge rather than rote learning, and this is undertaken in a variety of forms – through end of year examinations (usually!) but also on-going internal assessments and the programme’s “core” elements, such as the theory of knowledge course and the extended essay. It is through these different forms of assessment that IB students develop communication, team work, research and analytical and critical thinking skills that are extremely sought after by universities and the world of work, and where A Level students are lacking. One other huge advantage to IB programmes


is that, unlike A Levels, the DP gives students the opportunity to discover their academic passions before they reduce the breadth of their study and restrict their future opportunities. Students have the opportunity to tailor the programme to their strengths – selecting three of their strongest subjects to study at higher level, alongside the remaining three at standard level. The equal division between the higher and standard levels of a student’s six chosen subjects, means that students are able to gain the depth of knowledge required to prepare them for a future in higher education and life beyond the classroom. The IB is also a values-driven curriculum and at


the heart of all of the IB programmes is the teaching that other people, with differing opinions, can also be right, which is a powerful message and hugely beneficial to teach to our students. The IB learner profile is also a key focus of ours, and underpins everything that we do. Through the IB curriculum, we will teach our students to be: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open- minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and


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reflective; key skills and traits which our students can take with them into life beyond the school gates.


Why is it important to you to ensure that IB programmes are accessible to a wide-ability of students? It is a common misconception that the DP is only for an academic elite of students – this couldn’t be further from the truth. First and foremost, it’s about treating all students as human beings with extraordinary potential, so that they can make the very most of their educational journey. The DP is about a passion and a drive for


learning, the interconnectivity of subjects and fostering skills for university and for life; it is really important for us that we protect this within the classroom. One of the ways in which we do this is through high quality mixed ability teaching. Although it can be more challenging working with a range of learners, mixed ability lessons ensure that you facilitate true debate. By putting together a group of students who have different backgrounds, mind sets and ways of receiving and sharing information it creates an amazing learning environment in which everyone’s skills are enhanced.


Why is it important that you offer a curriculum with a global outlook? We wholeheartedly believe in the mission


During the recent period of home-learning, how were staff members at IIC working with students in order for them to get the most out of their education and to stay motivated? During this period of home-learning, our lessons across the sixth form have become much more interactive and the range of tools that our teachers are using is amazing. Our lessons focus on conversation, which allows our students to bounce their ideas off one another and to share their work. Alongside the development of the in- class elements, we are also paying an equal amount of focus to everything else around the academic curriculum. Last term, we had tutors who were running group online meditation sessions for our students to unwind and relax, fitness classes to encourage students to keep fit and a virtual ‘next steps’ launch with students and our Progressions Coordinator. We were also keen to maintain the community and family feel of our College, and want our students to know that our office doors – virtual or not – are always open. Therefore, members of our sixth form leadership team have often posted Zoom links in our MS Teams channel for students to drop in and have a chat, which gives a similar feel to walking into someone’s office for a quick catch up.


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