IB Information

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers high quality programmes of international education to a worldwide community of schools.

There are more than 778,000 IB students at 2,823 schools in 138 countries.

The IB Diploma Programme is designed as an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepare students for success at university and life beyond.

The programme is normally taught over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world's leading universities.

At the ABC we require all students entering Grade 11 to undertake the full IB Bilingual Diploma. Students must pass Grade 10 and obtain at least two B and three C grades in their IGCSE examinations. Students who do not obtain this, but achieve at least five C grades in their IGCSE examinations will be considered for entry if a viable programme can be found for them. Students who do not receive at least five C grades will not be admitted into Grade 11. In exceptional circumstances, the Headmaster may reconsider the student for admission on special probation. Since it is recognised that the five C minimum passes is not sufficient for success in the IB programme, such admission will be will be rare.

IB Diploma Programme students study six subjects at higher level or standard level as set out below.

Students must choose three subjects at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL) in order to take the I.B. Diploma. All subjects score a maximum of 7 points towards the IB Diploma.

Each HL subject has six lessons per week and each SL subject has four lessons per week

Here, we are offering advice and guidelines to Grade 10 students in order for them to make more informed subject choices.

At the Options meeting, Heads of Departments and teachers will provide more information about subject areas. Please do talk to Heads of Departments, subject teachers and the IB Coordinator at any time during the school year for further information/advice.

Some other considerations

In order to take HL courses students should aim to achieve a minimum of grade B at IGCSE, although for some subjects it is a grade A.

Spanish and English Languages

Both subjects offer two different course at both HL and SL. Ideally students will take one Literature and one Language and Literature course.

Language A Literature: generally students need to obtain a grade B in IGCSE Literature and IGCSE Language if they are to study IB Literature in either Spanish or English. This course introduces students to the analysis of literary texts.

Language A Language and Literature: the language and literature course introduces the critical study and interpretation of written and spoken texts from a wide range of literary and non literary genres.

Mathematics

Higher Level: this is intended for those students who are really good at Mathematics and obtain an A or A* at IGCSE and want to pursue mathematics or mathematics related courses at university.

Standard level: this is a demanding course in Mathematics and intended for students who enjoy the challenges of the subject, and who attain a grade B or above at IGCSE.

Maths Studies: this is suitable for all other students and in itself is quite a demanding course. It is a good preparation for university mathematics in courses which do not have a high mathematical content.

Note - There are some science and economics courses at university level which may require Standard level or Higher level mathematics. Check with the Admissions offices at the universities you are thinking of applying to.

Physics: students taking Physics HL must also take Maths SL or Maths HL, and will need a B or better at IGCSE Mathematics.

Other Considerations

If your son or daughter has not taken a particular subject at IGCSE, either because they did not choose to do so at the beginning of Year 9, or because it does not exist at IGCSE, we offer the following guidelines:

Art: the Art Department will interview the student and ask for some pieces of work to be produced in order to ascertain whether or not the student has acquired the necessary skills and aptitude to study Art and Design at an advanced level.

Computer Science: students cannot take this subject at all unless they have taken the IGCSE Computer Studies Course.

French: students should have taken IGCSE French in order to register for the I.B. If this is not the case, then the Head of Department will arrange for students to take an examination in French and will then decide if French is a suitable option or not.

Humanities: each subject will be looked at separately. To take any HL subject in this category students need to have good written skills in the language of instruction and have a grade B at least in another Humanities subject at IGCSE. If not, then they will be directed to study a Humanities subject at SL. Students must talk to Humanities subject teachers (or the Head of Department) for more specific guidance.

Environmental Systems: this subject can be considered as a Humanities subject and/or a Science subject and is only offered at S.L.

In addition to these six subjects all students must do the following:

The Core of the IB

Creativity, Action and Service (known as CAS): this programme aims to develop students who are:

• reflective thinkers
• willing to accept new challenges and new roles
• aware of themselves as members of communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment
• active participants in sustained, collaborative projects
• balanced citizens

CAS requires that students actively learn from the experience of doing real tasks beyond the classroom. Students can combine all three components or do activities related to each one of them separately.

Mr. Argueta is our CAS Coordinator and will provide more detailed information next year.

Extended Essay: this is a requirement for students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the subjects they are studying. During the latter part of Year 11 and going into Year 12, students will be required to write an extended essay of 4000 words on a research topic of their choosing. They will have a teacher assigned to them to give them some guidelines.

Theory of Knowledge (TOK): this is a course designed to encourage each student to reflect on the nature of knowledge by critically examining different ways of knowing (perception, emotion, language and reason) and different kinds of knowledge (scientific, artistic, mathematical and historical). Students will have two lessons each week of TOK based activities.

IB and ABC Assessment

Each of the six subjects will be externally examined at the end of Year 12. All subjects involve coursework, projects and portfolios as part of the assessment. Grades are awarded as shown below. This shows an approximate relationship between IB grades, % and ABC grades. Further details can be found in the Student Planners.

Coursework assignments are set throughout the two-year programme and contribute to the ABC Cal system in addition to contributing to the final I.B. score. Subject teachers will provide fuller assessment details next year.

In May of Year 12, students will sit their I.B. examinations and the results will be available in July on the International Baccalaureate web site. The maximum score that anyone can get is 45. The six subjects give a maximum of 42 and the remaining 3 points are from a combination of the Extended Essay and TOK. The rules for awarding the Diploma can appear to be quite complicated, but basically students need an overall score of 24 points or more.

A final note for students and parents

Choices: we cannot definitely offer students their particular choice of subjects. We will do our best to please as many students as possible, but there will be restrictions: for example, if too few students choose a particular subject then we will have to withdraw it. It is, therefore really important for them to take care when choosing. Encourage them to choose Higher Level subjects where they are really confident that they will get a grade B or better at IGCSE. They should choose subjects they enjoy. If they are not sure, they should spend time talking to teachers and also to students in this year’s 11th and 12th grades. It is also important to bear in mind any future career aspirations because certain subjects may be required for certain university courses. It would be a good idea to do some research now or talk to Mr Dafnis or teachers at school about courses and their entry requirements in terms of IB subjects. It is often surprising to see some of the requirements specified by different universities.

We hope that parents will take the opportunity to get involved in this whole process with their son/daughter. The choices he/she makes are important. The I.B. Diploma course is challenging and rigorous and the students need encouragement and support to make the most of all it has to offer. However it is an excellent preparation for university study and is widely recognised for admission to universities around the world, frequently accompanied by very lucrative scholarships.