You are expected to attend all lessons and other events arranged by the school. Every absence must be explained to the form teacher by your guardian via Wilma message. 

During a period of absence (illness or other) you are responsible for getting the material you have missed (asking classmates for the material you’ve missed, consulting the course’s google classroom, etc.). It is important to keep up with your studies despite absences, as missing work will affect your course grade.

Please note that this also applies to absence due to travelling. Parents are advised not to plan travelling outside the official school holidays.

Absence from a test

If you are absent from a test during the course you need a legitimate reason (e.g. illness that is verified by a doctor’s note or a message from your guardian) to be able to  participate in a retake exam.

If you do not attend a retake test you have registered for, you will not be given another opportunity to retake, unless you have a legitimate reason for the absence.

The flow charts below illustrate how absence is taken into consideration at the school. 

preDP

During the preDP, if you wish to change your subjects or courses, you should contact Anna Q or Anna M. Ideally, these changes should happen before the course(s) start. The optional courses in preDP are selected throughout the school year, according to the deadlines given.

In order to study a subject in the IB Diploma, you must have an average of 7 (for SL) and 8 (for HL) in that subject’s preDP courses. In addition, you must take the optional courses in any subjects you wish to study in the IB. In the event that you don’t reach the above mentioned averages in a certain subject, it is also good to have a Plan B. You also need to plan for the eventuality that not all groups will be formed - planning ahead is a good idea! AnnaQ will support you in these choices, and you will be given plenty of information to help you decide what you want to do.

preDP curriculum 23-24

IB DP

You will make your IB Diploma subject choices in late spring of preDP. Before choosing, subject information will be provided in joint sessions with Anna M, Anna Q, subject teachers, and DP1 students. 

Changes to your IB subjects cannot be made unless the change:

• is made by the end of Period I in DP1 AND

• does not negatively affect group sizes (ie. a group becomes too large/too small) AND

• does not lead to clashes in scheduling.

Any eventual subject changes during DP1 are solely discussed with Anna M.

IB SUBJECT DESCRIPTIONS + THE CORE 

Flex week

Flex week is a week at the beginning of period 5 when preDP and DP1 students participate, mixed with the national side students, in courses in Mattlidens. The courses are held in Swedish, English, and Finnish. More information about Flex week will be given during the school year by the teachers and guidance counsellors.

At the end of the school year you will receive a printed report card. The preDP report card includes all individual course grades. This report card is an official document and you may need it when applying to university or for job applications. Please keep it safe!

All grades can be monitored in Wilma. Subject teachers also use Wilma to record results for individual tests and assignments throughout the course .

In the majority of courses, the grading in preDP is done on a scale of 4–10. In some cases (e.g. TOK) A (completed) / U (failed) is given. If you have not completed all coursework and/or are absent from a test, then a P will be awarded. This means that the course is incomplete and you should rectify the situation by submitting any missing coursework by the retake date and/or participating in the following retake test. 

Failed courses (grade of 4) in preDP can be passed during a retake test. These tests are usually arranged at the beginning of each period. The test dates can be found in the “Academic Year” section of the study guide and in the school calendar. Your subject teacher signs you up for the retake test. A maximum of two courses can be retaken in one retake session. 

Twice a year, in February and June, there are upgrade tests when you have a possibility to improve a grade in a subject and course taken earlier that year. You can sign up for a maximum of two tests per test date. Instructions on how to do that will be sent out before the test.

In DP1 and DP2 you are assessed after each period. The assessment is based on knowledge and understanding, completed assessments (assignments and tests), and classroom activity/effort. In the IB the grading scale is 1–7.

These grades reflect on how you have worked during your time in Mattlidens. They are not necessarily the same as the IB Diploma results or the Predicted grades (given roughly a month before the final examinations). At any point throughout your IB studies, you can get a transcript of your course grades. And, at the end of DP2, you will receive a school leaving report which contains your final grade in each subject. You may need this report for university applications, so it is important to store it in a safe place for this purpose. 

Criteria for awarding school grades 

The IB school grades are based on the following criteria.

1. How much knowledge and understanding did you demonstrate (in tests, assignments and classroom discussion)?

2. How much effort did you put in (both inside and outside the classroom)?

Grade 7 (Excellent)

• Demonstrated excellent knowledge and understanding

• Completed all assignments on time and to the best of your ability

• Active and conscientious in your approach to the subject

Grade 6 (Very good)

• Demonstrated very good knowledge and understanding

• Completed most assignments on time and to the best of your ability

• Mostly active and conscientious in your approach to the subject

Grade 5 (Good)

• Demonstrated good knowledge and understanding

• Completed most assignments on time

• Generally active and conscientious

Grade 4 (Satisfactory)

• Demonstrated adequate knowledge and understanding

• Completed some assignments on time

• Fairly active and conscientious

Grade 3 (Needs improvement)

• Demonstrated some knowledge and understanding

• Completed few assignments

• Rarely active and conscientious

Grade 2 (Unsatisfactory)

• Demonstrated little knowledge and understanding

• Completed few or no assignments

• Little effort in class

Grade 1 (Unsatisfactory)

• Demonstrated no knowledge or understanding

• Completed no assignments

• No effort in class

End of year exams

End of Year Exams (EOY) are conducted at the end of DP1. You will have exams in your subjects studied and they will be similar to the final examinations. Since you haven’t covered the whole syllabus in each subject, the question papers can be adapted.

Mock Exams

The Mock exams take place during Period 4 of DP2 and are an important practice in preparation for the Final Exams. Old exam papers are used and they are marked according to IB mark schemes. They are also carried out under real exam conditions. The feedback on the Mock exams will give you guidance to prepare for the Final exams.

MG Assessment Policy 2023-2024

What is good standing? 

• regular and timely attendance in lessons and other school events

• submission of work (coursework, and IB assessment) according to deadlines (set by teachers, internal calendar)

• participation in tests, exams, and other in-class assignments

• successful completion of all courses 

Students who fail to meet these criteria will be called to a meeting with the IB DP coordinator and principal, where either a verbal or written warning will be issued. Continued failure to meet the above criteria MAY result in lack of promotion or registration for IB final examinations (see below for further criteria for promotion). 

preDP to IB DP

Conditions for promotion from preDP to the IB DP programme:

1. You have passed all mandatory preDP courses, as well as all other courses, regardless of which subjects you want to study in the IB DP.

2. You have completed at least 56 credits in total.

3. You must have a grade point average of 7 (for SL) or 8 (for HL) in subjects chosen for the IB DP at the time the choices are made. This average must also be maintained until the end of the school year.

Exceptions to these conditions must be agreed upon with Anna M.

DP1 to DP2

Conditions for promotion of DP1 students to DP2:

1. You have passed all subjects each period and have completed all assignments given during the school year.

2. You have completed DP1 with at least 24 points (average of DP1 grades in each subject) and meet the diploma requirements regarding HL and SL subjects.

3. You have kept your CAS activity up-to-date in ManageBac, and CAS status should be ‘on-track’ or ‘excellent’ 

4. You have submitted a detailed TO DO list for your EE in ManageBac, and have completed all EE tasks required for DP1.

DELF

Every spring, there is the opportunity to participate in the international French language test DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française).The test consists of listening, reading, writing and speaking and can be taken at 4 different levels:

• A1 (beginners)

• A2 (intermediate)

• B1 (advanced)

• B2 (very advanced)

After passing the test, you will receive an official diploma that can be used to confirm your knowledge of French when applying to university or for a job.

Level B2 is required to study at a French university.

The diploma is a good certificate of your actual French knowledge as the test measures your ability to communicate.

DSD

Deutsches Sprachdiplom (DSD) is an official German language test on two different levels. Each level has a test in reading comprehension, listening comprehension as well as a written and spoken part. In order to qualify for the test, a student must participate in the corresponding course at the school or at other certified schools in Espoo (e.g. Espoonlahden lukio). The tests are free of charge and accredited in all of the European Union. Please talk to the German teacher Pia Äikäs for more information.

National matriculation exams 

There may be a situation where you would like to participate in one of the Finnish National Matriculation examinations. Participation requires that you have studied the subject in question or otherwise acquired the necessary knowledge. If you wish to do this, we recommend that you take the test in DP1 spring. Please see Anna Q for further information.

Rules for tests 

All personal belongings, including any device for communication, must be left outside or placed at the front of the room. Ensure that any mobile phones are switched off.

You may only take the following items to your desk:

• general stationery (for example, pens, pencils, an eraser, geometry instruments and a ruler)

• other materials required for a particular examination (for example, an electronic calculator, data booklets etc.).

Subject teachers will inform you about any additional rules or specific requirements for each test (e.g. calculators).

MG Academic Integrity Policy 2023-2024