IB World School
Introduction to the Sixth Form at Repton School
As an IB World School, Repton School Dubai offers its Sixth Form students the opportunity to undertake the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). This has always been our aim and all of our curriculum planning and development has been conducted towards achieving this.
Parents and students looking to join our IB Diploma programme invariably ask what the benefits are and what is required to undertake this pre-university course. This is especially true for those coming from UK educational backgrounds that provide the ‘A’ Level and those coming from North American schools that provide the American Programme (AP) system.
As the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) would point out, there is no comparison with the IB Diploma and other examination systems currently in place for students undertaking pre-university preparation. The ethos and educational thinking – the integral commitment to internationalism – behind the IB Diploma make it completely different from other systems. At the heart of the Diploma lies the IBO Mission Statement and its objectives as outlined in the IB Learner Profile.
The IBO Mission Statement
The IBO Mission Statement clearly defines its philosophy and educational priorities:
"The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the IBO works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."
The IB Learner Profile.
The IB Learner Profile is the IBO Mission Statement translated into a set of learning outcomes or objectives. It is, however, not to be regarded as expectations of a perfect student: the point is that these are goals for individual students to aim for.
The Learner Profile serves as a clear and concise statement of the aims and values of the IBO, and an embodiment of what IBO terms “international-mindedness”.
Here at Repton School we have already begun to introduce the IB Learner Profile to our teaching staff and our students in Years 10 and 11.
The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. IB learners strive to be:
Inquirers
They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.
Knowledgeable
They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across abroad and balanced range of disciplines.
Thinkers
They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognize and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.
Communicators
They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in variety of modes of communications. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.
Principled
They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.
Open-minded
They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring
They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.
Risk-takers
They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.
Balanced
They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.
Reflective
They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.
The IB Diploma Programme
This programme, one of the three offered by IBO, is a rigorous two year pre-university education programme, leading to examinations, for highly motivated students aged 16 to 19 years old. It is a very demanding undertaking and students must be prepared to put in sufficient effort and individual enterprise. While it is very academically challenging and rewarding, it is still possible for weaker students to attain the Diploma – provided they are determined to do so.
For those of you familiar with the British education system it is an alternative to A-levels, but in our view ensures a much more balanced programme of study without compromising the depth required by university admissions systems throughout the world. Adherents to the ‘A’ Level system would contend that Diploma subjects provide a less detailed basis of knowledge. However, this is not true. For example, in IB English A1, students must study more literary texts, in more detail, and are assessed in a more demanding manner than those who study ‘A’ Level English Literature.
The International Baccalaureate Organization (or IBO), founded in 1968, is a nonprofit educational organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. The IBO is a recognized leader in the field of international education and is currently working with 2,145 schools in 125 countries to develop and offer IB programmes to more than 570,000 students aged 3 to 19 years.
Indications as to the growing preference for the IBDP can be seen in the growing numbers of private and state schools in the UK who are adopting it. The current number of UK schools offering the IBDP is 150, with another 100 applying for authorization next year alone. In North America, there is a major shift of AP schools moving over to IBDP too.
The IB Diploma programme follows a pattern, which is consistent throughout IB schools worldwide and which allows internationally mobile students to transfer from one IB school to another. In the USA, achievement on an IB course, Diploma or Certificate, is seen as a sound basis for awarding credits at most of the major universities.
As can be found by following the links given later, many US universities offer scholarships and/or one year waivers for IBDP graduates because they recognize the academic calibre of the IBDP. In the UK, Europe and Australia, the IB Diploma is held in high regard by major universities and acts on its own as a University entrance qualification.
The IB Diploma programme is much more, however, than a series of academic subjects. Its unique additional features of CAS, Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge ensure that students are made aware of their community responsibilities, are encouraged to develop their research skills and become independent thinkers. The underlying philosophy is that students should share an academic experience that would emphasize critical thinking, intercultural understanding and exposure to a variety of points of view.
We at Repton School believe that IB Diploma students not only gain a real head start at University but also in life in general.
The IB Diploma programme has the strengths of a traditional and broad curriculum as shown by the hexagon below.
Later in this document, you will find the IBDP subjects being offered at Repton for students joining us in August 2009. At this point, it is important to clarify the number of subjects that have to be chosen and how they can be chosen.
As long as they choose ONE subject from each of the six IB Faculty Groups, IBDP students can more or less create their own diploma prgrammes. This greater scope of subjects enables greater student options at university level in more universities world-wide. In an increasingly specialized world, some professions are best prepared for in diverse locations, such as Marine Biology in Australia. Perhaps more importantly it allows students to keep their options open for more career choices – after all how many of us parents really knew what we wanted to do in life when we were 16!
More information on the Diploma programme, and other programmes, offered by IBO is available on the IBO public website: www.ibo.org
Using the link http://www.ibo.org/country will allow you to search all universities in the world which recognize the IB Diploma as a suitable entry requirement.
The link http://www.ibo.org/diploma/recognition/scholarships also shows universities which offer scholarships for recipients of the IB Diploma.
The IB Diploma is recognised for its integrity and universal quality standard. Unlike some national qualifications, students are assessed by clear grade boundaries or assessment criteria. These are not adjusted from year to year and therefore every student around the world is assessed by the same criteria; this ensures global standardization of quality.
Which IBDP subjects are offered at Repton School?
This section lists the IB subjects which are available to you from August 2009 and it also begins to explain how to choose the 6 subjects that will make up your IB diploma programme.
Students must choose SIX subjects, one from each group. Of these six, three must be at Higher Level (HL) and 3 must be at Standard Level (SL). A second Science may be selected for a Group 3 subject where a student's university choice requires it, for example, Medicine at some British universities. Alternatively, those interested in careers in Humanities or social sciences may take any two Group 3 subjects in a range of permutations.
The table below indicates the subjects which will be available in August 2009 although there could be some changes depending on demand and availability of teachers.
| Group | Subjects Available from August 2009 |
|---|---|
| 1 | Language A1 Your first or best language. This is a literature course of up to 15 literary works, including 5 texts translated from other languages. Choose from English (HL or SL) or Arabic (HL or SL) |
| 2 | Language B. A second language. French, Spanish, Arabic (HL or SL). Some previous knowledge – at least three years – is necessary. HL is designed for almost fluent speakers of the language. Or an Ab Initio course in Mandarin or Spanish for beginners (SL only). Candidates must have received less than ONE year’s formal education in the language and must NOT have been formally assessed in it. |
| 3 | Individuals and Societies. Geography (HL and SL), History (HL or SL), Business and Management (HL or SL), Economics (HL or SL), Information Technology in a Global Society (HL or SL). |
| 4 | Experimental Sciences.Biology (HL or SL), Chemistry (HL or SL), Physics (HL or SL), Design technology (HL or SL). |
| 5 | Mathematics.Mathematics (HL or SL) or Mathematical studies (SL). |
| 6 | Arts and Electives.Visual arts (HL or SL), Theatre Arts (SL or HL), Computer science (HL or SL), Music (HL or SL) OR a second subject from Groups 2, 3, 4.or 5 |
IB Admissions Policy at Repton School
At Repton School, we require a minimum of six IGCSE passes (A* - C) to undertake the full Diploma programme. We recommend that for Standard Level subjects an IGCSE grade of ‘C’ or above is obtained and for Higher Level a ‘B’ or above is attained. Please note that these are the minimum requirements and students aiming for top universities and the higher end of the Diploma points scale, should be aiming for ‘Bs’ in their IGCSEs to start study at Standard Level and ‘As’ to study at Higher Level to ensure they commence the programme with a strong academic foundation.
Students and parents should note, however, that there are also additional entry criteria that are indicated in the individual subject outlines that are outlined in the Sixth Form IB Diploma Handbook that can be accessed from this web-site.
Interested students and parents can also access the IB Subject Options form on the school web-site too.
You are also invited to talk to me directly about any questions you may have on the IB Diploma Programme at Repton School. Please contact me by email at directorofstudies@reptondubai.org
Robert C. Muntzer
IB Diploma Coordinator