Switch to IB ‘has broadened horizons’

Now Scarborough College not only sees the International Baccalaureate (IB) as one of its major strengths but also a key part of a wider vision to broaden students’ horizons.

IB programmes are taught in almost 150 different countries to more than a million pupils but the diploma for sixth formers is not widely known about outside the education sector in the UK.

In 2007 Scarborough College, an independent mixed day and boarding school, decided to take up the IB diploma amid fears of grade inflation at A-level.

The decision was taken before its current headmistress Isobel Nixon joined the school but she told the Yorkshire Post she strongly supported the qualification.

“It was a bold move by the college at the time to run the IB instead of A-levels. A lot of bigger schools will run them both side-by-side because they have a large enough cohort to do this.

“Having seen it being taught here I am a passionate advocate of it as a qualification of the future.

“It has not suffered the same grade degradation that has been seen at A-level. Can we honestly say that some people who are getting straight As at A-level now would have done so in previous years?

“This situation has made it very difficult for universities and employers to distinguish the genuine high flyers from somebody who is simply well drilled.”

One of the main differences between the IB and A-levels is that it requires students to take a broad range of subjects until they are 18.

Pupils must chosen a subject from each of five key areas: literature, a foreign language, humanities, sciences and maths. They can then choose a sixth subject from the arts or another from one of the five previous areas.

The IB also promotes independent learning with students expected to produce a 4,000 word essay on a topic they have chosen to investigate themselves. The essay forms part of the “core” part of the IB curriculum which also sees pupils learn about the theory of knowledge and carry out a major voluntary project.

School IB co-ordinator James Fraser said: “Teachers enjoy teaching the IB because in lower sixth form you do not have to think about exam modules during the course and can just concentrate on enthusing about the subject.

“With A-levels currently there are a lot more modules and teaching to the test with you always thinking about the exam in January and the exam in June. With the IB I feel there is more opportunity to convey as much as possible about the subject to the students because it is a linear course with the exams at the end.”

Pupils can earn between one and seven points from each of their six subject areas – three of which will be taught at a higher level meaning more lesson time is devoted to those areas. IB students can also earn three points for their extended essay and theory of knowledge work – meaning a maximum potential score of 45.