IB Diploma Programme

The IB Diploma Programme at ICS 2011-2012

The International Community School is now authorized to deliver the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP)from September 2010.The IB Diploma Programme is designed as an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, normally aged 16 to 19, 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. Furthermore, the Diploma Programme is the culmination of the IB learning continuum and builds upon the skills and international understanding gained by students in the IB Middles Years Programme (IB MYP).

IB Diploma Programme students study six courses: three at higher level and three at standard level. Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of experience in languages, social studies, the experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from group 6, or the student may choose another subject from groups 1 to 5.

In addition the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding.

• The extended essay 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.
• Theory of knowledge 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).
• Creativity, action, service 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.

Students take written examinations at the end of the programme, which are marked by external IB examiners. Students also complete assessment tasks in the school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners.

The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, subject to certain minimum levels of performance across the whole programme and to satisfactory participation in the creativity, action, service requirement. The highest total that a Diploma Programme student can be awarded is 45 points.

Deciding your IB Diploma Programme

With help of the ICS academic team, each student will be supported in designing their own Diploma programme.  This will be guided by the student’s strengths and their ambitions at the end of the course. Many student’s will be keen to go onto Colleges/Universities in the UK or internationally and this ambition will feed into their choice of Diploma courses. The School’s University Counsellor and IB Coordinator will support student decision making. 

For more details about the ICS Diploma Programme and browse the IB web site for further details:  http://www.ibo.org/diploma.

Visit our page on the IBO Website for further information about the IB programmes.