We are delighted that The Abbey School is authorised as an IB World School for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme. We have been running the Diploma Programme since September 2008. IB World Schools share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education.
The IB Diploma Programme is a holistic two year course aimed at Sixth Form students. It leads to a qualification that is widely recognised and respected by universities and employers. Most universities now list the IB entry requirements alongside those for A Levels - for an example, please click here. The Diploma Programme prepares Sixth Formers for further study at university and gives an awareness of other languages and cultures which is invaluable in the emerging ‘global village’ of the world.
The core part of the IB is made up of three parts which are compulsory for all students. They learn Theory Of Knowledge (TOK). They will also complete a 4000 word Extended Essay (EE) on a subject of their choice and partake in a wide range of activities as part of Creativity, Action and Service (CAS).
In addition to the Core, students choose six subjects from different curriculum areas (Groups 1 to 6) which can be studied at Standard or Higher Level for the duration of the course. The hexagon at the top of the page shows the outline of the programme and the table below shows the subjects offered for 2009/2010 entry. We hope to offer additional subjects in future years. Students normally follow three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level.
Curriculum Area
|
Subjects offered (click on individual subject for more detail)
|
| GROUP 1 – Language A1 |
English |
| GROUP 2 – Second language |
French, German, Spanish, Latin or Italian ab initio (SL only) |
| GROUP 3 – Individuals and societies |
History, Geography, Psychology, Business & Management or Economics |
| GROUP 4 – Experimental sciences |
Biology, Chemistry or Physics |
| GROUP 5 – Mathematics |
Mathematics or Mathematical Studies (SL only) |
| GROUP 6 – The Arts and Electives |
Visual Arts, Music, Theatre or a second subject from groups 2, 3 or 4 |
| THE CORE - EE, CAS and TOK |
Extended Essay, Creativity Action Service and Theory Of Knowledge |
Please note that due to timetable and staffing limitations we cannot guarantee all combinations of IB subjects or levels will be available to all IB students. However, we do our utmost to achieve the best combination for each student bearing in mind their planned career/study path.
All staff involved in the Diploma programme have completed a thorough training course and attend regular local workshops. Assessment of students is through a mixture of coursework and examination - final examinations take place in May of the second year of the programme. Results are released in July.