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IB results at KES

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 7:09 pm
by succeed
For all those anxious about the KES switch to IB, the Chief Master has just emailed parents the first ever set of results. I'll give a very brief outline of the email 'headlines' as I'm in a hurry to go out. A third of the boys scored 40 points or more, with 3 achieving the top score of 45 points :D . The overall average point score so far is 36.4 ( apparently, 36 is equivalent to 3 A*s and a B at A Level according to UK exam board regulators). The Chief Master is delighted (as well as extremely relieved, I suspect )
Well, not bad going for a first attempt eh? :wink:

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 8:32 pm
by moseleymum
Hi, glad you started this thread, I would have otherwise.

Here is the email:

Dear parents
 
Today the boys in the Sixth Form received the school's first set of IB Diploma results. As you can imagine, this is a big, and anxious, moment for us, since it represents the biggest curriculum change since who knows when. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that we are delighted with those results. The average points score per pupil is 36.4 against the global average of 29.8 and the government's tariff which compares A Levels and IB scores thinks that 36 points is equivalent to 3A*s and a B at A Level. It also thinks that 45 points is equivalent to over 5 A*s  and we do have boys with 45 points, three of them, R J, A M and J O. There are only 109 candidates out of 119,000 candidates in the world who scored 45 points. A further seven boys scored 44 points and, in total, 37 boys out of 113 scored more than 40 points. These figures mean that our success rate for entry to the best universities and the toughest courses will be very high. In particular, we are likely to get almost all the offers made to boys by Oxford and Cambridge and to read Medicine. The overall figures mean that the vast majority of boys have got into their first or second choice university. Of course, there are still uncertainties in terms of remarks and the fact that universities often do take candidates who have just missed their offers, but the overall prognosis is very positive. Even so, nothing is ever perfect and there are those who have missed offers: sadly, that happens, whatever exam system we follow and, as ever, we will do all we can to sort things out.
 
It was a mighty big step to replace A Levels with the IB Diploma in one fell swoop and the biggest concern with that step was getting it right for the first group of boys. Even at this stage, the results have produced offers as good as, if not better than, in previous years. Of course, getting these offers is crucial for the boys, but I am also convinced, after our first complete cycle, that the IB Diploma is a better education and a better preparation for university and life than the old dispensation. 
 
John Claughton


Hopefully things will only get better......

Names of boys altered to initials only - Herman

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Fri Jul 06, 2012 11:14 pm
by KenR
the government's tariff which compares A Levels and IB scores thinks that 36 points is equivalent to 3A*s and a B at A Level
Unfortunately the Russell Group Universities do not agree with this assessment.

Oxbridge equate A*AA to 40-42 IB points
Durham and B/Ham A*AA to 38 IB points
Leeds AAA to 38 IB points
Bath AAA to 36 points

The acid test will be the offers

I happen to think that a offer of 42 points IB is much tougher than A*AA at A levels although the A level boards arfe tightening up this year

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 12:10 am
by succeed
No, quite rightly, the Russell universities don't agree with this assessment. I think most of us knew how ludicrous and off the mark these assessments were, but they were touted largely by those opposing the IB.There is no denying that these results are an excellent achievement particularly by a school new to this examination system and should allay fears for the future about the 'doability' of achieving high scores in the IB . For the record, research shows IB students get more 1st choice offers from 'top' unis, but that is neutralized somewhat by the higher points score offer made.
Fingers crossed FW pulls it off, with it's foot in both camps. Or will it be the case of fortune favouring the brave - sorry, couldn't resist that :D

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:11 am
by DenDe
I feel rather uncomfortable that students' names have been left in the copy of the head's email. Too late really but can they be removed?

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:16 am
by hermanmunster
DenDe - I agree and will change them to initials. They are obviously in the public domain elsewhere but could do without people finding them on a forum.

... post brings back memories though of the annual boasting from the boys next door .... (I was a KEHS in the 70's :oops: )

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:24 am
by succeed
'Boasting' Herman...?That's a bit harsh given the anxieties surrounding the change. By the way, were you really at KEHS in the 70's?? :shock: I think everyone on this forum knows that by now, Herman :lol:

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:27 am
by moseleymum
DenDe wrote:I feel rather uncomfortable that students' names have been left in the copy of the head's email. Too late really but can they be removed?

hermanmunster wrote:DenDe - I agree and will change them to initials. They are obviously in the public domain elsewhere but could do without people finding them on a forum.

... post brings back memories though of the annual boasting from the boys next door .... (I was a KEHS in the 70's :oops: )

I am really sorry for including the students names. I just copied and pasted and didn't think. I know a lot of people made their 11+ school decision on the IB/A level debate and I just wanted the results "out there".

Hope it hasn't caused any problems, apologies again.

I too was surprised by the assessment and comparison scores, hence the need for further discussion. I know a lot of people on here would have go the email and I also realise KES read this forum too.

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 10:51 am
by succeed
Don't worry moseleymum - it's clear that the email offered a lot more context to the results than my initial 'headlines'. I was going to post it myself...

Just to add/speculate on how the government tariffs for IB against A Levels are arrived at. I 'm guessing a very crude comparison is made in terms of the knowledge/skills set to gain say, 36 points at IB against A Levels - but what that comparison doesn't reflect is all the extra teaching time IB students are given compared to A level. This would have an impact on how far they are stretched etc, but wouldn't necessarily mean they were as able an A level student gaining 3 A *s ad a B at a level (probably unlikely)It simply means they have had to work harder to develop the required knowledge and skills by attending more lessons etc.
It may not be the most favoured path by all, but KES has managed to prove it's all 'doable', and at the end of the day, I think that's what most people were concerned about.

Re: IB results at KES

Posted: Sat Jul 07, 2012 1:18 pm
by hermanmunster
succeed wrote:'Boasting' Herman...?That's a bit harsh given the anxieties surrounding the change. By the way, were you really at KEHS in the 70's?? :shock: I think everyone on this forum knows that by now, Herman :lol:
really ? sure you wouldn't like me to say it again... ?? :lol:

Actually I haven't got much inside info there these days - my knowledge is more of when it was a direct grant GS - very different set up. re the boasting ... one year the boys school got 33 Oxbridge places including 17 scholarships - all the boys got and extra day off for this. Unfortunately at the time there wasn't really a culture at KEHS of the girls having a go .. guess that has probably changed.

re the IB - 10 years ago when looking at schools for DC I thought the IB would be great and just the thing - presumed 10 years down the line that it would have really taken off. But it hasn't and haven't looked further into it am not sure that it would have been the right thing. Having said that if we had lived in B'ham I wouldn't have hesitated in sending DS to KES