KES Birmingham switches to IB

monstermunch · Post by **monstermunch** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:51 pm

KenR wrote:Hi KES Parent

I think if State Schools are doing IB it will be the supplemental version similar KEHS.

It's interesting that my cousin's daughter is currently in her final year of IB in Belgium, but because of the lack of course work or formal 1st year results in IB, she struggled in terms of University Entrance due to a lack of a benchmark. She eventually got an offer from York but some Universities wouldn't even consider her application. I guess this may be to some degree because International Schools abroad aren't geared towards UK Univeristy applications.

Regards

Ken

Ken - is your cousin's daughter at a British School in Belgium? The reason I ask is because I have a few Belgian friends and they do a different IB to the one in Britain. It's called the European IB but is often shortened to the IB. I know that this one is supposed to rank above all IB's but is not available in Britain or at British Schools overseas.

KenR · Post by **KenR** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 5:59 pm

Hi Monstermunch

It's actually one of the many International Schools in Brussels and it is really international rather than British - lots of Americans etc. Due to the EU and embassys etc there are lots of International Schools and all very expensive although I guess fees are no problem for diplomats!

Don't really know what version of the IB they are taking but I do know that my cousin was concerned about the difficultly of getting UK University interviews and offers.

Regards

P's mum · Post by **P's mum** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:01 pm

KenR wrote:With the exception of KEHS (Girls), the other KE grammars are public sector funded so wouldn't be allowed to switch to IB (or even IGCSE for that matter) as it's not in the National Curriculum.
...
Regards

Ken

Its not correct to say that state schools are not allowed to do the IB. There are definitely schools that already offer the IB and at least one that offers only the IB (I'm not sure if others offer a choice, but is obviously a rather expensive way of going about it). Hockerill (Bishop's Stortsford) offers only the IB. It is government policy that it should be 'offered by a school in every area/available option for all children' (I'm not sure of the actual wording, and obviously given the present 'choices' of school I'm not sure how realistic this policy is). But I think that the government plans to move in this direction.

P's mum · Post by **P's mum** » Mon Mar 31, 2008 6:06 pm

monstermunch wrote:
KenR wrote:Hi KES Parent

Ken - is your cousin's daughter at a British School in Belgium? The reason I ask is because I have a few Belgian friends and they do a different IB to the one in Britain. It's called the European IB but is often shortened to the IB. I know that this one is supposed to rank above all IB's but is not available in Britain or at British Schools overseas.

I don't know how the European (I?) B works but it is different from the IB properly speaking. There is at least one UK school offering it - I think that its called Culham and it is near to Abingdon (Oxon).

P's mum · Post by **P's mum** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 9:39 am

Following on from my last post I read in yesterday's 'Times' that 68 state schools and 57 independant schools currently offer the IB in the UK (according to the IB office). The total number of schools offering the IB is expected to grow to 300 next year (this wouldn't surprise me as schools are changing all the time). But the same article says that the govrenment has now reversed its policy that state schools should offer the option of the IB (see my last post). This might slow down the rate at which state schools switch but some are deeply committed; I can't see them switching back. Academies (and foundation schools?) don't have to follow the national curriculum and, anyway, I'm not sure that the national curriculum is applicable to sixth forms.

The article refers to a government announcement of Monday, it's not clear if there is some report somewhere that one could read. However, it sounds from the article as though A levels are increasingly under threat from the new diplomas. I am very relieved that I've chosen an IB school because I would be very doubtful that these diplomas are going to be very suitable for the more academic child; also since they will come in subject groupings they will restrict subject choice. I don't buy the argument that they are necessary to ensure better choice of subject mixes, that's the job of schools to advise their students on making appropriate choices. (The example that I was given was that science students will have to study maths, at present they may choose to study three experimental sciences and fail to realise that this will severely restrict university options - good advice, not diplomas, is all that is required to stop this). I fear that making reasonable but unusual mixed subject choices will be penalised (e.g. those wishing to continue with a modern language whilst studying primarily science or visual arts).

monstermunch · Post by **monstermunch** » Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:02 am

Although I am no expert, I think the Diplomas have been developed due to the shortage of skilled labour in this country. I think this is admirable as I believe these diplomas will encourage children who would normally drop out of academic education to be inspired and interested in learning. However, I do think for those children who are academic, these diplomas have serious flaws as described by P's mum.