IB

Independent Schools as an alternative to Grammar

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guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

IB

Post by guest43 »

A local inde school (not my DD's) became a "IB World School" two years ago and dropped around 60% of its A Level courses. Today the following has appeared on its website

"We have surveyed the pupils in Year 11 and found that there is very little interest in this cohort in
the IB diploma. Because of pupils’ demand and preference we have decided to offer 20 A Levels in September
2011, and not to offer the IB diploma
"

Anyone else have experience of the IB being dropped so quickly?
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: IB

Post by hermanmunster »

I did hear that the IB was more expensive to run - not sure if this is the case? if so maybe they found they could save some money this way??
guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Re: IB

Post by guest43 »

Looking at the figures-50% of pupils seemed to leave after GCSE to do A Levels elsewhere rather than stay on for the IB. Also 20% of those who took IB failed.

Not a good advert for the IB though
ourmaminhavana
Posts: 966
Joined: Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:14 am

Re: IB

Post by ourmaminhavana »

guest43 wrote:
Not a good advert for the IB though
Or perhaps it's just more rigorous? :wink:
guest43
Posts: 237
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2009 5:06 pm

Re: IB

Post by guest43 »

Rigour is fine..as long as it doesn't mean failing and not going to university.

Offering IB is fine as long as it isn't just for three years because it falls out of favour
hermanmunster
Posts: 12817
Joined: Fri Sep 15, 2006 9:51 am
Location: The Seaside

Re: IB

Post by hermanmunster »

guest43 wrote:Looking at the figures-50% of pupils seemed to leave after GCSE to do A Levels elsewhere rather than stay on for the IB. Also 20% of those who took IB failed.

Not a good advert for the IB though

:shock: :shock: :shock:
no wonder they changed back - just out of interest, did they get many arriving to do IB in the 6th form ?? Which school is it??
Cranleigh
Posts: 261
Joined: Fri Nov 05, 2010 2:20 pm

Re: IB

Post by Cranleigh »

Not an expert but I'd like to consider it for lots of reasons for my children. It's breadth, sounds far more interesting etc.

The reality is that if my children prove not to be great all rounders they are going to be better served by the A'level in an increasingly competitive situation?

IMO It's perfectly possible to get v good grades at A'level and not be hugely clever (I know I did :) ) I am not sure the same applies for IB.
P's mum
Posts: 108
Joined: Thu Mar 06, 2008 10:56 am

Re: IB

Post by P's mum »

I think that in general you would be right to say that its more demanding. It is undoubtedly much harder to get the top grades (7-8%). Though I did read a report on one school that claimed this not to be the case. I'm surprised though. Certainly it requires more teaching hours (there are six subjects).

Its not a nine day wonder. I did it myself over thirty years ago. My daughter is at an IB school because I've little doubt that its much better educationally.

Some schools do seem to have made rather half hearted and unsuccessful switches. I think that its probably hard to run in parallel to A levels, unless its perhaps a very big sixth form. My school offered only the IB as does my daughters (a different school, though mine still exists and still does only the IB). Some schools seem to have thought that they were offering A levels plus some extra AS type subjects and failed to recognise how different the syllabus and aims were, not surprisingly they came unstuck.

My daughter's school is selective in the sixth form, though theoretically not at 11. Quite a lot of children leave at 16, for a combination of not making the grade and perhaps not wanting to the IB (I don't know the proportions) but they get a lot of incomers and the sixth form actually has a bigger year group than lower down the school, I think.

P's Mum
P's mum
Kent99

Re: IB

Post by Kent99 »

Guest45,

But true academic rigour WILL mean that those who are not academically able will fail. That's something rigour entails. Producing exams in which anyone can obtain top grades (provided that they are sufficiently well coached) is generally referred to as "dumbing down".

Over the last 20-30 years there has been a lot of it where A levels are concerned. They have gone from being qualifications aimed at the top section of the ability range to something aimed at a much broader spectrum of candidates. The IB has not been subject to the same political pressures and has not altered in the same way.

For schools which are looking to use small classes and a certain amount of "spoon-feeding" to get good grades for average ability candidates (a speciality with a certain type of private school) A levels are clearly the better choice. It does not make them the better choice for genuinely able students (the IB target market).

It sounds like your local school either overestimated its pupils or underprepared its teachers.
sherry_d
Posts: 2083
Joined: Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:38 pm
Location: Maidstone

Re: IB

Post by sherry_d »

While I think IB is a VERY good course, its really suitable for schools with high ability children. Even in these schools all nighters are common because of the rigour IB demands. Perhaps this school just jumped on the band wagon without putting much thought to the abilities of children in the school. Its easy for an average child to get 3As or even 3A* at A level and near impossible for them to get 40 IB points required by top unis.
Impossible is Nothing.
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