BISC - The British International School

The International Baccalaureate (I.B.)

What is the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme?

The International Baccalaureate Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The International Baccalaureate offers three programmes; the Primary Years Programme; the Middle Years Programme; and the Diploma Programme. At BISC, the Diploma Programme is offered to students in the Sixth Form.

The IB Diploma Programme

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum, leading to examinations, for students aged between sixteen and nineteen. Based on the pattern of no single country, it is a deliberate compromise between the specialisation required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others. The general objectives of the IB are to provide students with a balanced education; to facilitate geographic and cultural mobility; and to promote international understanding through a shared academic experience. In the thirty years since its founding the IB Diploma has become a symbol of academic integrity and intellectual promise. The student who satisfies its demands demonstrates a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of the mastery of subject content and in the development of the skills and discipline necessary for success in a competitive world. Colleges and universities are well served by encouraging the enrollment of these able young scholars.

The Curriculum

The IB Diploma Programme curriculum consists of six subject groups:

IB subjects offered at BISC
Group 1 – Language A1 (first language)	English A1
Group 2 – Language B/ab initio (second language)	Arabic B French B German B Spanish ab initio
Group 3 – Individuals and Societies	Business and Management Economics Geography History Information Technology in a Global Society Environmental Systems and Societies – this subject can be studied in Group 3 or Group 4
Group 4 – Experimental Sciences	Environmental Systems and Societies – this subject can be studied in Group 3 or Group 4 Biology Chemistry Physics
Group 5	Mathematics Mathematical Methods Mathematical Studies Further Mathematics
Group 6 – The Arts	Music Visual Arts

Group 1 – Language A1
At BISC, students study English as their first language. The course is a literature-based course and students study a range of texts from different genres and localities.

Group 2 - Language A2/B/ab initio
In Group 2, students study a Modern Foreign Language. At BISC, there are a several options available to students. Language B is offered in Arabic, French and German and is a course designed for students who have been studying the target language for 4 – 5 years. There is also a beginners course available in Spanish, known as Spanish ab initio.

Group 3 - Individuals & Societies
Group 3 offers students the chance to study a subject from Humanities or the Social Sciences. There are several options available in this group at BISC, Business and Management, Economics, Geography, History and Information Technology in a Global Society.

Group 4 - Experimental Sciences
The Diploma Programme also requires students to study a Science course. At BISC, students can choose from Biology, Chemistry, Ecosystems and Societies and Physics.

Group 5 - Mathematics
All students study Mathematics in the Diploma Programme. The subject is offered at three levels, Higher, Methods or Studies, and students study the course best suited to their ability. Students taking Higher Level Mathematics also have the option of studying Further Mathematics as a Standard Level subject. Computer Science is also available in Group 5 but it must be studied in addition to Mathematics.

Group 6 – Electives
This subject group offers students the chance to study Visual Arts or Music at BISC. However, students may opt for a second subject from Groups 2 – 5 if they wish.
All IB Diploma candidates are required to study one subject from each of the groups, apart from Group 6. At least three and not more than four of the six subjects are taken at Higher Level, the others at Standard Level. Higher Level courses offer greater depth and subject specialisation than Standard Level courses. Students should make the choice of Higher or Standard Level courses based upon their university plans.

Awarding of the Diploma also depends on the satisfactory completion of three additional requirements: the Extended Essay of some 4,000 words which provides experience of individual research; a course entitled Theory of Knowledge (ToK) which explores relationships among the various disciplines and ensures that students engage in critical reflection and analysis of the knowledge acquired within and beyond the classroom; the compulsory participation in CAS (Creativity, Action and Service) – extra-curricular, community service activities.

Why Study the IB Programme?

There are many reasons for choosing the IB Diploma Programme over other Sixth Form qualifications:

From 2010 onwards, if a student achieves an E grade in either ToK or the Extended Essay, they will have to achieve 28 points to pass the Diploma. An E grade in both components is a failing condition.

Each subject requires students to complete an internal assessment, as they did at GCSE level. The format of the internal assessment varies from subject to subject and more information can be found in the course descriptions later on in the handbook. An internal assessment map is drawn up in discussion with Heads of Department to ensure that the workload is spread as evenly as possible throughout the course.

Students sit external examinations in May of Year 13. Each subject has 2 or 3 papers (further details of assessment can be found in the course descriptions).

Approximately 80% of all Diploma candidates worldwide earn the Diploma, with an average score of 30 points. Students who do not satisfy the requirements of the full programme are awarded a certificate for the examinations completed. To date over 98% of BISC candidates have been awarded a full Diploma.