IB Diploma Programme | St. George's School

What is the IB Diploma Programme?

Founded in Geneva, Switzerland in 1968, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) has developed four different educational programmes, one of which is the IB Diploma Programme, a challenging two-year curriculum aimed at pupils aged 16 to 19.
Gained upon completion of the course, the IBDP qualification is welcomed by leading universities around the world.

At St. George’s, English is the main language of instruction on the IB Diploma Programme.

What is the profile of the IB Diploma?

IB Diploma pupils develop strong academic and personal skills by:

asking challenging questions
understanding how to learn effectively
developing a strong sense of their own identity and culture
building communication skills and understanding of other cultures

The IB learner profile

The IB Learner Profile was developed from the IBO Mission Statement and describes the ideal character of an IB pupil. IB Diploma pupils are encouraged to be Inquirers, Thinkers, Communicators, Risk-takers, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Knowledgeable, Balanced and Reflective.

IB Diploma pupils are active, compassionate, and lifelong learners and will exhibit each of the characteristics in the learner profile at various stages during their education. As a result of their robust education, IB pupils are better prepared for further study and enjoy diverse career paths.

The Core

All pupils must follow programmes and successfully complete tasks in Theory of Knowledge; Creativity, Action, and Service. They must also select a topic for an individual piece of research for their Extended Essay.

Extended Essay

Investigates a topic of individual interest. Pupils learn independent research and writing skills expected at university and are required to write a 4,000-word essay.

Theory of Knowledge (ToK)

Provides coherence by exploring the nature of knowledge across disciplines, encouraging an appreciation of other cultural perspectives.

Creativity, Action, Service (CAS)

Encourages pupils to be involved in artistic pursuits, sports, and community service work, thus fostering pupils’ awareness and appreciation of non- academic life.

Structure of the IB Programme

Pupils study 3 subjects at Higher Level, and 3 at Standard Level, selected from six different group areas. This allows pupils to explore some subjects in-depth, and others more broadly over a two-year period.

IB Assessment

The IB Diploma is granted through formal assessment. This includes external examinations taken in all subjects in May of Year 13 alongside the internal assessments conducted throughout the programme.

Each subject is graded on a scale of 7 (maximum) to 1 (minimum). This gives total raw points score maximum of 42 points.

IB Assessment

In order to obtain the Diploma, pupils must meet defined standards and conditions, including a minimum total of 24 points and the satisfactory completion of the three Core Diploma requirements, which are: Theory of Knowledge, CAS (Creativity, Action, Service) and the Extended Essay.

Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay combine to contribute a possible 3 additional points to the overall score, giving a maximum Diploma score of 45 points.

At St. George’s International School, we prepare our pupils to succeed in life.

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