IB Diploma Programme at Sherborne School and Sherborne Girls

Among the schools offering the IB Diploma Programme, Sherborne has a distinctive contribution to make.  One of the most important characteristics of the IB is the range of subjects that every student has the opportunity to tackle.  Through the collaboration of our two schools we have been able to provide a wide choice of subjects which students will find very appealing.  Sherborne and Sherborne Girls have collaborated in areas of our sixth-form teaching for some years and, in offering the Diploma Programme, we continue to draw on the resources and expertise present in the two schools.

IB Diploma Programme Sherborne School
(c) International Baccalaureate Organisation

Subjects for study

  • IB Diploma is a programme of education in which students are required to study six subjects (including at least one taken from each of the five groups 1-5 over two years.  (see IB SUBJECTS)
  • Of the six subjects, at least three must be taken at Higher Level and a maximum of three at Standard Level.
  • Students are not advised to tackle more than 3 subjects at Higher Level.
  • The sixth subject may be chosen from Group 6 or from any of Groups 1-4. 
  • Within the broad curriculum, subject choices are surprisingly flexible, whilst Higher Level subjects encourage study in depth.
  • In addition to the six individual subjects, and central to the whole Programme, there is a “core” which includes a course in Theory of Knowledge (ToK), an Extended Essay of up to 4000 words and the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) programme.
  • External written examinations take place at the end of Upper Sixth only.
  • There are also specialised forms of assessment, appropriate to the nature of a given subject, and some internal assessment, which usually counts for 20 – 30% of the final mark for a subject.
  • Team work and oral presentations play an important part.

The extended essay

The extended essay is an in-depth study of up to 4000 words of a specific topic within any subject taught as part of the Diploma Programme.  The aim is to give students an opportunity to engage in individual research and to follow up a topic of personal interest.  The essay is normally drafted during the summer holiday at the end of the Lower Sixth year.

Theory of Knowledge

This course is an important element of the Diploma Programme and all students follow it. It encourages critical thinking about the nature of knowledge and the way in which we learn and it helps to link up the work done in other parts of the Programme. Throughout the course there is emphasis on internationalism and on the development of open-mindedness and independence of thought.

CAS  (Creativity, Action and Service)

CAS is a fundamental part of the student’s programme and the emphasis is on learning through participation in either a variety of different activities or a single extended project.  The Creativity element might, for example, include a language club, debating, drama or an activity completely new to you such as learning the skills of a conjurer. Action might take the form of a new sporting activity or, for instance, outward-bound or team-building activities; and Service could involve teaching or running a club in a primary school, work with Amnesty International or even participation in an overseas community-based project.  There are many exciting activities available at Sherborne and the CAS Programme provides students with the incentive to make the most of their opportunities. 

CAS is all about taking on a challenge, doing something new, thinking things out for yourself, working in a team, doing things for others … and enjoying what you do. And it is just part of what the IB at Sherborne has to offer.

Find out more:

Look at the International Baccalaureate’s very informative website.  Click on the link to the Diploma Programme.

To see how IB schools are involved with global issues, go to the IB Community Theme website.

 

Dr Peter Such MA PhD
Director of IB
01935 810512