Why we're signing up for the Bac

With the value of A-levels continuing to be debated, it's little wonder that more schools are turning to the International Baccalaureate, writes Amy McLellan

The release of the A-level results in August triggered, as in summers past, the now-annual furore about sliding standards, grade inflation and dumbing down. Reform of the A-level system, once the gold standard of 16-19 education, is now on the cards. And with the Tomlinson proposals for 14-19 education advocating extended personal projects and community service, the model for that reform looks increasingly like the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma programme. Even ahead of any changes to the existing system, the popularity of the IB is on the rise.

"The number of schools in the UK offering the IB has grown from a fairly static 40 or so schools to about 60 now and I expect it to reach 100 fairly soon," says Bob Reed, chairman of the IB Schools & Colleges Association and head of the Anglo-European School in Essex, the first state school to offer the IB in this country. "It's quite probable that depending on the way people approach the Tomlinson agenda that we may well see a couple of hundred schools offering the IB within five years."

It was certainly a factor for St Dunstan's College, a co-ed independent day school in south-east London, which from 2005 will offer sixth-form students a choice of A-levels or the IB. "We wanted to offer the IB because it's a very exciting programme," says Sue Algeo, St Dunstan's IB co-ordinator. "But the decision was also partly a response to some of the future changes to the A-level system. There is change afoot and it's sensible to look at all the options and to be prepared for that change."

Making the change has involved considerable commitment on behalf of the St Dunstan's governors and staff. Some estimates reckon the IB adds 4 per cent to costs through the additional burden on the timetable, and teachers have to undergo rigorous training to get to grips with the programme and the internationalist ethos that underpins it.

St Dunstan's began to research the IB in 2001 through preliminary discussions with other IB schools. By the following summer, six members of staff were sent on a training course in Riga run by the International Baccalaureate Organisation. Their report fed into the decision-making process and in January 2003 the school decided to seek IBO authorisation to offer the IB diploma. Further staff training was undertaken in parallel with regular briefings to parents and students. Algeo says parents are very interested in the IB, although she admits there are some common misconceptions about the programme.

"Some people think it's the French baccalaureate, which it's not, and some people think students can't cope with studying six subjects," says Algeo. "But that's a very English view. We are one of the only countries in the world that narrows down the choice to so few options at 16."

In June, IBO inspectors visited the school to assess its readiness. "It was very thorough," recalls Algeo. "They inspected all the facilities and had meetings with teachers, administrators, governors, parents and pupils. The inspection was not just about how ready we were to deliver individual subjects but also to ascertain whether the school has understood and embraced the IB philosophy of internationalism, community service, education of the whole person and the development of analytical, critical thinking."

The school passed with flying colours but is taking an additional year before offering the programme to students in the academic year 2005/6. "We want to have that time to give proper guidance to students about their options," says Algeo. While St Dunstan's is gearing up to introduce the IB, Sevenoaks School is preparing to phase out A-levels. "The last ever cohort are starting A-Levels now," says Sevenoaks head Katy Ricks. The co-ed boarding school was one of the first in the UK to embrace the IB and Ricks says it has never looked back.

"We've been doing the IB for 25 years," says Ricks. "It's the breadth of the IB we find really attractive."

Hugh Carson, headmaster at Malvern College, a co-ed boarding school in Worcestershire, agrees. "The breadth is good because, to put it crudely, you end up with scientists who can string sentences together and historians who can add up," says Carson, whose school has offered the IB along with A-levels for the past 13 years. And, insist advocates of the IB, breadth does not come at an expense of depth or rigour. "The level of analytical challenge is equal to the A-level," says Algeo. "If you're teaching economics, for example, inflation and supply and demand are the same whether it's for an A-level or the IB. What's distinctive about the IB is the total package."

This package includes the emphasis on community service and internationalism that were the founding principles of the IBO, which was set up on a wave of post-war idealism in the 1960s. It's a message that resounds just as pertinently today.

"In history, there is more emphasis on European and world history rather than English history, and in music students are encouraged to study music from other cultures," says Carson. "It's certainly a better preparation for life in the global village of the 21st century."

"The IB is not just another exam," adds Algeo. "It's not just about getting a bit of paper. It's a two-year process. It changes you as a person and that's really exciting."

Exams are, of course, still critical. Unlike A-levels, with their increasingly discredited coursework component, the bulk of the marks come from exams at the end of the two-year programme. And the questions look very different to those on a modern A-level paper. "At A-level now there's bullet-point guidance on how to answer each question," says Ricks. "But on the IB, the questions are open-ended and students have to compare and contrast."

There's a maximum of seven points in each subject, which, when marks are added in for theory of knowledge and the extended essay, makes for a total maximum score of 45. The pass mark for the IB diploma, which is achieved by about 80 per cent of students, is 24 points.

Most universities require 28-32 points, while Oxford and Cambridge may ask for between 36 and 38 points.

"There is no grade inflation on the IB because the marking is norm referenced," says Carson. "The potential total mark is 45 and only about 40 students worldwide got a full house last year. This is very attractive to university admissions tutors who wish to distinguish between able and very able candidates."

In fact, universities are increasingly keen on the programme. According to a survey commissioned by the IBO of 71 higher education institutions in the UK, 57 per cent felt the diploma programme conferred an advantage compared to the A-level system.

"I am very happy with the IB and the students who come here normally do very well," says Dr Fred Loebinger, admissions tutor for the physics department at Manchester University, which requires an IB score of 34 plus a grade six in higher level maths and physics.

It's not for everyone, however. The spread of subjects may be too much for some students, there is now scope for more vocational qualifications and students who are very decided on their future career choice may prefer the specialism of the A-level route. For now, however, with the Tomlinson report favouring aspects of the IB, it would seem the diploma is very much in the ascendant.