IGB International School Open Day

IGB International School (IGBIS) offers the full range of International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes from Early Years to Grade 12. The school’s mission is “To provide an inclusive learning community embracing diversity by offering a challenging IB education which empowers its members to be caring global citizens.” The IB Learner Profile underpins the programmes and is a list of behaviour traits that reflect the anticipated outcomes of a global education. The staff at the school are constantly seeking ways to ‘ignite the minds’ of the students by engaging them in learning experiences and discussions that are both significant and challenging. The development of international mindedness is an important goal where students learn to appreciate the complexity of the world around them and embrace the opportunities that present themselves.

The first programme IGBIS offers is the Fireflies programme, for students who have turned two years of age. Both the Fireflies and Early Years programmes provide a holistic education that promotes social, physical, cognitive, creative, and emotional development. Students experience a culturally diverse setting where a planned balance of play, teacher-initiated and child-directed inquiries and challenges, stimulate their learning in a safe and nurturing environment.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP), for ages 3 through 12 years, aims to equip the children with the skills, conceptual understanding and attitudes necessary to be successful in an ever changing global society. A spirit of inquiry in the classroom puts the emphasis on the children making sense of their world in order for them to gain an understanding of the challenges we face. The curriculum framework is an expression and extension of three inter-related questions: What do we want to learn? How best will we learn? How will we know what we have learned? A significant event in the life of the PYP student is the Grade 5 Exhibition, where students engage in an independent study exploring ideas that are significant and relevant to them. It is hoped that this will lead them to take some form of action which will make a difference in their lives and potentially in the lives of others. The exhibition is shared with the whole school community.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP), is designed for 11 to 16 year olds, who are at a critical period in their development, where their success in school is closely related to their personal, social and emotional well-being. At a time when students are establishing their identity and building self-esteem, the MYP offers a holistic and challenging framework that can motivate students and help them to achieve success. The design of the programme provides a bridge from primary education to further studies. The Personal Project, which is completed during Grade 10, encourages students to develop an area of personal interest, to practice and strengthen their approaches to learning skills, and to consolidate prior and subject-specific learning. The Personal Project provides an excellent opportunity for students to produce a truly personal and often creative product. The personal nature of the project challenges and motivates the individual students for the duration of their nine-month project.

The Diploma Programme (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education designed for motivated secondary school students aged 16 to 19. The programme has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment, giving IB diploma holders access to over 2000 of the world’s leading universities and preparing them for success in further studies and life beyond. The extended essay, which is undertaken in their final year, is a student’s in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from a list of approved DP subjects. The 4000-word essay is much like a mini-thesis. It is the result of approximately 40 hours of work and provides students with the opportunity to develop research and communication skills, develop creativity and critical thinking, engage in a systematic process of independent research, and experience the excitement of intellectual discovery.

The Career-related Programme (CP), for which IGBIS is a candidate school*, the newest of the IB programmes, is for 16 to 19 year old students who wish to engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable and lifelong skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural engagement. The programme leads to further/higher education or employment. Part of the CP requirements includes an approved career-related study which, at IGBIS is a specialism in Business: successful students can gain a Certificate in Finance, Accounting and Business from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). ICEAW is a world leading professional membership organisation that promotes, develops and supports over 147,000 chartered accountants worldwide.

Both the DP and the CP are excellent preparation for university, the workplace and beyond.

2016 saw IGBIS’ first class of students graduate from the Diploma Programme with a 100% pass rate. Students received an average score of 34 points out of a possible 45 points, with the highest score being 43 points. This successful trend looks to continue with many of the 2017 graduating class already having received offers from prestigious universities such as University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of St Andrews, Arizona State University and University of Alberta.

In addition to the academic programmes, the IGBIS school community play an active role in organising events throughout the year. Comprised of students, their families and other local members of the community, the group is a welcoming, vibrant and integral part of the school environment. Notable events organised by the school community have included International Day and the holiday bazaar.

IGBIS boasts a range of state-of-the-art facilities including two swimming pools: a learn-to-swim pool and a 10-lane, 50m pool used for competitions, lessons, training and other water activities such as water polo; a full-size FIFA 2 Star artificially turfed football field that is surrounded by an 8-lane tartan athletics track; two all-weather tennis courts; five large visual arts studios; a 540-seat theatre with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and a huge screen for presentations and seminars; and two cafeterias operated by a cashless payment system.

Open Days at IGBIS are a great way to get an idea of how an education at IGBIS might look. Visitors can meet the administration team and teachers, view the facilities on one of the school tours, and find out more information about the programmes offered at the school.

Our next Open Day will be on Friday 19th May, from 9:00am to 12:00pm. We will hold three separate talks for interested families. Primary Years Programme – 10:00am; Middle Years Programme – 10:15am; Diploma Programme – 10:30am. A special information session about the Career-Related Programme will run from 11:00am-12:00pm.

Families enrolling their children after visiting Open Days are eligible for special discounts on school fees. For further information, please contact the Admissions Department at [email protected] or telephone +60 3 6145 4688.

*Only schools authorised by the International Baccalaureate can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorisation will be granted.