Secondary School
Middle Years Programme
The Middle Years Programme, for students in Years 6 - 10 (aged 11-15), provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, becoming critical and reflective thinkers within an inquiry approach to teaching.
The Written CurriculumThe most distinctive aspect of the IB Middle Years Programme is the concept-based framework and inquiry-based learning within and across subjects. The MYP framework includes Approaches to Learning which assist in developing lifelong skills for learners and is delivered through the six global contexts:
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The Taught Curriculum
The programme consists of eight subject groups. Students are required to study Language and Literature (Chinese and English), Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Physical and Health Education and Design. There is also the option of Language Acquisition in French or Spanish or an additional language support or extension class in English or Chinese. In Year 8, students complete a Community Project and then in the final year of the programme, students also engage in a Personal Project, which allows them to demonstrate the understandings and skills they have developed throughout the programme.
The Assessed Curriculum
Assessment is criterion-related, so students around the world are measured against pre-specified criteria for each subject group. All MYP subjects are assessed using four criteria.
(www.ibo.org – The Middle Years Programme)
Community and Personal Projects
The Community Project in Year 8 and the Personal Project in Year 10 encourage students to practice and strengthen their approaches to learning skills, apply prior and subject-specific knowledge, and develop an area of personal interest. The Community Project provides an opportunity for students to collaborate and pursue service learning, while the Personal Project is a chance for students to produce a truly personal and creative product or outcome that demonstrates a consolidation of their learning in the MYP. Both projects encourage students to:
- participate in sustained, self-directed inquiry within a global context
- generate creative new insights and develop deeper understandings through in-depth investigation
- apply the skills, attitudes, and knowledge required to complete a long-term project
- communicate effectively in a variety of situations
- demonstrate responsible action through, or as a result of, learning
- appreciate the process of learning and take pride in accomplishments
(www.ibo.org – MYP projects)
Portfolios
Portfolios provide one method of documenting student achievement and progress through the curriculum. Both students and teachers select materials for inclusion in an individual portfolio, which may include: samples of the student's work showing development over time.
Diploma Programme
The Diploma Programme is for students in Year 11 and 12 (aged 16-18). It is an academically challenging and balanced, two-year programme, culminating in external examinations at the end of the programme.
The Written Curriculum
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Diploma Programme students study six courses, 3 at higher level and 3 at standard level. Students must choose one subject from each of groups 1 to 5, thus ensuring breadth of experience in languages, social studies, experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from group 6, or the student may choose another subject from groups 3 or 4 (social studies or experimental sciences). In addition the programme has three core requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding:
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The Taught Curriculum
The three core requirements of the Diploma Programme are reinforced throughout each subject’s syllabus and are used to inform the delivery of the curriculum. Published subject guides, subject reports, and stated learning outcomes, all provided by the IB, are used by teachers to plan units of study that ensure success in both internal and external assessments.
The Assessed Curriculum
Students take written examinations at the end of the programme, which are marked by external IB examiners. Students also complete assessment tasks in school, which are either initially marked by teachers and then moderated by external moderators or sent directly to external examiners. The International Baccalaureate assesses student work as direct evidence of achievement against the stated goals of each Diploma course.
(www.ibo.org – The Diploma Programme)
Extended Essay
The Extended Essay is the culminating project of the Diploma Programme. It is a 4000 word, independently written, research paper that provides the opportunity for students to explore a personal interest, within one of the academic disciplines they are studying.
Students must demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the theories, tools and techniques of a specific discipline explored through a topic of their choice. This provides students with preparation for undergraduate research and an opportunity to demonstrate their enthusiasm and intellectual initiative for a chosen topic.
Diploma Courses (Certificate)
Students may opt to study Diploma courses instead of the full diploma. This gives students more flexibility in the subjects they want to study and the level of study. Students on the certificate programme can take up to 6 subjects, at any level. There is no requirement to complete the core, although some students may opt to do so.