A number of Year 11 students keen to learn more about Leighton Park’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) gathered in Peckover Hall on Wednesday 8th January to speak to guests with lived experience of this globally esteemed qualification. They were joined by two Old Leightonians, Rowan Taylor (class of 2021) and Jaia Gill (class of 2024) as well as students from the two current Sixth Form IB cohorts. Over the hour-long lunch there was much discussion about different IB subjects, higher and standard levels, extended essays, manging coursework, CAS and university destinations.
Pleased to be back on the Park, Rowan said, “I took the IB because of the wider range of subjects it offered. If I had taken A Levels I wouldn’t have considered taking a language or arts subject, but the IB allowed me to learn both alongside more traditional mathematics and science subjects. Since almost all of my subjects had an essay component, I spent a lot of time improving my essay writing skills in Sixth Form, which was invaluable for my degree course and clearly put me at an advantage. Making friends during the IB happens very quickly and easily as you spend so much time together and I had a lot of fun!”
Jaia commented, “I really liked doing the IB because it definitely made me better at time management and it gave me a lot of options because you can do six subjects instead of the three you’re limited to at A Levels so I came out of the IB with a lot more knowledge about certain things. Although I’m not at uni yet, I’m on a gap year, I think it will help me be a more critical thinker when I go and it will definitely help me be more organised. If you want to travel and to study abroad then it’s definitely more helpful as a course because unis abroad are more knowledgeable about the IB than they are about A Levels; they understand the points and they see it’s good preparation for your degree which is a bit more difficult.”
Kees Luteijn, Assistant Head: Director of IBDP, was delighted with the enthusiastic take up for the gathering, commenting, “The event proved to be a wonderful opportunity for the Year 11s to hear directly from IB students about what it is actually like to take the Diploma Programme and how it has benefitted them since leaving LP. All the students made the very most of the opportunity to find out more about the IBDP and where it can take you, and they all came away with some brilliant bits of advice to help them navigate their Sixth Form options decisions.”
Katya (Year 11) enjoyed the opportunity explaining: “I am wanting to do the IB because I would like to study at a university in another country and IB allows you to do that and I would also like to continue with more subjects. I don’t know what I want to do at university yet but something related to business. I want to keep my options open.”
Riccardo (Upper Sixth) who is on the IB course at present and supported the event reflected, “I like the broad ranges of subjects that we can study. The way that we think in lessons is more global and we are encouraged to think deeper.”
Find out more about the IB at our upcoming webinars on 10th February at 6.30pm or 7th March at 4.30pm. Book now!
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