Optima Magazine

IB? I do!

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St. Helen’s School offers Sixth Form students the choice of studying A Levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB). The IB offers excellent preparation for higher education through its focus on independent research and critical thinking. Students continue with six subjects, maintaining breadth but without compromising depth.

One of the IB alumnae explains the benefits that she gained from the programme:

“I especially liked learning for the sake of knowledge and not just for the sake of tests and grades. The skills we developed made the course very stimulating: the ability to structure essays effectively and write to strict word counts; to carry out research efficiently and present it clearly; to have the confidence to work independently as well as in a group; and to have the strength to juggle six assorted subjects, Creativity, Action and Service, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and the Extended Essay, as well as university applications, extra-curricular activities and other responsibilities. The international aspect of the course enhanced what we were learning, whilst the inquisitive character of TOK helped encourage our interests in all subject areas as it became second nature to question things.”