International Baccalaureate

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is an exciting set of educational programmes, offered in more than two thousand schools in over 120 countries around the world.

The programmes focus on student-centred inquiry-based learning and global concerns. These challenge students to move out of their comfort zone - to undertake projects and areas of study that are new to them. They challenge students to think in sophisticated ways about the connections between ideas in different areas of study. They put learning into an international context.

St Paul's and the IB

St Paul’s was the first school in New South Wales to offer the Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma Programmes which provide a continuum of education. The IB Diploma Programme was first taught at the school in 1990 and was subsequently authorised to offer the Primary and Middle Years Programmes in 2003. All students, from Pre Kindergarten to Year 10 study IB at St Paul's. The relevant programmes are integrated with the New South Wales Education Standards Authority (NESA) Curriculum. In their senior years (11 and 12), students must choose between an IB Diploma pathway of study or a NESA HSC pathway. St Paul’s senior school is typically half IB Diploma, half HSC.

The IB Mission Statement

“The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”

Background

The IB was founded in 1968 as an independent, not-for-profit educational foundation. Its original purpose was to facilitate the movement of students internationally, by providing schools with a senior secondary school Diploma that would be recognised by universities around the world. Since then, its mission has expanded, and it now provides an internationally-recognised education that is available to students of all ages, throughout the world.

IB Programmes

St Paul's offer three of the IB's four programmes:

• the Diploma Programme (DP), created in 1968 (for students aged 16-19)
• View the St Paul's Grammar School IB Diploma Programme video to find out more.

• the Middle Years Programme (MYP), created in 1994 (for students aged 11-16)
• View the St Paul's Grammar School IB Middle Years Programme video to find out more. 

• and the Primary Years Programme (PYP), created in 1997 (for students aged 3-12)
• View the St Paul's Grammar School IB Primary Years Programme video to find out more.

Please note: The information on this page is of a broad and general nature, and is drawn from the IB website.

For further information regarding the IB, please navigate directly to the website here.