What’s the difference between an IB leaner and English school learning?

The IB curriculum and the UK curriculum have  any cross overs in terms of the skills and knowledge students are expected to acquire. However, that doesn’t mean it is easy to pick up an IB syllabus if you have been teaching in the UK for most or all of your career.

In an attempt to understand it myself and discover more about this fascinating and enriching curriculum I have decided to share my findings with you here.

Differences - something that true IB schools celebrate and nurture. From my experience and readings, I have found that IB schools are based on a set of values that accept difference and promote the understanding and respect for otherness. Whether this is other cultures, Lanugages, learning style and habits or interested and hobbies, loves and hates. As most IB schools are abroad, there is a more globalized attitude towards the way in which children are taught - their classmates will be from all over the world and as a result it is important to promote acceptance, open mindedness and adaptability.

One key difference is the way in which students are taught and the structure of the syllabus to focus on programs of study instead of scheme of work or schemes of learning. There is a strong ethos towards student-led learning, differentiation and pupil centered approaches to learning. I understand this to mean that - as I have always advocated myself throughout my career - that teacher act as facilitators. Their job is to create an environment where children can explore, ask questions, make mistakes, learn and be guided towards a number of outcomes. There should not  be a ‘one shoe fits all’ approach which is only too commonly found in classrooms in the UK.

Another difference is that the focus of the school and the learning outcome is strongly and focused on child development. The pillars of the IB are the enrichment of the child’s experiences, the development of well rounded and confident young people who are measured risk takers, critical thinkers and independent learners. They are able to communicate and express themselves, their  hopes and fears and have a strong sense of who they are insult retaining the ability to empathize and show compassion. Sadly there is not always space for this sort of care and time about children’s welfare and wellbeing in the UK as schools are more and more becoming exam factories.

For more reading on IB and UK school systems, and related topics, check out these links:

https://www.thinkib.net/englishb
https://teacherhead.com/2018/03/19/evidence-informed-ideas-every-teacher-should-know-about/
https://www.ibo.org/globalassets/publications/recognition/rec4122recognitioncurriculumbrief-5web.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2018/aug/21/should-schools-be-judged-by-exam-results-ofsted
www.tes.co.uk provides a range of articles