It is that time of year again, which always seems to come around so quickly, when we bid farewell to our Upper Sixth IB boys. Pupils, parents and teachers from Bedford School and Bedford Girls’ School, enjoyed summer drinks and canapés in School House garden to give one another the chance to say “goodbye” in a relaxed and informal setting.
Whilst the evening was for celebrating the end of exams and not necessarily to ‘talk shop’, we took the opportunity afterwards to ask Upper Sixth Formers and IB2 students Blake Swift and Luke Langridge about their time studying the International Baccalaureate.
Blake explained that, “The IB enabled me to explore more subjects beyond the GCSE level. This was important for me as, after finishing my GCSEs, I was not entirely sure which subjects I was most interested in. Also, the fact that every subject had an internal assessment (IA) enabled me to explore a part of the subject I found particularly interesting. Also, these IAs formed 20% – 40% of the final grade, taking a bit of pressure off the exams. Lastly, I thought that the core aspects of the IB are amazing for developing the individual for university. The Theory of Knowledge aspect enabled me to think critically about the epistemological questions we usually skip over, and the extended essay allowed me to explore a topic which I had an academic interest in, in depth. This encouraged wider reading on my chosen subject, allowing me to grapple with different perspectives and global issues.”
Luke recalls volunteering at The Grange Academy as one of his most enjoyable parts of the IB course describing it as, “both challenging and rewarding, as I learned a lot about myself as well as developing my communication skills. I also loved the independent research that comes with coursework and the Extended Essay as I felt that this was the most beneficial way to learn and prepare for university.”
One of the benefits of the IB is that students are able to develop excellent breadth and depth of knowledge, as well as allowing them to flourish physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.
Whether that is going from a philosophy lesson on deontological ethics straight into the next lesson to learn about Spanish festivals, it is this variety that appealed to Blake.
Blake told us, “This understanding of a diverse range of fields of study enabled me to create links between my subjects and broaden my knowledge after GCSEs. Also, as part of the IB, I particularly enjoyed the Extended Essay as it challenged my position on a philosophical issue I had questioned my whole life and enabled me to do an essay on this issue that I would not have done otherwise. This was enjoyable as I gained an understanding of different philosophical perspectives and had to deeply question and challenge people’s views in order to get into the top band.”
When asked what advice he would give to any boys thinking about doing the IB, Luke explained, “My advice for anyone considering the IB is to look at the variety of ways that the IB encourages learning in all facets of life other than just school subjects. It also means you have a much longer summer at the end, which every IB student will say is worth it!”
