IBDiploma Programme InformationGuide
TheIBDPandMarymount
Marymount International School London is an International BaccalaureateWorldSchoolwithastrongacademictradition, providing a holistic education based on Christian values. AuthorizedasanIBschoolin1979,MarymountwasthefirstallgirlsschoolintheUKtoadopttheIBDiplomaProgramme.This internationallyacclaimedprogrammeisrecognisedgloballyby universitiesandemployersasaqualitybenchmarkineducation.
Withover40years’experienceteachingtheIBDiploma,an exceptionalfacultyofqualifiedandexperiencedteachers,manyof whomareexaminersfortheIBO,andadedicatedteamofpastoral andsupportstaff,MarymountLondonisideallypositionedto provideitsstudentswithanunrivalledIBDiplomaprogramme experience.Smallclassesandastimulatingteachingenvironment, ensurethatstudentsareappropriatelychallengedandencouraged todeveloptheirintellectualfacultiesandgrowinconfidenceas independent,criticalthinkers.
TheverynatureofourSchoolgiveseverygirltheoptimal environmenttosucceedacademically.Ourpedagogyistailoredto boththespecificrequirementsoftheIBandourinternational,allgirls demography, a model in place since Marymount was foundedoversixtyyearsago.Furthermore,theschoolprovidesa bespokeapproachtocourseselection,allowingstudentstoengage withaprogrammeofstudiesthatmatchestheirstrengthsand interestsandpreparesthemperfectlyforuniversityandbeyond.
ThesynthesisoftheIB’spedagogicalapproachandthevalues enshrinedinthemissionoftheRSHMmakeforauniquely powerfuleducation,theresultsofwhichcanbeseennotonlyin theconsistentlyoutstandingresultsourgraduatesachievebutalso inthepeopletheybecome;intellectualandcompassionate,global citizenswhochallengeandcontributemeaningfullytotheworld inwhichtheylive.
WhatistheIBDiplomaProgramme?
FoundedinGenevain1968
Abroadandbalancedfuture-readyprogrammethatpromotes inquiry,deepensconceptualunderstanding,anddevelopsthe skillsattitudesandattributesrequiredtosuccessfullynavigate lifeinthe21stcentury.
Two-yearpre-universitycourse OffersflexibilityineitherIBDiplomaorCourseCertificates Internationaleducationencouragesstudentstounderstand andappreciateothercultures,languages,andpointsofview.
Agoldstandarduniversityentrancequalification,recognised andwelcomedglobally
IBDiplomacandidatesmustbeexaminedinsixsubjects(threeat HigherLevelandthreeatStandardLevel)plustheCore(Theory ofKnowledge,ExtendedEssayandCreativity,Activity,Service [CAS],aprogrammeofvoluntaryextra-curricularactivities).
Allstudents,ifappropriatelyqualified,mayfollowthefullIB DiplomaProgramme,butastudentmay,ifsheprefers,takeone ormoreIBexaminationsinindividualsubjects,inwhichcasea COURSECERTIFICATEisawardedfortheIBexaminations passed.
CertificatescanalsobetakeninTheoryofKnowledge(TOK), andtheExtendedEssay.HigherLevelexaminationsarevaluedas equivalent to/or higher than Advanced Placement by most collegesanduniversitiesintheUnitedStatesandcanearncredit. Insomecases,fullIBDiplomaholdersmayobtainsophomore standing.IntheUK,UCASconsidersaHigherLevelcourse equivalenttoafullALevel,withthehighestmarkintheIB(7) beingequivalenttoanA*atALevel.
ThroughengagementintheIBDiplomaProgramme,students: Developanexcellentbreadthanddepthofknowledge
Masterarangeofapproachestolearningskillsandpersonal attributes(seeIBLearnerProfileonbackpage)
Flourishphysically,intellectually,emotionally,andethically Studyatleasttwolanguages
Excelintraditionalacademicsubjects
Explorethenatureofknowledgethroughtheprogramme’s uniqueTheoryofKnowledgecourse.
MarymountHighSchoolDiploma
AllGrade12studentswhosatisfactorilycompletetheSchool’s graduationrequirements(theseincludenon-IBsubjects:Religious Studies,PEandPSHEEaswell)areawardedaHighSchool Diploma.
IBDiplomaProgramme
SubjectCategories
ThecurriculumcomprisessixsubjectgroupsandtheCore.
Thesixsubjectgroupsare:
LanguageandLiterature
LanguageAcquisition
IndividualsandSocieties
Sciences
Mathematics
TheArts
Therearedifferentcourseswithineachsubjectgroup.
Madeupofthreerequiredcomponents,theCoreaimstobroaden students’educationalexperienceandchallengethemtoapplytheir knowledgeandskills.
Thethreecoreelementsare:
Theory of Knowledge,inwhichstudentsreflectonthe natureofknowledgeandhowweknowwhatweclaimto know.
The Extended Essay isanindependent,self-directedpieceof research,culminatingina4,000-wordessay.
Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS),inwhichstudentsplan, engagein,andreflectonvariousexperiencesthathelpnurture anddevelopcriticalskills,attitudes,andattributesandestablish positivelifehabits.
GroupOne:Language&Literature
StudentsmusttakeatleastonesubjectfromLanguageand Literature,asubjectareathatoffersstudentstheopportunityto exploreabroadrangeoftextsandothermediainthetarget language(usuallythestudent’smothertongue)andtobroaden theirunderstandingofthepowerandsubtletyofthewrittenand spokenword.
G1 language courses offered at Marymount Additional G1 language courses (private tutors)
English
French
German
Japanese
Korean
Mandarin
Spanish
Arabic
Russian
Norwegian
Czech Slovene
Polish
Italian
AlllanguagesofferedatHigherLevelandStandardLevel.
GroupOne: Language&Literature
YouwillfindlanguagespecificinformationattheGroupOne table.Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
Language Notes
First Choice
Second Choice
Optional
GroupTwo:LanguageAcquisition
IBDiplomastudentsarerequiredtostudyatleasttwolanguages, withthemajoritytakingonesubjectfromGroupOneandthe otherfromGroupTwo*.LanguagelearninginGroupTwo focusesonacquiringandusingthetargetlanguage,andthe developmentofrelatedculturesandtraditions.Studentswith previousexperienceinorexposuretothetargetlanguagewillbe expectedtostudytheirLanguageAcquisitioncourseatStandard LevelorHigherLevel.Forabsolutebeginners,some‘AbInitio’ coursesareavailable.
G2 language courses offered at Marymount
Additional G2 language courses (private tutors)
*StudentsmayopttostudytwoGroupOnelanguagecourses insteadofalanguagefromGroupOneandalanguagefrom GroupTwo.
AlllanguagesofferedatHigherLevelandStandardLevel.
Pleasenote-AbInitiolanguagescoursesareonlyofferedatSL.
GroupTwo: LanguageAcquisition
YouwillfindlanguagespecificinformationattheGroupTwo table.Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
Language
First Choice
Second Choice Optional
GroupThree:IndividualsandSocieties
Bystudyingoneormoresubjectsfromthisgroup, studentsexploreanddeepentheirunderstandingof humanexperienceandbehaviour,thevarious environmentsthathumansocietiesinhabit,andthe historyofsocialandculturalinstitutions.Insodoing, theydeveloptheirabilitytoidentify,research,evaluate andanalysevarioustheoriesandconcepts.
I & S courses offered at Marymount Transdisciplinary subject (Group 3 and 4)
Economics Geography
History Psychology
Environmental Systemsand Societies(E.S.S) (Standard Level only)
AllsubjectsofferedatHigherLevelandStandardLevelunless otherwisestated.
GroupThree:IndividualsandSocieties
YouwillfindsubjectspecificinformationattheGroupThree table.Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
GroupFour:Sciences
ThefocusofGroupfoursubjectsistodeveloptheskills,attitudes andunderstandingassociatedwiththescientificmethod,through theexplorationofthetheoriesandconceptsthatunderpineach discretescience.
Science courses offered at Marymount
Biology Chemistry Physics
Sports,Exercise& HealthScience*
Transdisciplinary Subject (Group 3 or Group 4)
Environmental Systemsand Societies(E.S.S) (Standard Level only)
AllsubjectsofferedatHigherLevelandStandardLevelunless otherwisestated.
*StandardLevelonlyandonlyifsufficientnumberofstudentsselectto createaclass.
GroupFour:Sciences
YouwillfindsubjectspecificinformationattheGroupFourtable. Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
Subject
Notes
First Choice
Second Choice
Optional
GroupFive:Mathematics
AllIBDiplomaMathematicscoursesaimtodeepenunderstandingof mathematicalknowledge,concepts,andprinciplessoastoenhance criticalandcreativethinkingandtodevelopanappreciationofthe placeofmathematicsandmathematicalthinkingattheheartofhuman advancementinthe21stcentury.
Mathematics courses offered at Marymount
Analysis&Approaches
Application& Interpretation
BothMathematicscoursesareofferedatHigherLeveland StandardLevel.
GroupFive:Mathematics
YouwillfindsubjectspecificinformationattheGroupFivetable. Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
Subject
Notes
First Choice
Second Choice Optional
GroupSix:Arts
Althoughstudentsmayopttotakeanadditionallanguage,scienceor humanitiescoursefortheirsixthsubject,Marymountencourages studentstostudyasubjectfromtheArts,todevelopadeeper understandingofhumancreativityandexpressionacrosstime,place, andspace,ensuringatrulybalancededucationalexperience.
Arts courses offered at Marymount
Dance
Music
Theatre
VisualArts
AllsubjectsofferedatHigherLevelandStandardLevel.
GroupSix:Arts
YouwillfindsubjectspecificinformationattheGroupSixtable. Makeyourpreferencenotesbelow:
Subject Notes
First Choice
Second Choice Optional
TheoryofKnowledge(TOK)
TheTOKcourseisassessedthroughanExhibitioncuratedin Grade11anda1600-wordessaywritteninGrade12.Itasks studentstothinkaboutknowledgeandhowtheytruly‘know’ whattheyclaimtoknow.
Asaresult,theTOKcourseisbuiltalmostentirelyoutofquestions basedondifferentwaysofknowing.Throughdiscussion,debate, criticalthinking,andreflection,studentsexplorewhattheyknow, howtheyknowit,andwhatevidencetheymightpresentto supporttheirknowledgeclaims.
TOKencouragesstudentstoreflectonandtesttheirpersonaland ideologicalassumptionsanddevelopagreaterawarenessofand appreciationforthemyriadculturalperspectivesthatexistinour worldtoday.
TheExtendedEssay
TheExtendedEssayisanin-depthandevaluativestudyofa focusedtopicchosenfromtheavailableDiplomaProgramme subjectsforthesession.
Studentsusuallychooseatopicfromoneoftheirsixchosen subjectsorasubjectinwhichtheyhaveabackground.This projectpromotesacademicresearchandwritingskills,allowing studentstoengageinpersonalresearchonatopicoftheirown choice under the guidance of a supervisor (an appropriately qualifiedstaffmemberwithintheschool).
Thestudentwillformallypresentastructuredessayof4,000 words,inwhichideasandfindingsarecommunicatedrationally and coherently appropriate to the chosen subject. Students undertake three mandatory reflection sessions with their supervisor,whichincludeashort,concludinginterviewor‘viva voce’followingthecompletionoftheExtendedEssay.
Creativity,ActivityandService(CAS)
CASisattheheartoftheDiplomaProgramme.Withitsholistic approach, it is designed to strengthen and extend students’ personal and interpersonal learning from the MYP. CAS is organizedaroundthethreestrandsofcreativity,activity,and service,definedasfollows.
Creativity: exploring and extending ideas leading to an originalorinterpretiveproductorperformance
Activity:physicalexertioncontributingtoahealthylifestyle Service:collaborativeandreciprocalengagementwiththe communityinresponsetoanauthenticneed
TheCASprogrammeformallybeginsatthestartoftheDiploma Programme.Itcontinuesregularly,ideallyweekly,foratleast18 monthswithareasonablebalancebetweencreativity,activity,and serviceexperiences.
StudentsareexpectedtomaintainandcompleteaCASportfolioas evidenceoftheirengagementwithCAS.TheCASportfolio containsevidenceofawidevarietyofexperiencesalongside reflectionsalignedtothesevenCASlearningoutcomes.
RecentUniversityDestinations
UK: ImperialCollege
CambridgeUniversity UniversityofWarwick
DurhamUniversity
OxfordUniversity UniversityofEdinburgh UniversityofStAndrews
LondonSchoolofEconomics
City,UniversityofLondon UniversityofSurrey HultBusinessSchool
UniversityCollegeLondon
SOAS
KLCSchoolofDesign
RoyalHolloway
King’sCollege
QueenMaryUniversity UniversityofBath
LancasterUniversity UniversityofGlasgow
Canada: McGillUniversity UniversityofToronto
Hong Kong: HongKongUniversity
USA: BostonUniversity WakeForest ParsonsSchoolofDesign
CatholicUniversityofAmerica
Bentley Brandeis
PurdueUniversity Drexel
Franklin&Marshall Fordham FIT(NYC)
CarletonCollege
Spain: I.E.BusinessSchool
ESADE
France: ESCPBusinessSchool
ESSECBusinessSchool
Japan: WasedaUniversity
KeioUniversity
SophiaUniversity
Inquirers Wenurtureourcuriosity,developingskillsforinquiryand research.
Knowledgeable Wedevelopanduseconceptualunderstanding,exploring knowledgeacrossawiderangeofdisciplines.
Thinkers Weusecriticalandcreativethinkingskillstoanalyseandtake responsibleactiononcomplexproblems.
Communicators Weexpressourselvesconfidentlyandcreativelyinmorethan onelanguageandinmanyways.
Principled Weactwithintegrityandhonesty,withastrongsenseoffairness andjustice,andwithrespectforthedignityandrightsofpeople everywhere.
Open-Minded Wecriticallyappreciateourownculturesandpersonalhistories, aswellasthevaluesandtraditionsofothers.
Caring Weshowempathy,compassionandrespect.
Risk-takers Weapproachuncertaintywithforethoughtanddetermination; weworkindependentlyandcooperativelytoexplorenewideas andinnovativestrategies.
Balanced Weunderstandtheimportanceofbalancingdifferentaspectsof ourlives-intellectual,physical,andemotional-toachieve well-beingforourselvesandothers.
Reflective Wethoughtfullyconsidertheworldandourownideasand experience.
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