The IB builds on the content and richness of the traditional British curriculum, adding depth and breadth to subject areas. It rewards inquisitiveness and self-organisation, shaping and enhancing the skills needed for tomorrow’s leaders.
As an official IB World School, The Chalfonts follows the cutting edge approach to learning of the IB Middle Years Programme (ages 11-16) and Diploma Programme (ages 16-18, from September 2019).
Students have the option of registering from a number of different subjects, including, but not limited to:
Language is key to exploring and ensuring the sustained personal development of our students; without it, the intellectual framework, and the ability for this framework to support conceptual understanding in all subjects across the International Baccalaureate cannot form. Our students engage with a range of texts, and gain a greater insight into the moral, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental domains they inhabit and the questions that any work, fictional or factual, may pose.
Our course is designed to be an exploration of many aspects of language and literature, in which our students study a wide range of literary, and indeed non-literary text-types, differing writing styles and techniques, with our pupils completing the course with the ability to use these skills to comment on the significance of any manner of contexts, audiences, purpose, and any author’s use of linguistic and literary devices
At the Chalfonts, French and Spanish are taught via the communicative approach, in which our students learn and practice both languages via interaction with each other and the teacher, studying French and Spanish works, including literature in both languages, and through practice in the classroom and at home, to give a rounded ability to use both languages in all types of situations. With little to no use of mother-tongue, encouraging a Student-Centred approach to learning.
Forming an important foundation for the study of the other STEM (Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects, as well as a variety of applications in other fields, mathematics is invaluable in our pupils studies, in their future workplaces, and in their everyday lives. Our framework, which promotes enquiry and application-in which mathematics is applied to real world scenarios-encompasses number, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability. Most importantly, our students learn how to find solutions to familiar and unfamiliar problems, whilst learning how to represent information, and explore and model situations.
Scientific enquiry, by its very nature, fosters both critical and creative thinking, not only about research and design, but also in questioning assumptions and exploring alternative explanations-thus, the framework taught encourages and nurtures a research, observation and experimentation based investigation of issues, both as individuals and as collaborators.
Science, however, does not exist in a vaccum, and as our students investigate real examples of how Biology, Chemistry and Physics are applied, so they will discover the tensions and dependencies between science, and the fields of ethics, morality, culture, economics, politics and the environment. Through Science, our pupils learn good ethical reasoning skills, learn to respect and appreciate the ideas of others, and further develop their sense of responsibility as members of local, and global, communities.
IndiSoc incorporates disciplines traditionally studied in History and Geography, as well as the Social Sciences, such as Economics, Psychology and Philosophy. IndiSoc encourages learners to respect and understand the world around them and equips them with the necessary skills to enquire into historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological and cultural factors that have an impact on individuals, societies and environments, in order that our students have a better idea of the world around themselves and how it has been shaped by multiple factors.
Music, Visual Arts and Drama Students develop through creating, performing and presenting arts in ways that engage and convey feelings, experiences and ideas-at the Chalfonts, we regard the Arts as important as any other subjects. Students have opportunities to function as artists, as well as learners of the Arts, with pupils holding and attending performances and exhibitions.
The Arts stimulate young imaginations, help challenge preconceptions and develop creative and analytical skills. Involvement in the Arts encourages students to understand the Arts in context and, importantly, the cultural histories of artworks, supporting the development of an inquiring and empathetic world view.
Physical and Health Education empowers students to understand and appreciate the value of sports, being physically active and develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. Within physical and health education, we foster the development of team, individual, alternative recreational and adventure sports. Alongside this ‘learning through’, we develop knowledge through ‘learning about’ subjects such as physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, training, psychology and first aid. In extracurricular time, the subject is reinforced with our excellent Duke of Edinburgh programme as well as the outdoor elements in our wide-ranging residential trips.
Through Design, our students are challenged to apply practical and creative thinking skills to solve problems, explore the role of design in both historical and contemporary contexts; and consider their responsibilities when making design decisions and taking action. During MYP Design, we focus on a holistic design process-where the design is regarded as an interconnected whole, and part of the larger world, taking into account everything from the environmental to the social impact of a design, rather than final products and solutions.
The IB provides a well-rounded and rigorous education that prepares students for success in university and beyond.
With an emphasis on global perspective and intercultural understanding, the IB curriculum helps students to develop a well-rounded world view, which is increasingly important in today’s interconnected world. The skills and competencies developed through the IB, such as research and writing skills, are valuable and transferable to many different areas of study and future careers, giving IB students a head start.
The relevance and impact of their education is emphasised to IB students, with the IB encouraging students to apply their learning to real-world problems and issues. This reinforces how education is stretched beyond the confines of the classroom, enabling students to experience life in a more well-rounded way. As the IB is recognised internationally, this provides students with opportunities for mobility and exchange programmes, which is especially helpful for students who move frequently.
IB students are more likely to flourish academically. They often perform better than students in other programmes and are thus more likely to be recruited by top universities worldwide, as well as having a higher likelihood of finishing university with a first-class honours degree. This contributes to IB students having a significantly higher starting salary after university, demonstrating how the IB programme assists students beyond education.
At The Chalfonts, we are dedicated to providing our students with the best education possible, and the IB is a key part of that commitment. Join us and discover the benefits of the International Baccalaureate!
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