Please read below for all the latest information on the IB at Priestley and a selection of video clips and other features (bottom of page). You can also download all the information in our informative 8-page guide. To find out even more, visit us on our open evening on February 2 (6-8pm).

What is the IB?
The IB is a two-year programme which:
• Is a genuine alternative to A Levels and BTEC Nationals
• Offers breadth and academic challenge
• Includes additional activities as part of the core programme
• Prepares you for university and employment
• Is recognised by all universities in the UK and most abroad
• Encourages independent learning and thinking for yourself
• Develops fully-rounded, caring and responsible young people

The IB is an internationally recognised qualification which was first developed in 1968. The UK is the second most important country worldwide (after the USA) offering the IB with 219 Schools and Colleges now teaching it, compared to 129 in 2008. Priestley became an IB World School in April 2009, thereby creating more choice and opportunity for young people in Warrington, Halton and St Helens.

The IB is a respected and excellent qualification for both university and employment, marking students out from the crowd. It offers breadth and challenge, encouraging independent learning and thinking for yourself.

What marks the IB out from other qualifications is the combination of the Unique Core and the balanced study of 6 academic subjects, three of these subjects are studied at Higher Level and three at Standard Level.

The IB Learner
The IB is for young people who are ambitious and adventurous and who want to learn more about the global society in which they live. It is particularly suited to students who enjoy academic study and who wish to keep studying a wide range of subjects beyond GCSE. It is for outward looking students who enjoy the stimulation of learning, who thrive on being active and who want to develop the following qualities:

• An inquirer
• Knowledgeable
• A thinker
• A good communicator, in both written and oral work
• Principled with integrity, honesty and a strong sense of fairness
• Open-minded
• Caring
• A risk taker, prepared to take on new challenges
• Balanced
• Reflective, prepared to give thoughtful consideration to your own learning and experiences

If you want to get the edge when applying to university, if you want to keep your options open and are interested in becoming more internationally minded, if you love learning and like being busy, then the IB could be right for you.

Course Groupings
The offer for Priestley is:

Group 1 - English Higher and Standard.

Group 2 - French Higher and Standard, Spanish Higher and Standard and Ab Initio (beginners), Mandarin Chinese Ab Initio.

Group 3 - History Higher and Standard, Psychology Higher and Standard, Environmental Systems and Societies Standard, Economics Higher and Standard.

Group 4 - Biology Higher and Standard, Chemistry Higher and Standard, Physics Higher and Standard and Environmental Systems and Societies Standard.

Group 5 - Mathematics Higher and Maths Studies Standard.

Group 6 - Visual Arts Higher and Standard.

Instead of Visual Art in group 6, you can study a second subject from groups 2, 3 or 4, for example two languages or two sciences or a second subject in Individuals and Societies.

Note: Our final subject offer will depend on demand.

What is the Core?
The Core really distinguishes the IB from A levels and represents the heart of the IB programme. It comprises Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE) and Creativity, Action and Service (CAS).

Theory of Knowledge
During the TOK programme you will examine how we look at knowledge. You will learn about the different ways we have of knowing e.g. through our Emotions and through our Reason, as well as a range of different areas of knowledge, for example, the Arts and Natural Sciences. TOK will prompt you to see yourself as a thinker and to recognise the need to act responsibly in our complex world. TOK links the academic subjects of the IB hexagon, thereby helping you to see ways in which you can connect your knowledge. You will have two TOK lessons per week.

The Extended Essay
The Extended Essay is an independent, piece of research, brought together in a 4,000 word essay. It provides excellent practical preparation for university and is highly valued by university admissions staff. It is an opportunity for you to engage in an in-depth study of a subject in which you are interested and might study at university. You will be supported throughout the process with advice and guidance from a supervisor.

Creativity, Action and Service
Your CAS activities are an integral part of your IB programme. CAS values you and your contribution to the world around you. The CAS programme at Priestley is flexible and includes a wide range of activities for example sport, theatre, art, music, volunteering or expeditions: It all depends on what kind of person you are. The common element is that your participation in CAS will involve some kind of service to a community, for example coaching a football team, helping at brownies, volunteering in an old people’s home or organising a charity event: you will also have fun, develop as a person and meet new people. You will have a dedicated CAS lesson per week where you will develop your project planning, leadership skills and take part in team building exercises. Plus time to reflect upon and write about your activities.

What is the IB worth?
• The value of the IB is in the whole package of subject knowledge plus personal development.
• All of the world's leading universities recognise and respect the IB.
• Points are awarded for each subject from 0 to 7.
• You also get 3 points for the Core.
• Those who gain 24 points on their IB will have obtained the equivalent of two Bs and one C grade at A Level.
• The world average score for the IB is 29.4, the UK average is 32.6 and this is equivalent to 3 A grades and 1 B grade at A Level.

What Skills and Qualifications do I need to take the IB?
5 GCSEs at Grade A* to C with an overall average GCSE pass of Grade C.

You will need to have at least a Grade C in English Language and Literature, Mathematics and Science. To take a language at Standard Level you will also need at least a Grade C at GCSE in the language of your choice. To cope with Maths at Higher Level you will need at least an A and preferably A* at GCSE.
Places on the IB are limited, so make sure you apply in time.

If you are unsure about the IB, we recommend that you apply for it, in the first instance, as you would be able to change to an AS/A Level or BTEC programme at a later date if you wished.

You should be the kind of person who enjoys discussion and teamwork, thinking critically and analysing.

Outline of subjects

Group 1 Language A1
Studying English Literature on the IB gives you a chance to read books from all over the world, reflecting the international heart of the IB. Over the course of two years, you will study 13 texts (HL) or 10 texts (SL). These will all be in English, some in translation from other languages for example, Gabriel Marquez’s Chronicle of a Death Foretold or Frederico Lorca’s Blood Wedding. If you enjoy reading and discussing issues arising from books you will enjoy this course with its international flavour. You will take exams at the end of two years but dug in the course you will do Internal Assessments, some oral and some written.

Group 2 Language B
As part of the IB you will study a foreign language. You can build on your GCSE skills in French, German and Spanish by continuing any of these at Standard or Higher Level. If you have not studied a language to GCSE or want to start a new language, you can study beginners Spanish or Mandarin (Ab initio).

The Standard and Higher language courses will develop your overall language skills, building on the grammar you learnt at GCSE and expanding you vocabulary. You will learn about the countries where French, German or Spanish are spoken as you study various topics such as Social Relationships, Health and Leisure, in the first year, and global issues such as the Environment and the Media in the second year. Each country and society is different, and through your studies you will widen your knowledge of a range of cultures around the globe. You will also learn about different text types, for example, the key features of a letter or a diary entry, a newspaper article or a film review, and these will form part of the final exam.

Classes will include lots of opportunities to speak in the target language with your classmates and the teacher. You will have an oral class every week with a language assistant who is native speaker. You will take a written exam at the end of two years and an oral exam in February of the second year. You will also do some oral work in class which will be assessed.

Group 3 Individual and Society

History Standard and Higher
If you think history is a way to help better understand the world in which we live, you will enjoy IB History. You get the chance to study different international events in 20th Century History and understand how these have impacted on our world today. For example, International Relations from 1928 to 1936. You will look at the effects of war, particularly the Cold War. You will take exams at the end of two years and during the course you will carry out an historical investigation on a topic of your choice. At Higher Level you will focus upon the history of the Americas, including events such as the Great Depression of the 1930s. It is worth mentioning that you DO NOT need a GCSE in History to take the IB History course.

Psychology
Are you interested in the different functions of the brain? If you are, then you might enjoy IB Psychology. You will also look at the effect other people and cultural dimensions have on our behaviour, such as why we conform to social norms and judge people through the inheritance of attitudes such as stereotypes. No Psychology course would be complete without the study of abnormality, so you will get the chance to look at concept of mental illness and the difficulties in classifying someone as mentally ill. If you are interested in Higher level, you will also study Health Psychology considering the impact of lifestyle choices on mental and physical health. As part of the course you will devise investigation and look at research methods. Your Internal Assessment for Psychology will be to carry out you own psychological experiment on a testable aspect of Psychology that interests you. As with all IB subjects your main exams will take place at the end of two years.

Environmental Systems and Societies
ESS is a very exciting course: it is a blend of Biology, World Development and Geography and excellent for students who do not feel strong in the pure sciences, or would rather take a scientifically biased subject in group 3. Alternatively if you take ESS it can count as both your group 3 and group 4 subject, allowing you to add an extra subject from any of the other groups. The prime intent of the course is to provide students with a perspective on the environment which is essentially scientific. This means that you will develop skills to describe and analyse data, to look for patterns and to draw conclusions.

ESS has influences from historical, cultural, socio-political and scientific disciplines to provide a holistic perspective on environmental issues. You will study the Earth’s global cycles from the atmosphere to its soil. There is a strong focus on how ecosystems work and how they can be measured. You will study the concepts of carrying capacity in human populations and also the management of pollution. Practical work features highly in this course and you will get the opportunity to go on a residential field course. You will do a practical Internal Assessment during the course and work with other science students on the Group 4 project at the end of the first year.

Economics
Economics is a very rare and interesting subject which allows you to mix topics from a range of very different disciplines including Geography, Politics, History and Maths. As the content covers such a broad range of areas, it allows students to develop skills and understanding that are in high demand by both universities and employers. If you are curious about questions such as whether tuition fees should be charged for University, or how can footballers earn in one week what a nurse would earn in a decade, or how aid should be targeted to less developed countries, then Economics is for you. Economics is a living subject that changes daily! You will learn about the different ways that the government manages the economy. You will also get the chance to look at International Economics and the importance of trade between nations, as well as Development Economics and its role in providing global stability and the economics affecting particular industries and firms. At all times the theory will be linked to current events in the news. As well as the two exams at the end of the coursed you will submit a portfolio of 4 written commentaries, in which you will identify current news articles that interest you and write a summary of the economic theories and principles that underpin them.

Group 4 Experimental Sciences

Biology Higher
Biology is the study of living organisms. You will study a wide range of topics including Cell Biology, Biochemistry, DNA and Genetics, Ecology, Evolution and Animal and Plant Physiology. You will also learn biological theory and develop an understanding of the principles of Biology. If you are interested in a medicine related career, then IB Higher Level Biology is a subject to consider. If you love learning about the structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, and distribution of living organisms, you will find this course interesting. You will carry out two Internal Assessments based on practical investigations which you design. For the Group 4 project at the end of the first year, you will carry out investigations with other students studying IB sciences.

You will need to have studied both GCSE Core science and either GCSE Additional Science (Higher Tier) or GCSE Biology (Higher Tier) and normally gained a grade B or above.

Chemistry Standard and Higher
Chemistry is the science of matter. Can there be anything more fundamental to life than this? Chemistry, from the examination and understanding of microscopic organisms to medical discoveries and volcanic eruptions, gives us a better understanding of our physical world. Chemistry is the only science which is compulsory if you want to study medicine. You will study basic chemical concepts such as atomic structure, bonding, energetics, kinetics, periodicity and aspects of both inorganic and organic chemistry. Two optional units will be chosen depending on the group profile. You will carry out a collaborative Group 4 project working with students from the other sciences on the IB. There will also be opportunities to attend practical university workshops and courses and enter chemistry competitions such as the Olympiad. You will have internal assessments of practical skills throughout the course with a minimum of two pieces required.

Group 5 Mathematics

IB Higher Level Maths
This course is aimed at students with a strong ability and a keen interest in mathematics. It is an essential choice if you are thinking of studying a subject related to mathematics at university, e.g. engineering, mathematics, physics. The topics studied include: algebra and proof, functions, further trigonometry, vectors and matrices, probability, statistics, calculus and differential equations. During the course you will complete a Portfolio consisting of two pieces of work: a mathematical investigation and mathematical modelling exercise (20% of final mark). At the end of the course you will complete three external written exam papers (80% of final mark). You should normally have at least a grade A in GCSE Mathematics, and preferably an A* as well as excellent algebraic and problems solving skills.

Maths Studies Standard
The Maths Studies course is an extension of GCSE material covered in school and is designed for students who don’t expect to have a need for mathematics in their future careers. It is constructed to give an insight into areas of mathematics which might impact on your everyday life. The topics that are studied are: number and algebra, sets logic and probability, functions, geometry and trigonometry, statistics, introductory differential calculus, and financial mathematics.

Group 6 Arts and Electives

Visual Arts Standard and Higher
Through the study of visual art, you will develop your ability to respond in a personal and creative way and your practical skills. You will be introduced to many different traditional and contemporary techniques in Fine Art. You will use a range of media and materials including drawing, printmaking, painting, collage and digital media. This will enable you to develop an enquiring and imaginative approach. You will develop an understanding of the work of artists, both historical and contemporary, which will encourage you to make important contextual links with your own work. As the course progresses you will have the opportunity to explore and develop your own interests in greater depth. The course is predominantly practical with supporting written work which will develop both analytical and evaluative skills. In this group, students will also be able to elect to take a second subject from groups 2, 3 and 4, if they wish.