Exercise 1

The international baccalaureate (IB) is a programme for students aged 3-19 to encourage academic and individual success for all.  It offers four educational programmes;

• Primary Years Programme
• Middle Years Programme
• Diploma Programme
• Career-related Programme

The IB highly focuses on developing their young people to ‘create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect’ (IB, 2016).  Therefore, meaning that the everyday barriers to different countries e.g. languages and cultures can be taught and understood better. The IB aims for its young people to become more globally engaged e.g. a better understanding of language much like the 1 & 2 approach in Scotland which allows every child the opportunity to learn a modern language.

The IB discusses its ten core values – inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principle, open minded, caring, risk takers, balanced and reflective – at the heart of its learning, ensuring respect for all people.  These core values align well with the Curriculum for Excellence four capacities – Successful learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens and Effective Contributors which I will discuss further in exercise 2.

The IB educational programme puts students at the heart of its learning, similar to the national approach in Scotland, Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) in which the wellbeing of children and young people are supported immensely ensuring that the correct support is available to children and their families from the correct services at the correct time.

During my previous practice, I worked in Early Years where the GIRFEC approach was prominent.  For example, we had Speech and Language Therapists who we often worked collaboratively with including parents and/or carers to ensure that children were able to develop and achieve appropriately. Other professionals we worked with e.g. educational psychologists, occupational therapists, local police etc meant that the children’s overall wellbeing – how safe, healthy, achieving, nurtured, active, respected, responsible and included they were – was supported.

The IB programme is supported by assessment in which teachers can then plan, implement and evaluate in order for children to move on in their learning and reach their next steps. During my first-year placement, one of my goals was to focus on formative assessment in which I was able to research and therefore understand assessment on a deeper level.  For example, asking questions as an assessment tool. I learned that questions must be open-ended, stimulating and child centred which allows children to develop their own thinking and opinions.