What is the IBDP?
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) aims to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. It encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.”
The IBDP provides another pathway for students in the senior secondary years through an education that enables students to make sense of the complexities of the world around them as well as equipping them with the skills and dispositions needed for taking responsible action for the future. It provides an education that crosses disciplinary, cultural, national and geographical boundaries, and that champions critical engagement, stimulating ideas and meaningful relationships.
The program is centered around the ten Learner Profile attributes which aim to educate students to be knowledgeable, reflective, thinkers, inquirers, principled, caring, open-minded, communicators, and risk-takers.
Students also study the IB Core consisting of three components: Theory of Knowledge (TOK); Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS); and Extended Essay (EE).
Students are graded using Grades 1 to 7 according to the subject’s Grade Descriptors.
What is the curriculum?
You can find the subjects on offer at Unley High School below. For more information about the IB Core, please click here.
Group 1: Language A
- English A: Language and Literature (HL/SL)
- Chinese A: Language and Literature (HL/SL)
Group 2: Language acquisition
- Language B: French (HL/SL)
- Language B: English (HL/SL)
- Ab initio: Spanish (SL)
Group 3: Individuals & societies
- History (HL/SL)
- Psychology (HL/SL)
- Environmental Systems & Societies (SL)
Group 4: Sciences
- Biology (HL/SL)
- Chemistry (HL/SL)
- Physics (HL/SL)
- Environmental Systems & Societies (SL)
Group 5: Mathematics
- Mathematics: Analysis and Interpretations (HL/SL)
Group 6: Arts
- Music (HL/SL)
- Film (HL/SL)
- OR one other subject in either Group 2, 3, 4 or 5
Completion of the IB Core is staggered across two-years and is completed with the guidance of the IB Core teacher.
A student’s perspective
A student who has an interest in the study of languages may elect to study the following subjects:
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 or a Group 2-5 subject | IB Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English A (HL) | French B (HL) | History (HL) | Chemistry (SL) | Maths AI (SL) | Spanish ab initio (SL) | TOK, CAS, EE |
A student who has an interest in the sciences may choose to study two Group 4 subjects:
| Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 or a Group 2-5 subject | IB Core |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English A (HL) | Spanish ab initio (SL) | ESS (SL) | Biology (HL) | Maths AI (SL) | Chemistry (HL) | TOK, CAS, EE |
How are students assessed?
During the course of their Programme, students are assessed using a range of formative assessments at the school level, allowing them to apply their knowledge, understanding and skills in a range of learning contexts and gain valuable feedback from their IB teachers by way of Progress Grades.
All subjects have an internal assessment component, which may be completed in Year 11 or Year 12. They also have external assessments, which are generally examinations culminating at the end of Year 12. These assessments are moderated by IB examiners with results informing the student’s final Diploma Programme score.
The Award of the Diploma
Each subject is made up of a score out of 7. The completion of the three Core components will grant students a maximum of 3, making the total for the IBDP out of 45. The diploma is awarded to students who gain at least 24 points, including successful completion of the three essential elements of the DP core.
What if I want to study an IB subject for SACE credit?
SACE students may undertake the study of one IBDP subject in Year 11 with the premise to continue this subject in Year 12. Successful completion of these subjects may be counted towards their SACE credit. They are advised to contact the IB Coordinator to discuss whether they’d like to complement their SACE pathway with an IB subject. Students are advised to complete the Hybrid IB/SACE Subject Selection Form and contact an IBDP leader for more information.
IBDP Leaders
Karmen Petric
Assistant Principal: IBDP, Languages, French Bilingual/Binational Programme, Student Voice
Karmen.Petric478@schools.sa.edu.au
Katherine Stewart
IBDP Coordinator
Kat.Stewart315@schools.sa.edu.au