John McGlashan College introduced the IB Diploma programme in 2000 prior to the introduction of the NCEA qualification system. It did so primarily to offer a further opportunity for our students to challenge themselves, not as a replacement for NCEA. As the programme has grown and developed we see it increasingly as a course that better addresses the needs of many of our senior students as well as reflecting the stated aims of the school’s mission statement.
Although the school strongly advises students not to enter for NCEA Level 3 due to the unnecessary pressure of extra examinations, there is the opportunity for students to complete their Level 2 NCEA certificate if they so wish. While there is no compulsion for this, a number of our IB students do enter for NCEA Level 2, as it provides experience in sitting exams, and can give useful feedback on progress. Not all IB subjects will offer NCEA standards but most students would have courses that would allow them to gain the necessary further 60 credits at level 2.
IB students may also wish to consider entering for New Zealand Scholarship in one or more of their subjects. Usually this would include only their Higher Level subjects and some extra study might be expected to cover any areas not addressed in the IB curriculum. As IB exams begin in early November, it is unlikely there would be any exam clashes. Notwithstanding this, the school strongly encourages a prime focus on their IB Diploma studies to prevent students being overloaded or their efforts being spread too thinly. |
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Some classes at year 12 may consist of mixed IB & NCEA students as much of the content between the two courses at this level overlap significantly. At other times mixed classes occur simply due to very small numbers opting to take a particular subject. Although this may represent a compromise, it does allow a wider selection of courses for all concerned. When one considers that Higher Level subjects are expected to have 240 hours of teaching and that our timetable delivers these students over 300 hours over the two years, our IB students are well-served. |
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