Best of Both Worlds

In a diverse and multicultural city like Prague, we are always very aware that every student at an international school has their own unique set of needs and aspirations. However, when it comes to selecting a post-16 course, I believe that there are two fundamental requirements which are common to everyone.

First, it is essential that we offer a course which results in qualifications which allow every student to progress to the next phase in their education or career. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is unique in that it offers a truly international qualification which is not tied to any particular national system, leading to recognition by universities from all over the world.

With over 775,000 students in 138 countries, the IB is expanding rapidly and is seen by many institutions as the best pre-university course around. A strong IB Diploma can let students gain admission to one of the best universities in the world.

Even more important, though, is that we help students to develop the skills, knowledge and attitudes that will lead to a successful life. We are very conscious that when students have completed their secondary schooling at The English International School Prague, they must be ready to face the challenges of independent study at university or college, often living alone for the first time in their lives. Merely getting a student to a good university is not enough. The student needs to have the academic background and the study skills to enable them to thrive in that environment and then go on to build a successful career.

In the International Baccalaureate Mission Statement, a stated aim is to “develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect”. This is in line with our own mission statement, in which The English International School Prague is described as “an environment of respect, intercultural understanding and integrity; a community where everyone feels involved, valued and successful; a place where individuals make a difference”. Certainly, the formidable combination of the top-quality teaching and facilities at EISB and the highly regarded IB course is an excellent preparation for higher education.

Every IB Diploma student studies six different subjects, which must include courses in language and literature, a second language, a social science, a natural science and Mathematics. They are also strongly encouraged to study one of the arts. This breadth of study helps to develop the sort of well-rounded education which is demanded by our increasingly cosmopolitan globalised society. BISB offers an outstanding selection of subject choices.

All IB subjects incorporate a coursework element, ensuring that a significant part of the assessment is based on applying the knowledge learned in class. The science courses, for example, are designed to provide a balance between understanding theory and practical experimentation. In subjects such as Visual Arts, the entire syllabus is coursework-based, meaning that learners are actually continuously creating art as well as studying it.

However, what particularly distinguishes the IB Diploma from other post-16 courses are three unique elements, all of which are geared towards developing the skills which will bring success in higher education and in later life. These are the Extended Essay, the Theory of Knowledge course and the Creativity, Action, Service programme.

Students will find that in university there is an increasing focus on producing work which is well-researched and written to a high academic standard. Working on the 4,000-word Extended Essay allows them to develop some of those skills under the expert supervision of one of our experienced teaching staff. Selecting one of their six subjects, they form a thesis question in a topic of their choice before embarking on extensive research. The net result of a process which can take a whole year and several drafts and redrafts is a piece of work which is of greater quality and depth than anything they have ever done before.

The Theory of Knowledge course helps to develop analytical and critical thinking skills. Combining a philosophical approach with a more practical look at how knowledge is obtained in contrasting academic disciplines, it encourages rigorous thinking processes as well as an understanding of different perspectives. Part of the assessment is by oral presentation, which develops important public speaking skills.

The third of these special elements of the IB is the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) programme, which aims to help students realise their potential to become leaders and organisers, as well as to establish their position as a contributing member of a caring community. It is a practical course which takes place outside the classroom and involves such varied activities as sport, drama, art, creative skills and community service. IB students take ownership of this process by initiating projects of their own and by reflecting on their own progress throughout.

CAS projects have produced some memorable moments. Within the Creativity component, CAS students have organised and compered a school talent show and our IB dinner parties become more creative and ambitious every year. There have been some unforgettable performances in music and drama, while other students have also made essential contributions to productions by working backstage on props and lighting. The Action part of the CAS programme has opened up opportunities to learn new sports such as canoeing, rock climbing and ice-skating, as well as take part in organised cycling trips and hikes. In the area of Service, links have been established with a number of charities, both locally and internationally. Our students have been involved in the practical work of organisations such as Wonderlamp, Habitat for Humanity and the school-building project in Senegal and have also raised substantial sums of money for these charitable causes.

All in all, the International Baccalaureate Diploma provides a coherent, yet varied, educational experience. The emphasis on independent inquiry and the demanding workload provide ideal preparation for higher education and promote attitudes that will stand students in good stead throughout their lives.

For more information about schools and education in Prague please visit the site of the English International School, Prague.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Principal David Rowsell was born in Leeds, northern England and is proud of his Yorkshire roots. His family home is currently in York. Having studied at schools in the Midlands and in Cheshire, he studied English and History at Jesus College Cambridge, graduating in 1981. Since then David has taught in a variety of challenging state comprehensive schools across England – in Milton Keynes, in Devon and in Yorkshire. He has 17 years of Deputy and Headship experience and joins the school from Rossington All Saints Church of England School in Doncaster, where he had been Head since 1998. David is a sports fanatic who runs long distances (marathons and beyond) and will watch football at any ground or level you care to mention. He also has a ridiculously large collection of soul and jazz music and enough books to start a shop.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Andrew Joy studied Philosophy and Politics at Keele University before training as a Mathematics teacher at Nottingham University. His first teaching position was at Telefomin High School in Papua New Guinea as a VSO volunteer – a posting in which he took his first school leadership role as Subject Leader and involved him working in an extremely isolated location connected to the outside world only by a small village airstrip. Following a year teaching Mathematics in London, he then moved to the British School of Lomé in Togo, West Africa, where he enjoyed working for the next ten years. It was here that he began his twelve year involvement with the International Baccalaureate programme, starting as a teacher of Maths and TOK before taking on the role of IB Coordinator. In 2007, he moved to the British International School of Shanghai as head of the Mathematics faculty and in August 2009, he took up his present position as IB Co-ordinator and Assistant Head. His interests include football, chess, opera and travel.