Diploma Programme

Maturity and responsibility to prepare for the demands of higher education

Ready for take-off.

Students prepare for their final examinations and entry into universities and colleges across the world.

“Da Vinci is bringing out my son’s full potential.”

Mr Vaughan

Our Diploma Programme offers a challenging and balanced academic education, equipping students for the opportunities and demands that they will meet in the future. Our committed teaching staff utilise a range of teaching styles to deliver a broad-based curriculum. Da Vinci is an authorised IB World School for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) which is taught in Grades 11 and 12.

We work closely with educational and industrial partners to provide students with a broad and varied perspective to complement their academic work. Class sizes are restricted to ensure that all students receive individual support. All Diploma Programme students are personally mentored through careers advice sessions in selecting and applying to universities and colleges around the world.

IB Diploma Programme

Upon successful completion of the Middle Years Programme, students follow the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12. All students follow the Core, which includes the Theory of knowledge, CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service), and an Extended Essay. Students also choose six subjects, one from each subject group from the list below. Three subjects need to be studied at higher level (HL) and three at standard level (SL), according to the student’s preferences and capabilities.

Group 1: Studies in language and literature

• First language English A: SL or HL
• Mother tongue self taught, school supported: SL

Group 2: Language acquisition

• Second language English B: SL or HL
• Second language French or Dutch B: SL or HL

Group 3: Individuals and societies

• Business Management: SL or HL
• Digital Society: SL or HL
• Geography: SL or HL

Group 4: Sciences

• Biology: SL or HL
• Physics: HL
• Chemistry: HL

Group 5: Mathematics

• Mathematics Applications and Interpretations: SL or HL

Group 6:

• One additional subject from groups 1 to 4.
• A self taught online course, with subjects including Philosophy, Film, Mandarin, Spanish, Economics, Psychology to name but a few.

Each year the range of subjects may vary slightly, depending on the needs and interests of the students. Please consult the school for further information.

Why the IB Programme?

Students following an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme are given a unique education. They will:

• be encouraged to think independently and drive their own learning
• take part in programmes of education that can lead them to some of the highest ranking universities around the world
• become more culturally aware, through the development of a second language
• be able to engage with people in an increasingly globalised, rapidly changing world.

“We truly believe that the IB Diploma Programme best meets the needs of our students, giving them the 21st century skills they need to succeed at university and beyond.”

Mr. Bramley

The IB Diploma Programme is recognised and respected by the world’s leading universities, and evidence suggests that higher rates of DP students go on to university and higher education study than non-IB students. University life can be both exciting and challenging.

Studying the IB Diploma Programme prepares students well for this transition and also ensures that they have the tools and skills they need for success in the wider world. Today, the IB Diploma Programme is considered to be the most popular route to university for international students.

Capitalising on students’ interests and strengths

Within a broad curriculum, students can choose their own subjects, and they choose which subjects they take at higher level (HL) and which subjects at standard level (SL). They are therefore able to pursue their own interests and capitalise on their own strengths. This ensures a greater likelihood of success and gives students an unrivaled depth of knowledge. This approach offers a combination of subjects that best suits each individual student. At Da Vinci, we build our timetable around the option choices that our students make, ensuring that most get the combination that they want.

“By encouraging students to develop intellectually, emotionally and ethically as well as academically, the IB Diploma Programme differs from other education frameworks for 16 to 19-year-old students.” www.IBO.org

Ready for further study

At Da Vinci, our IB Diploma Programme is supplemented by additional learning and extension opportunities that are flexible, current, topical and challenging. All our IB Diploma Programme students receive personal guidance for university applications and all are obliged to perform in-school community service.