Curriculum

At Park Lane we strive to prepare our students for the linguistic challenges of the 21st Century by offering a dynamic and rigorous curriculum which supports the philosophy and the aims of our Park Lane's Learner Profile in each modern foreign language that we offer. Our aim is to equip students with essential linguistic skills as well as to instil a love of language learning.

We believe that language acquisition should be fun and enjoyable. Consequently, we aim to deliver lessons which are stimulating and dynamic. We strive to use a wide range of teaching strategies as well as using engaging activities and inspiring resources so that our students are highly motivated, make outstanding progress and achieve to the very best of their ability. Our aim is to combine the best of all approaches so that our students encounter the full range of teaching and learning styles; we combine rigorous grammar teaching with communicative language teaching to give our students a solid foundation for foreign language study at all levels in the school.

Description of IB DP

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The programme has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities. The Diploma Programme prepares students for effective participation in a rapidly evolving and increasingly global society as they:

• develop physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically

• acquire breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding, studying courses from six subject groups

• develop the skills and a positive attitude towards learning that will prepare them for higher education

• study at least two languages and increase understanding of cultures, including their own

• make connections across traditional academic disciplines and explore the nature of knowledge through the programme’s unique theory of knowledge course

• undertake in-depth research into an area of interest through the lens of one or more academic disciplines in the extended essay

• enhance their personal and interpersonal development through creativity, action and service.

The Diploma Programme core

The Diploma programme core contains 3 essential elements of the IB DP underlining the programme philosophy. All DP students are expected to fulfill the requirements of each of the core elements listed below:

• The extended essay asks students to engage in independent research through an in-depth study of a question relating to one of the DP subjects they are studying.

• Theory of knowledge develops a coherent approach to learning that unifies the academic disciplines. In this course on critical thinking, students inquire into the nature of knowing and deepen their understanding of knowledge as a human construction.

• Creativity, action, service (CAS) involves students in a range of activities alongside their academic studies throughout the Diploma Programme. Creativity encourages students to engage in the arts and creative thinking. Action seeks to develop a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. Service with the community offers a vehicle for new learning with academic value. The three strands of CAS enhance students’ personal and interpersonal development through experiential learning and enable journeys of self-discovery.

Choices and completion criteria

• Students must study six subjects, 3 at SL and 3 at HL plus complete the Theory of Knowledge requirements, submit a passing EE and fulfill the requirement of the CAS programme. They must accumulate no fewer than 24 points from assessment in these subjects in addition to grade stipulations

• Subjects are chosen from Group 1-6, however Group 6 subject can be replaced by another additional subject from Group 1,2,3 or 4

• Group 2 subject can be replaced by another Group 1 subject

• They must meet all of the additional requirements listed above

• They must do so within a maximum of three examination sessions (May, November)

• Candidates who successfully meet these conditions will be awarded the diploma

• Candidates who take the diploma in multiple Group 1 languages may be eligible for a bilingual diploma

The additional requirements are the following:

• CAS requirements have been met

• There is no “N” awarded for TOK, the EE or for a contributing subject

• There is no grade E awarded for TOK and/or the EE

• There is no grade 1 awarded in a subject/level

• There are no more than two grade 2s awarded (HL or SL)

• There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded (HL or SL)

• The candidate has gained 12 points or more on HL subjects (for candidates who register for four HL subjects, the three highest grades count)

• The candidate has gained 9 points or more on SL subjects (candidates who register for two SL subjects must gain at least 5 points at SL)

• The candidate has not received a penalty for academic misconduct from the Final Award Committee