Flower_girl

145

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EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 29 September 2016 - 11:38

Hi, A group of us mums would love to go out dancing - perhaps to 80 and 90s music. I have heard of Societie but welcome other suggestions too please. TIA Sadly there aren't many decent places here which play decent music Societe is okay but fills up with drunken letches as the night goes on plus it is really smoky in there Yes I have head the same about societie ...thanks for the confirmation sarahlou123! There must be places where we can go dancing ... to songs we can sing along to would be an added bonus hehehe

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Flower_girl

145

Posts

EW NEWBIE

Latest post on 02 May 2012 - 23:59

IB v A level has been an argument for a long time. I do not believe that one is better than the other as a generalisation, I DO BELIEVE that one might suit a particular and individual student more than another. Both are globally recognised by universities and employers so IMHO it comes down to what is right for the individual student in question. The IB offers a breadth of curriculum that allows students to keep their pathway at university or career goals wide open, to maximise their learning in multiple subject areas by picking one subject from each area (1 maths, 2 english, 3 a further language, 4 humanities, 5 science and 6 arts). The IB core elements of TOK, EE and CAS extend the students outside of the classroom and give them an opportunity, whilst managed by the school as it is a requirement of the IB, to get involved in worthwhile activities that allow development of skills outside of the curriculum. This can only be a good thing.The IB works for students who are all rounders, hard working and still interested in many areas of study and is a very demanding and rigourous course. However it has its limitations; as the student is forced to pick a subject from groups 1-6 with the only allowance being that you can drop an arts subject and substitute it with an extra science or humanities this means that students who want to specialise early on in sixth form cannot do so. Finally the IB is an umbrella qualification: 'if you fail one part you fail the diploma'. This effectively means that students who excel in a number of subject areas but fail another could be at risk of failing the Diploma and this is a huge risk....as I said it is a rigourous course over 2 years and requires the student to be focused and very determined throughout. Having said all of that the universities know this too and undestand the strength of the programme and how hard it is, which is why UCAS allocates so many points on the UCAS tariff to the IB. A Levels on the other hand offer an opportunity to specialise in 3 to 4 (and rarely but occassionally 5) subjects in sixth form without any core element requirement. This means that if a student hates languages, sciences, Maths or English they do not need to do it. A Levels allow students to select individual subjects even if they are all similar. For example Art, Design Technology and Media, or Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Maths. If a student wishes to do this the A Level programme will allow this as each A Level is a stand alone subject. If a student passes two, three or four of their A Levels in each individual subject, even if they failed another one, they will still have obtained A Level qualifications in the subjects passed. In addition sixth form students studying A Levels can complete year 12 and take their AS Exams as a qualification in their own right, therefore being given the option to leave school with qualifications, which as a two year final exam programme the IB does not offer. The disadvantage of this is that the student, at a very young age, could be narrowing their future choices as taking subjects in the same or similar curriculum area will limit their university choices and career paths. However, one element of the A Level that universities and employers like is that A Level students are NOT required to do any extracurricular activities but can if they wish get involved in activities outside of school such as D of E, work experience and many other things. which the majority do. The advantage of the A Level programme is that students are not assessed on this extra curricular involvement (as they are for the IB Core) as it is not part of their overall grade and is not compulsory but elective. Therefore when students do choose to do this, universities and employers respect that they have taken the initiative and been involved in something that they were not forced to do by the school or by parents. A Levels offer students a freedom of choice that the IB does not, A level students are not forced to commit to a curriculum that they have no interest in but are encouraged to play to their strenghts. Again A Levels are not an easy option and require a different type of learner to the IB, but each A Level requires commitment, focus and motivation if that top grade is to be achieved. Sorry for such a long post but felt I had to do it as been in the same boat. I hope this has helped any parents out their who are in the difficult process of choosing which curriculum is better. I honestly do believe that one is not better than the other, IMHO it really is about what best fits the student / individual in question. FINAL WORD. Both the IB and A Levels are acknowledged and accepted by Universities globally and by Employers globally as outstanding school leaver (sixth form) qualifications! WOW - thank you for this! Great feedback on both curriculum!!

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