Leaving Certificate & International Baccalaureate (IB)

These two educational programmes run in parallel in Fifth and Sixth Year. Both offer a wide variety of subjects, which can be studied at different levels. Both conclude with students taking terminal examinations that can be testing and difficult.

Success in IB or Leaving Certificate is a useful passport to third level education or into the world of employment. Subjects will have been chosen carefully, taking into account one's strengths and one's plans for the future.

A note on the International Baccalaureate (IB):

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a rigorous pre-university course of studies leading to examinations which meet the needs of motivated secondary school students between the ages of 16 and 19 years.

Designed as a comprehensive two year curriculum which allows its graduates to fulfil requirements of various National Education Systems, the Diploma Model is based on the pattern of no single country but incorporates the best elements of many.

 

International Baccalaureate at St. Andrew's

In 1985, St. Andrew's College became the first and only school in Ireland to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme.  The college has built up a reputation for excellent results and over the last twenty years has, we feel, established itself as one of the leading IB schools in Europe.  The philosophy on which the school was founded, and from which it stills draws its inspiration, is that a good rounded education is essential to the moral, social, cultural and academic development of every student.  The philosophy is mirrored in the IB beliefs which combine academic rigour with a strong extra-curricular dimension and various community service projects.  The IB students at St. Andrew's participate in a wide range of activities - playing team sports such as hockey, rugby, tennis, basketball and badminton, taking part in activities such as the Model United Nations and Model European Parliament, being involved in environmental projects, assisting in the school library and local communities and helping various charities by fundraising and doing voluntary work.

The IB Diploma course was developed to create internationally acceptable university qualifications for students of international schools.  Since 1985, St. Andrew's IB students have been accepted into many universities and other institutions of higher learning throughout the world.  In recent years these have included MIT, Yale, Berkley, Columbia (USA), Cambridge, Durham, Edinburgh, LSE, University of Tokyo and Keio University (Japan), and TCD and NUI (Ireland).  These students frequently return to tell us how much their studies in the Diploma programme have helped them in their university careers.

The IB student profile at St. Andrew's College is a truly international one, with students coming from all continents.  This diverse student body enriches the school community and provides a wealth of experience and resources which benefit other students in the school.

For more information on IB