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Are you about to start the IBDP and need some help? Not sure what TOK or CAS are exactly? Feeling a little intimidated about starting? Then look no further than Whitgift’s Online Summer Pre-IB course, which will significantly increase your ability to take on the academic challenges you will face when you start this intensive diploma in September and set you in great stead to succeed on the course! Here, we take a look at the top 5 reasons you should attend our online summer IB preparation programme.

1. Prepare for the IB at a top IB school
Whitgift is in the top 10 IB Schools in the world and has an average points score of 40/45, meaning we are very experienced at delivering the IB programme and in an excellent position to prepare you! We are delighted to be able to offer students the chance to prepare for the IB Diploma under the guidance of our expert IB specialist teachers, who will be able to supply you with inside knowledge of the syllabus in the subjects that we are offering. They will also provide you with the basic theories, notions and elements of English Literature & Language, Maths & Statistics, Science, TOK and CAS. By looking at these aspects of the IB Diploma in the summer, you will be able to build your confidence for the 2 years of intense study that lie ahead.

2. Really understand the content
It is often stated that the jump up to the IBDP can come as a shock to some students and there is no doubt that starting a new course – let alone the IB - can be difficult. Whichever course you decide to take within each of the six subject groups, there is no doubt that the summer months provide you, the student, with the time you need to properly prepare for your future classes. Here at Whitgift, we are here to support you with that preparation. The IB is a fascinating Diploma and can sometimes be quite daunting for students. Understanding things such as the integrations of concepts, TOK, CAS, the Extended Essay and understanding assessments can be a challenge! By covering these important areas of the IB, we will be able to save you time as you begin the first year of your Diploma. From terminology to overviews of assessment components, we will ensure that you have as much clarity as possible before you actually start your course. Be in no doubt: our IB preparation course will give you that all-important head start.

3. Thinking about Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK)
One key area of the IB that students sometimes forget to think carefully about is CAS. This element of the IBDP involves learning by doing and gives you the opportunity to develop your personal and interpersonal skills. CAS also offers you the chance to have a degree of autonomy as well as the opportunity to work collaboratively outside the academic bubble. The online International Baccalaureate preparation course at Whitgift will give you the opportunity to think about activities that could potentially become part of your CAS project. In fact, as our course involves only 3 hours of contact time each day, you could make the most of the rest of your day researching and actually doing the activities that you are interested in. The Pre-IB course at Whitgift is also embedded with elements of TOK, which will allow you to develop you understanding of the different concepts that are integral to this aspect of the International Baccalaureate. What’s the difference between Shared and Personal Knowledge? How do we know what we know? What are the ways of knowing? These are questions that we will be looking at, and which are vital for success in TOK.

4. Get ahead
One way to succeed in the IB is to be prepared and to learn new content before the course begins. Our course means that by the time you begin the IDBP at your school, you will be able to maximise class time for further explanation, revision and consolidation, rather than learning key concepts for the first time. But it isn’t only through our amazing IB teachers that you will be able to get ahead: you will have the opportunity to meet and make friends with others students from around the world who will be taking the IBDP just like you, meaning you will have convenient study buddies that you will be able to rely on for help not only during the online course, but long after it too. As part of the global community of IB learners you will begin to learn about the aims of the IB: to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

5. Make the most of the experience
It is completely normal to feel nervous about starting the IB Diploma and perhaps you are worried about one particular area. Please remember, here on the Whitgift Pre-IB course, all our teachers and staff are here to help and support you. Use the course to talk to our teachers about areas you are concerned about and make sure you get some guidance from them about how you can maximise your time on the course. Also, make sure you work as collaboratively as possible with the other students who will be in your virtual classroom and who are in exactly the same boat as you!  Show us how you embody the IB learner profile!