Setting the Standard

A school that prides itself on academic excellence has to prove itself through the examination results achieved each year by its students. At The British International School, Shanghai, they have yet again proved that the school caters for the highest achievers with the recent publication of the International Baccalaureate Diploma results for the Class of 2009.  With a 100% pass rate for the second year running, students have benefitted from the high standards of teaching at this prestigious international school.

Examination performance in the International Baccalaureate Diploma programme is measured on a 45-point scale, in which the average student will achieve 30 points internationally. Last year, Pudong students secured an impressive 32-point average and this year they set a new record for the school with a staggering 35-point average.  No student at the school scored less than 28 points and there were some notable achievements by many of them, in a wide range of subjects. Some even managed to be awarded the coveted Bilingual Diploma.

Among the higher achievers was Carl Maher (see photo) who rewarded his parents and teachers by returning a personal score of 42 points. If he had been following the UK A-Level examination scheme as a UK national, this performance would have given him six A grades at A-Level.  Carl, a keen sportsman, was ecstatic about his performance. When we talked to this young man, he said: “I am delighted with the results.  I never thought I would do as well as that. It is absolutely brilliant for me, my family and the school.”  He praised the support that he had received from staff through the school’s student tracking system, which monitors student performance and sets high aspirational targets for individuals so that they can be the very best that they can be.  Carl exceeded his targets and has been offered a place at Newcastle University in England where he will start his degree course in Business, Accounting and Finance.  There is no doubt that his time in Shanghai has set him on the right path for university and his chosen career.

Carey Lodge, also from the UK, demonstrated a high level of performance in her Diploma course, gaining 40 marks in this highly competitive and challenging course. Carey was Head Girl at the school last year and managed to balance the demands of this role with the pressure of her studies.  She proved herself to be an excellent all-rounder at school and is set to study English at a top university in the UK.

Whatever the final destination of the IB Class of 2009, they can be rightly proud of their achievements, setting a very high standard for the next group of hopeful students preparing for their examinations next year.  As Lead Principal, I congratulated all of the students for their determination in their studies: “They have been a great bunch of hard working yet fun-loving students and it has been a pleasure to have known them. Their achievements are a reflection of their own hard work and their focus on their studies.  They have benefitted from the tremendous support from their parents and our highly qualified team of teachers.  We are confident that they will continue to uphold the highest standards in all that they do. I wish them all well for the future.”

The International Baccalaureate Diploma programme is a two-year course, recognised globally as a high level course that enables students to demonstrate their academic and social development. Each student follows six different subjects. In addition to this, they have to complete an Extended Essay, study the Theory of Knowledge and participate in the Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) part of the course in order to be awarded the coveted Diploma. It is fast becoming the gold standard for examination courses for students over 16 as the gateway to higher education or straight into the world of work.

For more information about schools and education in Beijing please visit the site of the British School of Beijing.

Terry has over 20 years experience in school leadership having previously spent 14 years as Executive Principal at Colne Community School in the UK. The school excelled in Maths & Computing, Languages, and Sport. His last OFSTED report acknowledged him to be an excellent leader in charge of a very good school. Terry worked in a variety of schools prior to Colne stretching from the Southwest to Southeast of England. Between 1994 and 1997, he was a Board Member of the Teacher Training Agency for Schools. A former Schools’ Inspector, Terry has been a consultant for the UK Government Innovation Unit and was appointed as an e-learning consultant for British Educational and Communications Technology Association (BECTA). He has Chaired the Schools Forum within the County of Essex and was the Headteacher representative with the National Association of Head Teachers. Terry is a qualified trainer and Consultant Leader for the National College of School Leadership in England. In addition to his degree and teaching qualifications from the University of Sussex, he has an MA and MBA in Educational Leadership and Management and was awarded the OBE in June 1997 for “services to education”. He is also a keen musician and a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts (FRSA). Dr Creissen came to our school in Shanghai in April 2007 and has been based at our Pudong Campus where he is the designated Principal. He is the Executive Principal for all three Shanghai campuses.