IB Diploma Programme 5 year Evaluation Visit 2024

Our Year 12 and 13 students pursue The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP), the most respected educational programmes in the world. Through the IBDP at BSB, we provide necessary academic preparation using a holistic curriculum that allows our students to develop as inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people, and prepares them for excellent university careers and beyond.

BSB IB students with Mr. Venugopal (4th from left) and Dr. Wu (6th from left)

We welcomed the IB Evaluation Visiting team on 5th - 6th June. This is part of the quality assurance that the IB does every five years to ensure schools offering the rigorous IB programme uphold the high standards of the IB.

Let's hear from our school leaders why this visit is an important learning experience.

Gregory Peebles

Assistant Head of Secondary, IB Diploma Programme Coordinator

Our IB Team has been hard at work by providing a high-quality programme that leads to great results and strong university offers. The preparation for this visit has been ongoing since the start of the academic year and has resulted in a successful visit by the IB visiting team members, one from a leading school in Singapore and other from a well-established school in India.

The evaluation process reinforced the ideas of being a lifelong learner, which is central to the IB Programme. Additionally, these experiences allowed the IB Team and Teachers a chance to reflect on our practices and ensure that we are providing high-quality and innovative educational practices.

The visiting team noted that our school is full of caring and open-minded teachers who are very passionate about the success of our students. They highlighted the students that they met with were very well-spoken and represented both the values of the IB and what it means to be a student from The British School of Beijing.

This process has been very informative for our school community, and we look forward to hearing from the IB as they will prepare their full report over the next month.

Bevan Graham

Head of Secondary

One of the pedagogical principles that underpin IB programmes is that learning should be driven by inquiry. A key component of an inquiry-based approach is that students reflect on their learning. The five-year evaluation is designed as an inquiry-based process, supporting schools in taking a deep dive into their provision and reflecting on professional practice. As always, our five-year evaluation has been a tremendous learning experience for the school.

My key take-away from the visit is that I am incredibly proud of our school. Our programme is robust and aligned with the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. The visiting team were incredibly complimentary of our school and the quality of our programme. They particularly noted that our students are fantastic. They certainly did us proud. 

We could not be successful without our parents, who are our partners in driving forward school improvement. On behalf of the school, I would like to thank everyone for their collaborative efforts in showcasing our school.

Esther Kim

Head of Year 12 & 13

The evaluation process was filled with valuable learning moments and continuous reflections. It was a crucial exercise for our school, as it guided us in reflecting on the development and delivery of the IB Diploma Programme. This is an ongoing journey, rather than a "closed chapter".

The conversations with the evaluation team provided us with various insights on how we can further improve our IB DP programme. This experience has reinforced my commitment to being a lifelong learner. I strive to maintain an open-minded and communicative approach, stay humble, and continuously learn to provide a better environment and learning experience for our DP students. Even though everyone is very busy in their respective roles, this visit reminded us that we are all IB practitioners. We must stay true to our identity and live out the IB mission and philosophy through our teaching and learning.

What makes the BSB IB DP Programme outstanding and special is the way we celebrate our students' learning and accomplishments. From monthly celebrations of our students as IB learners to the showcasing of their work in events like TOK, Visual Arts, and Group 4 projects, these amazing events allow students to communicate and share their learning with all stakeholders – teachers, students, and parents. These celebrations and reflections, with learning at the centre of every decision, are what make the BSB IB DP Programme strong and robust.

Sarah Donnelly

IB CAS Coordinator and Global Perspectives Lead

In keeping with the IB's mission to create life-long learners, the evaluation process gives us the opportunity to be learners of what we are doing. We get to reflect- and deeply- on what we are doing, why we are doing it, and, how well we are doing  it. This is fundamental to true learning and enables us to truly practice what we preach.

It is also extremely valuable to reflect with colleagues and recognise and celebrate areas of success, as well as action-plan for areas of improvement. As an IB practitioner at BSB the evaluation process reinforced for me that the IB philosophy is inspiring and we are well positioned to 'live it' at BSB.

I value being part of the Secondary Team greatly; I'm proud to be able to contribute, particularly in my roles as CAS Coordinator and Global Perspectives Lead. At BSB, we are able to truly personalise for our students. We know them; we care about their interests; we create opportunities for them. I think this is what makes our BSB IBDP Programme so special.

Valentina Trpkoska

Student Support Lead, Psychology Teacher

The IB visit helped us be reflective about our performance, making us carefully consider and think about our practices. This process is so important as it inevitably leads to improved outcomes but is often time neglected due to the many daily obligations. Given the time to self-reflect through the carefully devised questions by the visiting team, we were able to see how much we do and the magnitude of the impact we are having. Most importantly it reminded us that we are an open-minded, inclusive, and caring environment, that supports its students growth and their transformation into well-rounded characters.

Click here to read more about the IB Diploma Programme offered at BSB.