Cambridge state school is first in UK to offer three IB programmes

Cambridgeshire based Impington Village College has received official authorisation from the International Baccalaureate (IB) to deliver its Middle Years Programme (MYP), meaning that the College is the first UK state secondary school (11 – 18 years) to deliver three IB programmes: the MYP, Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP).

The authorisation allows students to study the prestigious IB for free from Year 7 to Year 13, with a two-year gap to complete mandatory GCSE studies.

Johanna Sale, Vice Principal at Impington Village College, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have achieved authorisation to deliver the MYP. The IB is fundamental to everything we do at the College. We wholeheartedly believe that IB programmes deliver the best for students and prepare them for life beyond the classroom. It brings me so much joy to be able to offer our students the opportunity to study the MYP, DP and CP at our state school, free of charge.”

To achieve MYP authorisation, the College had to undergo a rigorous candidacy and assessment process which lasted for two years and involved demonstrating to IB evaluators that practices and programme requirements are being met.

As well as achieving beyond the required points threshold to attain authorisation, the College received commendations for its practices in six specific areas. The IB evaluators praised the College’s whole school IB ethos and it’s inclusive practice, as well as the roll out of its 1:1 Chromebook devices, which ensures students have high levels of digital proficiency. Also commended was the College’s teaching of approaches to learning skills, it’s Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme for its staff and its international links to educational institutions around the world, including schools in Ethiopia, India, Germany and more.

Victoria Hearn, Principal at Impington Village College, said: “It is well documented that IB programmes academically prepare students to thrive at all levels of their education, which is why we have been offering the programmes at the College’s Sixth Form for over 30 years – it only made sense to offer an IB programme in the main College too for student continuity. As well as providing an excellent foundation for completing GCSEs, the MYP allows our students to develop key life skills that aren’t formally assessed. Skills such as communication, open-mindedness and critical thinking – recognised by many to be the most in-demand skills for the jobs of the future – all form a part of our students IB Learner Profiles.”

“Our MYP authorisation is the culmination of many years of hard work and I’d like to thank all of my colleagues involved for their commitment and dedication to getting us to this point – thank you for enabling us to make Cambridge the home of the free IB!”

Discover more about the MYP: https://www.impington.cambs.sch.uk/myp/