Online schooling can unlock a new world of opportunity and achievement. And at schools like King’s InterHigh, that flexibility isn’t just about the way lessons are delivered, but in the qualifications on offer. Here, students can not only study for their GCSE and A-levels fully online, but also enrol in the IB diploma programme which is now available online.
The IB diploma is available in the UK time zone, but it can be accessed internationally. This globally recognised diploma, with its ethos of shaping well-rounded learners who think critically and creatively, is popular with young people who want to continue with a broader education ahead of university, says Rebecca Markham, the school’s IB theory of knowledge coordinator.
Rather than specialising in three or four subjects as they would at A-level, students choose six subjects spanning the fields of language and literature, language acquisition, individuals and societies, sciences, maths and the arts. They must also complete the “DP core” by studying theory of knowledge, carrying out projects focused on creativity, activity and service and writing a 4,000-word extended essay on a subject of their choice. If they want, they can swap the arts subject for an extra one in science, languages, or individuals and societies.
“The IB really pushes bringing your own experiences and background to the classroom,” says Markham. “It trains students to question their own assumptions and have genuine curiosity into the world around them, rather than accepting everything they’re being told as truth.”
The King’s InterHigh team works carefully to help students decide which qualification suits them best, based on their academic strengths and learning needs. A-levels give the opportunity to study the subjects they shine in at greater depth, without the need to continue with others they may not be as interested in.
And while IB students must attend classes in real time and keep their cameras and microphones on, A-level students can watch recordings of lessons and stay off-camera in live sessions if they wish. A-levels can be well suited to young people balancing their education with other activities, such as burgeoning acting careers, while the option to stay off-screen can help pupils dealing with issues such as anxiety.
Many students who choose the IB are based outside the UK, or may need to move midway through the course because of their parents’ jobs. That was the case for rising international tennis star Varun, who started his IB in a physical school in Switzerland, but then needed to leave when his father’s work took the family back to India.
Hoping to win a place as a student-athlete at Yale University, he also needed a way to study that would allow him to excel both academically and on the court. King’s InterHigh proved to be the perfect fit.
Thanks to the flexibility of learning online and the school’s “incredibly supportive” teachers, he was able to maintain a strong academic performance, gaining a high score in his IB, at the same time as shooting up the tennis rankings – and securing his place to study mathematics, economics and chemistry at the Ivy League university.
“Being able to manage my own schedule allowed me to travel for tournaments and dedicate time to intensive training without compromising my education,” he says. “That balance not only helped me grow as a student-athlete but also boosted my confidence and independence.”
The IB is renowned as a rigorous, challenging course, so King’s InterHigh uses a coaching model to ensure students are supported every step of the way – starting with identifying their goals and how they will reach them.
“We really talk to them a lot about what their vision for university is,” says Maxine Telfer, head of pastoral for IB diploma years. She also keeps a close eye on students’ progress, and if they’re falling behind in any of their subjects, makes sure they get the targeted help they need to stay on track.
One key benefit of the course’s breadth and structure becomes clear when students have left the school: “The IB diploma is really, really good as a foundation for uni,” says Telfer.
That’s definitely been true for Charlotte, who studied at King’s InterHigh from her home in Mauritius. “I really liked how well-rounded the IB was as a programme,” she says. “There was a lot of project-based learning, and the creative, activity and service requirements bring in skill-building experiences that have really benefited me.”
Now studying marine biology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, she has noticed she finds it easier than some of her peers to manage her projects and time. “I’ve found the academic transition to college much easier, I think, because of that level of independence I had before.”
An avid scuba diver and ocean conservationist, she also loved the fact that learning online in UK time, without a long school commute, meant she could spend precious time pursuing her hobbies in the mornings, before starting her school day at lunchtime.
For Ecuadorian-Canadian Maria, who enrolled at King’s InterHigh while living in the UK and is now at the University of Aberdeen studying anthropology, doing an IB online made for a richer educational journey.
Learning from home freed her up to spend time writing short stories, indulging her passion for cinema, and just being with her family. The in-depth discussions that are an intrinsic part of IB learning, shared with students all around the world, were a high point.
“Applying that global mindset towards school and getting different perspectives was a really great experience,” she says. “I have friends literally everywhere now.”
Find out more about King’s InterHigh and how its ambitious approach to schooling makes a world of difference
