International Examinations 2016 - IB and IGCSE Results

One measure of how the school is performing is the results of external objective examinations.  In the case of The British Schools this is currently the results of the IB and IGCSE examinations.

All students are entered for the full IB Diploma and, for all, the language of the Diploma is English.

In the IGCSE examinations we are currently coming towards the end of an era of expansion – where students are taking significantly more IGCSE examinations.  Specifically, Combined Sciences and Global Perspectives have been added in recent years. 

Moreover, the changing age profile of students; the result of the merger of Form 6 and Uppers in 2012 has had an impact on the IGCSE structure and will mean, in 2018 that students will take their IB Diploma examinations at 18, rather than 19. 

In terms of the IB Diploma exams of 2016 it is difficult to find a single adjective to describe the results. Generally, they were “better than expected”. Specifically, fewer students failed than was indicated by their performance over the last two years (and previously in most cases).

Those students that did fail did not do so “atrociously” – but rather by one or two points, or by a points deficiency in HL subjects. Overall, there was a slight decline in the points average, and a significant decline in students achieving excellent grades. 

The IGCSE results in 2016 are presented below.  On first sight they are excellent, and in many ways they are.  However, they are purely the results of exams taken in 2016.  The same generation sat the several IGCSE results in 2015, and the results were not good – this partly attributable to half of the double generation being a year too young for the examination. 

For 2016 the 100% of students achieving A-C grades in Portuguese, French, and Mathematics is worthy of mention.