Bringing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme to Nobel Algarve Almancil

When Globeducate made the decision for Nobel Algarve British International School Almancil to join the IB World, it was a commitment to bring a programme that caters to international students and one that promotes a truly holistic approach to teaching and learning. It is also very much in line with Globeducate’s Mission of preparing each student to be a global citizen who can shape the world.

Nobel Algarve Almancil became a Diploma Programme (DP) Candidate School (*1) earlier this year. As part of our journey to become an IB World School, we have been working with an IB Consultant for the past 6 months and at the end of September, we hosted a two-day online visit (a requirement in the process to becoming an authorised IB school). The consultant had meetings with Y11 students, Y11 parents, teachers, Globeducate representatives, and members of our Leadership team. The visit went very well and we will now await the report which will be based on the consultant’s findings.

The next phase will be the completion and submission of our application to the IB, before we host another two-day visit (most likely in March). After this and when, not if, all goes well, we will be authorised to offer and deliver the IB Diploma Programme (DP) with our current Y11 students being the pioneering class starting in September 2025.

Our students will then embark upon a rigorous educational pathway that will not just help them get into university, it will provide them with the tools to get through university, and ultimately, through life. Through its enquiry-based approach to teaching and learning with the goal of developing students’ approaches to learning, and a strong focus on the development of critical thinking and research skills, students graduate with much more than content. In addition to the six required subjects they must select, students also study a Theory of Knowledge class which promotes critical thinking skills and asks students to question what they see, what they know and what they think they know. In addition to this, students are required to complete a 4000-word extended essay on a subject of their choice. This essay is what most students are only exposed to once they begin their tertiary studies.

Central to the programme is the IB Learner Profile. This is a set of 10 traits that encourages students to be thinkers, knowledgeable, inquirers, open-minded, reflective, principled, and to be good communicators. The other three traits fit nicely into another key component of the programme: Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). This programme requires students to be caring, balanced and risk-takers. Students are encouraged to do things they wouldn’t normally do: learn a new language; learn to play the piano; take up a new sport etc. etc. They are also required to involve themselves in service. Ideally, they pick an area they would like to focus on. They are then required to reflect on their experiences. Having worked with the IB for nearly 30 years, I believe CAS is an element that has the greatest impact on students and how they see themselves and the world around them. It is also something that makes them stand out against other students when applying to universities.

The IB is internationally recognised, making progression into universities all over the world, somewhat of a smooth transition. Whether our graduating students intend to study in the Ivy League schools in the US, colleges in South East Asia, in the UK, or here in Portugal, students will not have any difficulty as their diploma will be recognised.

I am extremely proud to be affiliated with an institution that is on the way to becoming an IB World School, and I believe having this programme will have an incredible impact on our school and our community. If you would like any information about the IB, you can visit their website, or feel free to contact me directly.

[1] Nobel Algarve Almancil is a Candidate School* for the IB Diploma Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that [School Name] believes is important for our students.

*Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

written by David Jenkins

Head of School