British School of Boston Gains International Baccalaureate Accreditation
WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire/ — British Schools of America (BSA) announced today that the British School of Boston has been successful in its bid to gain approval to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. The British School of Boston (BSB) becomes the third of the BSA Schools (after Washington and Houston) accredited to offer the IB Diploma. The school will begin offering the prestigious IB Diploma Program in September 2009.
The year-long accreditation process included a presentation of detailed plans as well as evidence of preparation and resources to successfully offer the IB Diploma Program. The initial application was followed by an authorization visit, which ensured that the school is genuinely committed to the pursuit of excellence in international education. The IBO visiting team ascertained the School’s leadership and faculty preparedness to offer the program. The team also verified that the school’s planning has been both systematic and comprehensive.
“The IB is the final phase of the challenging curriculum offered at BSB that focuses on whole-child development and aims to equip every student with the essential skills for lifelong learning,” said Martin Skelton, head of learning for BSA. “IB Accreditation is a great achievement for the school and reaffirms our commitment to international education.”
BSB already offers an international curriculum that encourages independence and self-discipline in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation of diverse opinions and cultures. BSB students take courses leading to the GCSEs in Year 11 and this strong academic program transitions smoothly into the IB in Year 12.
BSB will welcome its first IB class in September 2009. The two-year diploma program, which takes students through Years 12 and 13 (American 11th and 12th grades), is a demanding pre-university course of study. Students follow a broad curriculum, taking courses from six academic areas, completing an extended essay and a mandatory community service requirement.
The IB Diploma Program has an international reputation as an academic course, which, is excellent preparation for universities around the world.
“IB Students from our Washington and Houston schools have gained admission to top programs at excellent universities both in the States and abroad,” says Marina Major, chief operating officer for BSA. “Students who complete the Diploma Program are prepared to become successful and meet the growing challenges of a rapidly changing global economy.”
About the British School of Boston
The British School of Boston (BSB) is part of The British Schools of America, which were founded in 1998, when the first school opened in Washington D.C. There are also British Schools in Houston, Chicago, and Charlotte. The British Schools of America anticipate an expansion to a total of 20 major cities across the US within the next decade. Students at the British Schools of America follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), the National Curriculum of England through GCSEs and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB), with an emphasis on earlier reading, broader international orientation, and intensive learning experiences. Teachers at the schools are recruited directly from the UK and are trained in the delivery of the National Curriculum, the IPC and the IB. Please visit our website at http://www.britishschool.org/.
CONTACT INFORMATION: Pia Bernardini Leslie Swiantek British Schools of America Mullen Public Relations Tel 202 829 0442 Tel 412 402 0199 pbernardini@britishschool.org leslie.swiantek@mullen.com
British Schools of America
CONTACT: Pia Bernardini of British Schools of America, +1-202-829-0442,or pbernardini@britishschool.org; or Leslie Swiantek of Mullen PublicRelations, +1-412-402-0199, or leslie.swiantek@mullen.com
Web site: http://www.britishschool.org/