International Baccalaureate (IB) is an educational organisation that offers a series of programs for students aged 3 to 19. Founded in 1968 in Geneva, it is now one of the most widely-respected and recognised curricula across the world. Currently, there are 8,000 programmes in IB being offered worldwide, across over 5,700 schools in 160 countries. The IB curriculum is focused on international education and intercultural understanding, and it aims to develop students who are globally-minded, critically thinking individuals. In India, the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) has recognised and awarded equivalency to the IB since 1983.

The White School International is Kerala’s only IB Continuum school authorised to offer all three IB programmes from K-12. These include the Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), the Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) and the Diploma Programme (IB DP).

• Early Years Programme (Ages 2.5 – 5.5)

  We understand that the school is the little one’s first home away from home! Our early years programme is designed with care and sensitivity to stimulate curiosity and develop cognitive, fine and gross motor skills through play, expression and exploration. Our transdisciplinary curriculum is designed to give the tiny tots of the early years a safe and rich learning environment that gives them room to grow and thrive. More importantly, our mentors give personalised attention to ensure that children progress through key developmental milestones with joy and confidence.

• Primary Years Programme (Ages 5.5 – 10.5)

  The PYP curriculum is inquiry driven and gives equal attention to the building of knowledge, conceptual understanding and the development of skills, including social skills, research skills, thinking skills, self-management skills and communication skills. All learning outcomes are carefully mapped for each grade as per the IB’s scope and sequence for various subject areas.

  Through their units of inquiry, our learners in the PYP are initiated into inquiring through tuning-in provocations, and then are guided through research and investigations, as well as forming connections in their learning across subjects. Learning experiences go well beyond the books, and include projects, hands-on learning activities, field trips, investigations and much more. Throughout units, students are encouraged to reflect, as well as take action in meaningful ways.

  Subject strands integrated into our units in the IB PYP include:

  • English
  • Hindi/ Malayalam (PYP 1 onwards)
  • French (PYP 3 onwards)
  • Social Sciences
  • Science
  • Mathematics
  • ICT
  • Arts (Visual Art, Dance)

  Assessments in the PYP

  Our mentors conduct assessments throughout every stage of each unit, including:

  • assessment of prior knowledge
  • formative assessments
  • summative assessment.

  The school does not restrict PYP learners to pen & paper assessments alone, Student work is evaluated through achievement levels recorded through rubrics, checklists, anecdotal records, continuums or exemplars, rather than ‘marks’. Through assessments, we hope to both inform and guide our further teaching as well as help the learner identify areas for growth and improvement against their own past performance.

• Middle Years Programme (Ages 10.5 – 16.5)

  The IB Middle Years Programme is designed for adolescents who are curious about themselves and the world at large. With subject electives across 8 subject groups, the curriculum is broad and diverse, and offers both flexibility and challenge.

  At TWSI, our MYP learners are given the choice of the following subjects in groups:

  • Group 1- Language & Literature: English Language & Literature
  • Group 2- Language Acquisition: Hindi / Malayalam (till MYP 3), French (MYP 1-5)
  • Group 3- Individuals & Societies: Integrated Humanities
  • Group 4- Sciences (Combined sciences till MYP 3, Physics, Chemistry and Biology in MYP 4 & 5)
  • Group 5- Mathematics
  • Group 6- Arts: Performing Arts (MYP 1-3), Visual Arts (MYP 1-5)
  • Group 7- Physical & Health Education
  • Group 8- Design

  Additionally, learners also explore Interdisciplinary Units (IDUs) each year across subject groups that are rooted in global contexts. IDU’s prepare our learners for transferring and applying knowledge across subjects in meaningful ways.

  Moreover, our learners pursue many personal long-time inquiries and investigations involving action-research. In their final year of the MYP, i.e. MYP 5, students undertake a Personal Project (PP) over an extended period of time, to demonstrate their development of ATL skills through their process, product and report..

  Taking action and closely engaging with the local community through outreach and service projects is also an integral part of the Middle Years Programme. Service as Action (SAA) ensures that our learners apply their learning in caring, thoughtful and responsible ways through community service and involvement, under the supervision and guidance of their mentors.

  Assessment in the MYP

  • School-based Assessments: All MYP units are regularly assessed through a wide range of assessments of prior knowledge, formative assessments and summative assessments. Summative assessments are conducted as per the school’s internal calendar of assessments. Our assessments use a range of strategies and tools, in addition to pen and paper tests. Portfolio based assessments are conducted for Arts, Design and Physical and Health Education. Our assessments are based on subject group objectives and are carefully mapped with the IB’s assessment criteria.
    Term examinations are additionally held biannually to help students thrive in the IB’s e-assessment pattern of evaluation.
  • External assessment by the IB: At the 10th grade level (MYP 5), students are externally assessed through IB’s e-assessments to attain a formal, internationally recognised certificate. This includes a combination of on screen assessments as well as the upload of e-portfolios as part of the coursework for their Personal Project, Design/ Art/ PHE subjects.




• Diploma Programme (Ages 16.5 – 18.5)

  The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) is one of the world’s most prestigious and rigorous high-school qualifications. It is widely considered to be a passport to the world’s best universities

  Subject groups: The DP Curriculum consists of six subject Groups and three Core components. Students must choose at least one subject from each of the groups. Students will have a total of three Standard level (SL) subjects and three Higher level (HL) subjects. Students will have written examinations at the end of their Second year.

  Group 1	Studies in Language and Literature	English Language and Literature – SL English Language and Literature – HL
  Group 2	Language Acquisition	French B – SL French B – HL French Ab Initio
  Group 3	Individuals and Societies	Business Management – SL Business Management – HL Economics – SL Economics – HL Psychology – SL Psychology – HL Digital Society – SL Digital Society – HL Environmental Systems and Societies (ESS) – SL
  Group 4	Sciences	Physics – SL Physics – HL Chemistry – SL Chemistry – HL Biology – SL Biology – HL Computer Science – SL Computer Science – HL ESS – SL PLD – SL
  Group 5	Mathematics	Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (AA) – SL Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (AA) – HL Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (AI) – SL Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation (AI) – HL
  Group 6	The Arts	Visual Arts – SL Visual Arts – HL

  Guidelines in selection of subjects:

  • As per IBO’s regulations, all subjects are offered at SL as well as HL except French Ab Initio and ESS subjects. It is not necessary for students to choose from Group 6 if they are not artistically skillful. Instead of a group 6 subject, they could choose one more subject either from Group 3 or Group 4.
  • ESS (Environmental Systems and Societies) subject is offered under both Group 3 and Group 4.

  Exceptions:

  • EIB Certificate: This option allows students to take individual IB courses without completing the full Diploma program. Students may choose specific subjects that align with their interests and academic goals. While they won’t receive the full IB Diploma, they do receive certificates for the individual subjects they successfully complete. IB Certificates can still demonstrate proficiency and dedication in specific areas. However, both the IB as well as The White School International, strongly encourage students to pursue the full diploma instead, to the furthest extent possible, as it has wider recognition, scope and acceptance as compared to certificates.
  • Non-regular Diploma: A student will obtain an irregular diploma if he/she chooses to study three subjects from the same subject group and none from two groups: arts and another group of his choice. A student may need to or choose to pursue a non-regular diploma if the university course he/she wishes to apply to requires three subjects that belong to the same IB subject group and does not offer an alternative. This usually occurs with medical schools in some countries which require students to take all three science subjects in order to apply. The student must show proof of why their subject choices are necessary for their further education, except for selected countries and IB will have to approve the NRD request for the individual student. Students pursuing NEET in India have a fast-track approval option with IB to expedite this.
  • The Core components – The Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Creativity, Activity, Service (popularly known as CAS), are the three elements that together make the core of the Diploma. They are the compulsory elements that add breadth of understanding and rigour to the course.
    • TThe Extended Essay The Extended Essay is a 4000-word essay that students seeking the IB Diploma must complete. The essay may focus on any research topic that is of particular interest to the student, and can be from across his/her Diploma subject electives. The Extended Essay is very research oriented and encourages students to develop their academic and analytical writing skills, by investigating a research question (RQ) of their choice. At TWSI, students complete the EE under the guidance of a supervisor from the faculty.
    • Theory of Knowledge Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is a course that requires students to critically examine larger questions on the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing. As a highly interdisciplinary course, it encourages students to examine questions about the validity, reliability and accuracy of the knowledge we acquire and produce. Students are expected to complete a 1600 essay on a prescribed title as well as participate and present in the TOK Exhibition to show how TOK manifests in the real world, to successfully complete the TOK Course. We also offer a range of analytical thinking challenges, thought-experiments and discussions that bring the TOK course to life, both within the TOK class, as well as in TOK-integrated lessons across subject-groups.
    • Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) The Creativity, Activity, Service Programme (CAS) is an integral part of the Diploma core that requires students to actively pursue a range of activities parallel to their academic endeavours. These purposeful activities and projects correspond to the three strands and are expected to challenge students into a journey of self-discovery and meaningful growth through experiential, hands-on learning.

  Recognition

  The AIU (Association of Indian Universities) has awarded the IBO recognition since 1983 and since 2010 accords equivalence to both the IB Diploma and the IB Diploma Course (i.e. IB Certificate) provided that a student has secured a minimum of 24 credits and has passed a minimum of three subjects at Higher Level (HL) and three at Lower Level (SL).

  Assessment in the IBDP

  School Based Assessments

  Regular formative and summative assessments are held throughout the year and our mentors provide targeted and specific feedback to help learners improve their performance across identified assessment objectives and criteria.

  Additionally, term examinations and mock examinations are also held to ensure readiness for external examinations. Based on their choice of SL and HL subjects, students have multiple papers within each subject that are weighted as per IB guidelines.

  IB mandated internal assessments (IAs) are also done under the monitoring of our mentors. However, samples of IAs are moderated by the IB externally.