A World Class Qualification
International Baccalaureate (IB) – An exciting, holistic, rigorous programme of study recognised in Australia and around the world.
The final two years of high school are a launching pad for success at university and beyond. The IB Diploma is widely considered an excellent pathway for future success. It is designed as an integrated whole, where subjects across a range of disciplines work together to ensure students develop their creativity, critical thinking skills and global awareness as well as being active members of their communities.
The IB Diploma encourages breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding by requiring students to choose six subjects from six distinct groups: 1) studies in language and literature, 2) language acquisition, 3) individuals and societies, 4) sciences, 5) mathematics and 6) the arts. Students may choose to replace the arts course with a second course from one of the other five groups. At least three subjects must be taken at higher level (HL) while the remaining are taken at standard level (SL).
All students also study a common core which is compulsory and central to the philosophy of the programme.
The core contains:
- Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) – Students lead their own learning, participating in a variety of co-curricular activities that are designed to give back to their communities and develop international awareness by ‘thinking globally and acting locally’.
- Extended Essay (EE) – Students develop a research question on an area of interest and produce a 4,000 word academic report. This flagship element of the programme sets Diploma students apart at university, as they develop the skills of extended academic inquiry and writing.
- Theory of Knowledge (ToK) – students are taught to question how we know what we know and to think critically about the reliability of different kinds of knowledge.
The PLC brochure below provides more information on the IB Diploma Programme.
The following IB Diploma subjects are offered at PLC:
Group 1 - Studies in Language and Literature
As part of the Diploma Programme (DP), students take at least one subject from studies in language and literature. Taking two subjects in language and literature in different languages will earn you a bilingual diploma.
The courses offer a broad range of texts, and students grow to appreciate a language’s complexity, wealth and subtleties in a variety of contexts.
Through studies in language and literature, the DP aims to develop a student’s lifelong interest in language and literature, and a love for the richness of human expression.
At PLC language and literature is offered in English at higher and standard level. There are 2 options available. Click the links below for more information and to access the subject brief.
Group 2 - Language Acquisition
The main emphasis of the modern language courses is on the acquisition and use of language in a range of contexts and for different purposes while, at the same time, promoting an understanding of another culture through the study of its language.
Two types of courses are available to accommodate students’ interest in and previous experience of language study. Click the link below for more information and to access the subject brief.
Language B courses are intended for students who have had some previous experience of learning the language. They may be studied at either higher level or standard level. Students who wish to study a language B should have achieved above 65% in the language at the end of Year 10.
PLC offers the following language B courses at higher and standard level:
- Chinese B
- French B
- Indonesian B
Language ab initio courses are for beginners (that is, students who have little or no previous experience of learning the language they have chosen). These courses are only available at standard level.
PLC offers the following language ab initio course at standard level:
- Spanish ab initio
Students who have studied Chinese or French before are strongly encouraged to undertake the language B course rather than the Spanish Ab initio course.
Group 3 - Individuals and Societies
Group 3 subjects provide for the development of a critical appreciation of:
- human experience and behaviour
- the varieties of physical, economic and social environments that people inhabit
- the history of social and cultural institutions.
In addition, each subject is designed to foster in students the capacity to identify, to analyze critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments relating to the nature and activities of individuals and societies.
Five group 3 subjects are offered at higher and standard level. Click the links below for more information and to access the subject brief.
The following courses are available online through Pamoja Education, a 3rd party provider, for an additional fee.
For more information, please click the subjects above and visit Pamoja Education’s website.
Group 4 - Sciences
Students explore the concepts, theories, models and techniques that underpin each subject area and through these develop their understanding of the scientific method.
A compulsory project encourages students to appreciate the environmental, social and ethical implications of science. This exercise is collaborative and interdisciplinary and provides an opportunity for students to explore scientific solutions to global questions. On a practical level, the Group 4 project mirrors the work of real scientists by encouraging collaboration between students across all science disciplines.
Four group 4 subjects are offered at higher and standard level. Click the links below for more information and to access the subject brief.
Group 5 - Mathematics
All mathematics courses serve to accommodate the range of needs, interests and abilities of students, and to fulfill the requirements of various university and career aspirations.
The aims of these courses are to enable students to:
- develop mathematical knowledge, concepts and principles
- develop logical, critical and creative thinking
- employ and refine their powers of abstraction and generalisation.
Students are also encouraged to appreciate the international dimensions of mathematics and the multiplicity of its cultural and historical perspectives.
There are two different subjects offered in mathematics, designed for different types of students:
- Mathematics: analysis and approaches – designed for those students who wish to study mathematics as a subject in its own right or to pursue their interests in areas related to mathematics, and
- Mathematics: applications and interpretation – designed for those students who wish to gain understanding and competence in how mathematics relates to the real world and to other subjects.
Group 5 subjects offered at PLC are listed below. Click the links for more information and to access the subject brief.
Pre-requisites
Students who wish to study Mathematics: analysis and approaches at higher level should have obtained a Year 10 Course 3 Mathematics grade of A.
Students who wish to study Mathematics: analysis and approaches at standard level should have obtained a Year 10 Course 3 Mathematics grade of B or higher.
Students who wish to study Mathematics: applications and interpretation at standard level should have obtained a Year 10 Course 3 Mathematics grade of C or higher.
Group 6 - The Arts
The subjects in the arts allow a high degree of adaptability to different cultural contexts. The emphasis is on creativity in the context of disciplined, practical research into the relevant genres.
In addition, each subject is designed to foster critical, reflective and informed practice, help students understand the dynamic and changing nature of the arts, explore the diversity of arts across time, place and cultures, and express themselves with confidence and competence.
Four group 6 subjects are offered at higher and standard level. Click the links below for more information and to access the subject brief.
Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.