Welcome to the Diploma Programme
The IB Diploma Programme is an internationally recognised course increasingly favoured by prestigious universities around the world. It has earned a reputation for rigorous assessment and equipping students with the skills and attitudes they will need to succeed in higher education and employment.
Critical, reflective and holistic thinking, collaborative working, individual initiative, personal organisation and planning are the core outputs of the DP. Alongside the study of 6 subjects, the core components of the Diploma Programme (DP) consist of a 4000-word research paper, critical analysis of the nature of knowledge and activities focusing on creativity, activity and service, which provide an enjoyable balance to the academic rigour of the programme.
IB Coordinator
Dr EL Kahina Meziane joined ISL in 2015 as an MYP Science and Diploma Biology teacher. Since then she has held a variety of positions including Extended Essay Coordinator, Head of Department for Diploma Science, Diploma tutor and STEM higher education adviser.
Kahina holds a PhD in Immunology/Medical Oncology and worked in scientific research for over a decade at the universities of Manchester and Cambridge before embracing international education and academic writing. She has co-authored IB MYP and DP resource books and online material and led international webinars on Diploma Biology and the Extended Essay.
The ISL IB Diploma College 3-to-1 support model has the student as its centre.
This means not only that student support is personalised, but also that the student is the decision-maker. We build into our programme the expectation that students are equipped to make well-informed, balanced decisions about their learning, their personal development and their futures.
This begins from the very start of the programme, during the CAS residential trip and continues to be visible in many ways: in the university-like relationship between a student and their Extended Essay supervisor; in the target-setting conversations that take place in 1-to-1 meetings with tutors; in the tools students use under the guidance of the Higher Education counsellor to choose their pathway to the future.
We know that our graduates will be decision-makers in the future, and we prepare them. Students also take an active role in decision-making at the College through student government. Class representatives meet with the government executive to take action around the campus and beyond. Student government is consulted by the college leadership on matters related to learning and facilities.
Academic progress
Before joining the College, students have guidance interviews to help with subject choices, and these continue throughout their two year courses, along with semester academic check-ins and timely assessments in all subjects. We have structured systems to track students' coursework and to provide individual support where needed.
Wellbeing
Each student works with their tutor to develop an individual personal profile and has regular one to one meetings with their tutor to discuss their mental wellbeing. This is in addition to our PSHE curriculum, and the availability of wellbeing counselling for those who want it.
Lifelong learning
Right from the start of the DP journey, students meet with Higher Education guidance counsellors to learn how to research options, how to develop strong applications to future courses and to explore possible career paths. This process is informed by assessment data gathered each semester from assignments and from internal ‘mock’ examinations that provide an authentic picture of the student’s likely final attainment.
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