Term dates for the College and University Centre academic year 2024/2025 are now available online.
International Baccalaureate Diploma
The International Baccalaureate Diploma is a two-year Level 3 course that students with diverse interests may consider as an excellent alternative to A Levels.
why choose this course?
The IB offers a broad curriculum and allows students to keep their options open. If you are inquisitive about the world around you and want to continue to study a wider range of academic subjects than other post-16 options, then the IB may be the right choice for you. The IB offers academic breadth and depth, creates independent learners, cultivates an international mindset and encourages critical thinking. The IB Diploma seeks to develop not only a student’s academic skills but their extracurricular ones too.
The Diploma is an internationally recognised university entry qualification, offered in 159 countries throughout the world. It is fully recognised by all UK universities. As interest in the IB grows, more institutions are offering the Diploma. Truro College is the only provider of this programme in Cornwall, and it is one of the biggest and most successful in the UK.
Apply for this course
Start date: 09/09/2024
top course highlights
small classes
field trips and residential
outstanding lecturers
extended essay
theory of knowledge
Trips away from campus
IB students have an alternative, bespoke induction where they interact with the whole IB cohort. They also go on a residential trip together and have the opportunity to take trips abroad.
Committed and enthusiastic staff
The IB programme has been delivered at the College for over two decades and the teaching staff are dedicated to the academic approach of the diploma, with a focus on small, discussion based and interactive classes.
Progression to top universities
Watch our video to hear from Alice, our IB Alumni, about her experience studying the IB diploma and how this helped her to go to Cambridge University.
what will i learn?
Students study three subjects at Higher Level (H) and three subjects at Standard Level (S), follow a Theory of Knowledge course which stimulates critical reflection on the knowledge and experience gained inside and outside College, and undertake original research to investigate a topic of special interest and present findings in an extended essay. All students are involved in Creativity, Action and Community (CAS) projects.
From September 2022 we are offering Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (H&S) as well as Maths: Applications and Interpretations (H&S). Higher Level A&A Maths allows IB students who want to go on to do Maths, Physics & Engineering degrees to get the pure maths they need to do so. You can choose whichever IB Maths option suits you.
There are six subject Groups, each containing a number of courses from which you choose your preferred subjects. The Groups are:
Group 1: Studies in Language and Literature
English (H & S)
Group 2: Language Acquisition
French (H & S)
Spanish (H & S)
Spanish (ab initio) (S)
Group 3: Individuals and Societies
Geography (H & S)
Global Politics (H & S)
History (H & S)
Psychology (H & S)
Group 3/4
Environmental Systems and Societies (S)
Group 4: Experimental Sciences
Biology (H & S)
Chemistry (H)
Physics (H)
Group 5: Mathematics
Mathematics: Applications and Interpretations (H & S)
Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches (H&S)
Group 6: The Arts
Art & Design: Visual Arts (H & S)
Theatre (H & S)
(or a choice from one of the other subjects in groups 3 or 4)
Where will it take me?
The IB Diploma programme at Truro and Penwith College continues to produce excellent outcomes for students. In 2021, the average point score was 38, which is equivalent to four A* grades at A Level. Half the cohort scored 40 points or more which is equivalent to nearly five A* grades at A Level.
IB Diploma students from Truro College regularly progress to the very top universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, the Russell Group universities and others. The variety of subjects chosen for university study – from Medicine to International Relations – reflects the diverse range of possibilities available following the IB Diploma.
Assessment Arrangements
A variety of methods are used, including both internal and external assessment. Subjects include a written examination at the end of the course and specialised forms of assessment are used as appropriate to the nature of a given course. These range from portfolios of artwork, audio recordings of oral work and fieldwork reports to science practicals and research studies – all reflecting the balance and educational diversity of the IB programme.
Entry requirements
The entry requirements are Grade 6 or above in Higher Level choices, at least five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above including English Language or Literature and/or Mathematics at Grade 5. Many IB students will have achieved good GCSE grades in a large number of subjects, however, the most important thing is that students are well-motivated and have the ability to work independently.
Information & Support
Alongside support given from our subject specialist lecturers, we offer 1-1 supervision for the Extended Essay, specific lessons and guidance on TOK and a specialist CAS supervisor, all overseen by the IB Coordinator.
Additional Information
To find out more about studying the IB Diploma, email IB Coordinator Angie Liversedge at angiel@truro-penwith.ac.uk
Meet the staff, tour the campus and find out about life as a student at one of the best colleges in the country.
What you could earn
Potential Salary
£83,036
Entry Level Salary
£28,880
Average Salary
£49,230
Annual openings in Cornwall
15
Potential Salary
£56,661
Entry Level Salary
£16,181
Average Salary
£32,297
Annual openings in Cornwall
