The IB Continuum Advantage: Why the IB Diploma Programme Delivers More Than Just Results
Term 2 is a consequential but genuinely exciting one for Year 10 students who must, by term’s end, make a decision about which academic pathway to follow in their senior years of schooling: the IB or the HSC.
In making these decisions, students are often encouraged to reflect on the subjects they enjoy or have performed well in. But it is also important that students start to look forward and consider how to best position themselves for the complex, fast changing and globalised world that awaits them beyond the school gate.
Since its inception in the late 1960s, the IB Diploma Programme has been developed and optimised to prepare students for such a world. In fact, research consistently highlights the benefits of the IB Diploma Programme (DP) across a range of educational contexts. DP students demonstrate high levels of critical thinking and 21st-century skills such as leadership, time management, and global-mindedness. They also show great awareness of civic structures and are more engaged in global issues.
In terms of university readiness, research also shows that DP students are likely to enrol in top institutions, persist into their second year, and perform well academically, often feeling very prepared for research and academic writing. The programme’s core components—Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS)—contribute meaningfully to students’ development as independent thinkers, capable researchers, and reflective collaborators.
As members of an IB Continuum school, Year 10 students at Cranbrook who opt for the Diploma Programme will also be at a considerable advantage when they commence studies next year. It has been shown that students who complete the Middle Years Programme (MYP) often transition more smoothly and successfully into the Diploma Programme (DP). They also achieve higher overall DP scores and stronger results across disciplines such as languages, mathematics, and individuals and societies. MYP students are also more likely to apply higher-order thinking skills—like critical and analytical reasoning—and demonstrate greater international-mindedness, civic awareness, and collaboration skills. These qualities align with the goals of the DP and support confidence, engagement, and academic resilience in senior and tertiary studies.
Parents and students interested in the Diploma Programme are invited to further consult the IBO’s public website and to keep an eye on the international press (see below), which is increasingly speaking to the benefits of, and demand for, the rigorous and holistic education the IB Diploma offers.
Please also feel free to contact me directly at NHanrahan@cranbrook.nsw.edu.au
Nicholas Hanrahan
Head of IB Continuum and Diploma Programme Coordinator
Articles:
Forbes Magazine (U.S): IB’s ‘Approaches To Learning’ Are Essential For The AI Era
The Australian: IB program drives the curious minds
Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) :International Baccalaureate an advantage for university applicants
South China Morning Post: Embracing the challenge: the journey of becoming an IB educator in today’s academic landscape
Ibo.org: https://www.ibo.org/news/news-list/new-research-finds-that-ib-students-appear-to-hold-an-advantage-when-it-comes-to-critical-thinking/