2025 IB Diploma Conversion to ATAR equivalent (IBAS) available
2025 IB Diploma Conversion to ATAR equivalent (IBAS) available
June 19, 2024
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University Entrance 2025
The conversion from IB Diploma passing score to Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) equivalent has been released for 2024 Australian students entering university in 2025. The new conversion may be found here.
This conversion is based on a direct conversion from whole IB Diploma results to an ATAR equivalent. ACTAC introduced a finer grained conversion equivalent in 2023 which has been updated for 2025 university entry.
Students will receive their results on 17 December 2024 with the ACTAC calculated IB Admissions Score (IBAS) fine-grained conversion available on 18 December, 2024.
The additional scale for students who just miss the Diploma award, (e.g., receive a result of 23 etc) but meet IB requirements has also been updated. Universities in ACT, NSW, and Victoria use this scale.
MYP News: Service-Learning Highlights and Challenges in the IB MYP
May 14, 2024
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Caulfield Grammar School recently hosted members of the MYP Victoria Network to showcase their innovative approach to teaching service- learning. Welcomed by Leanne Guillon, Deputy Principal – Head of Caulfield Campus who spoke about the T Shaped person which represents the intersection of the skills and expertise a person has in a single field and the person’s ability to collaborate across disciplines such as in service learning. June Evans Caulfield – Head of Teaching and Learning, Middle Years at Caulfield Campus and Baljit Marwa – Head of Teaching and Learning, Middle Years at Wheelers Hill, then showcased some of their community projects, highlighted their service as action programme and discussed how challenges can become successes.
The focal point of the event was listening to a number of Caulfield students present an overview of their community projects and service initiatives. Topics included teaching international students about Australian sports, creating and delivering care packages for children in Berry Street and working with students in the Northern Territory. A common theme shared by students was how service learning improved their self-management and communication skills.
One group made it into the news for the originality and hands on approach to their project. Their project goal was to raise awareness of people experiencing hardship because of cancer. They supported year three students at another school to write cards to patients in a cancer ward, then they went to the hospital together to meet patients and deliver the cards.
Another student made a book box for her community to help children to learn to read. She emailed her local council to ask for their support, collected materials to make the box and filled it with books. At first her council didn’t respond to her, but she persevered and is still working on ensuring her book box hits the streets.
Caulfield’s approach to service learning includes a service as action continuum. The focus for Year 7 students is to become internationally minded, Year 8 to develop local and global thinking skills and Year 9 working in houses or groups through a variety of service initiatives. All year levels work towards their service outcomes, select and work on various types of service ranging from advocacy, research, indirect and direct service and make connection to the curriculum through the lens of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. One student group spoke about their house buddy programme which aims to build community and togetherness in the houses. Their goal is to include peer support and connections outside the classroom. This initiative evolved through their student voice and experience and reflected their resilience at overcoming this obstacle.
The final student presentation described how their goal was to interview veterans in their local community in order to gather and share their experiences with the wider community. Again, students highlighted their struggles with the council’s lack of response and some of the medical conditions the veterans experienced. One group member was a history buff and was delighted that he could learn from people who actually served. Students mentioned again that connecting with the community after the project was finished was important to their personal development.
Baljit and June then opened the floor for discussion, including the need for a sustainable structure for service learning and the importance of using the parent community to support service, engaging with local community and global communities. The event left attendees feeling enthused and with a number of ideas that they could implement into their own service-learning frameworks.
Living school was founded in 2020 as a small not-for-profit non-government independent school by John Stewart, an experienced educator and school leader, who was born, raised and educated in Lismore. The focus for the Living School is to create a progressive model of schooling: one that is engaging, authentic, connected with the local community and based on the ideals of inclusivity, pluralism, humanism and sustainability.
Living School is intentionally different where we start by asking a simple question: What is school for? Rather than preparing children for a job, we believe school should be to develop and improve community. This simple definition resonates through all we do – to make learning life-worthy. We want our children to be ‘in’ the community – rather than walled in sites, walled in buildings, walled in classrooms.
By launching the Diploma Program, Living School is aligning our vision to a global outlook for learning and teaching, with the progressive intentions that created the IB in 1968, namely:
Critical analysis, student agency, transdisciplinary, range of skills, based on constructivism, holistic, criterion-referenced, open plan learning environments, and an openness to multiple perspectives.
By becoming a candidate school – the first in the Northern Rivers of NSW, we want to look creatively at how we implement the Diploma Program to allow a Year 13 approach. This means students could enrol in the DP in Year 11 or in Year 12, opening up our teaching practices to be less ATAR focused and more micro-skilling with certification.
IB Schools is delighted to welcome Living School to the Association and we look forward to hearing more about their IB journey.
IB Schools Australasia is showcasing the MYP Community and Personal Projects for the wider community via our website. The goal is to celebrate the amazing work our students and educators produce, along with the academic rigour of the programme to fellow member schools, universities, and further education providers. All members of IB Schools Australasia are invited to submit visuals of one community project or one personal project and a short overview of the project including: student learning, challenges and how they overcame them, further investigations, or real-world links.
Here are 2 amazing sumissions we have already received. Well done!
Mater Christi College
Oakleigh Grammar School
If you would like to be a part of this wonderful initiative, please submit your project sample to [email protected]. Additionally, you will need to provide written confirmation that the student’s parents or guardians have been informed and consent to the work being showcased online. For further information, or to make a submission please contact me on the above email address.
Westbourne College Sydney Cook4Good at start of 2024
February 27, 2024
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Westbourne College Sydney began the academic year with introducing newly enrolled students to CAS (IB core element) and how they can play a part in contributing to the local community. This was part of Induction Week, where all students from Westbourne College Sydney participated in a social justice activity with the charity Cook4Good.
“Cook4Good was a meaningful experience that introduced the issue of homelessness at an impassioned level. It was also incredibly inspiring to hear from those who had dealt with homelessness, now advocating and working to help support those in a similar position. The excursion left me determined to contribute and make a conscious effort to help others living in difficult circumstances,” Helena Esber (DP2) said.
Cook4Good supports homeless people in a variety of ways, including providing healthy take-away meals for individuals and families who do not have a permanent place to live. After an introduction into how Cook4Good supports their clients, the students were given instructions on preparing food. This included cutting, peeling, cooking and packaging.
(Director of Education) Patrick McGing said, “The students were outstanding in the way that worked and quickly prepared meals for over 100 people.”
After the food preparation session, the students were surprised to hear that the young woman who had welcomed them and briefed them on Cook4Good’s mission was herself a former homeless person. She explained that a 10 year corporate career ended in a workplace accident and back injury which was treated with opiods that led to addiction and her life spiralled out of control. Her story highlighted that homeless people are like anyone else and that it only takes a few bad events for her to go from privilege to poverty.
Later, DP2 students had the opportunity to visit parts of the city with a former homeless person who again had come from an educated middle-class background but suffered from mental illness. Students saw the life of the homeless through someone who had experienced the challenges associated with no fixed address and no meaningful employment. Again, the ultimate message was one of hope, that people are there to help and that adversity can be overcome.
(IB Coordinator) Alicia Vallero said, “Witnessing the dedication and commitment of our students to serving the homeless community at the Cook4Good event was truly inspiring. Their genuine care and enthusiasm embodied the ethos of compassion and social responsibility that lies at the heart of the CAS program.”
(Director of Education) Patrick McGing said, “Our young people are developing as the leaders of tomorrow and it bodes well that they are so sensitive to the challenges those less fortunate face. They were, at all times, incredibly respectful and engaged. I am sure they will never forget the experience of seeing life from this different perspective and will feel empowered to make a difference.”
Westbourne’s Induction Week brings together students from all three cohorts, Year 10 – 12, collaborating in college activities as they become familiar with each other and their teachers, while settling into a new learning environment.
IB Schools Australasia is showcasing the MYP Community and Personal Projects for the wider community via our website. The goal is to celebrate the amazing work our students and educators produce, On the first Wednesday of Term 2, students from four Brisbane International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) schools came together to engage in an enlightening exploration of the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) prescribed titles for the November 2023 session. The event took place at the St Peters campus, where students from St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly State High School, Anglican Church Grammar School, and IES College gathered for a TOK workshop focused on deepening their understanding and fostering collaboration.
The workshop commenced with talks from community leaders who shared their expertise in relation to TOK and its applications in the realms of Mathematics and the Arts. Engineers from Gilmore Space Technology and researchers from Churchie and UQ provided valuable insights.
New research reveals the enormous benefit of the IB Diploma to Australian students
February 27, 2024
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This independent research was conducted in Australia by ACER
A new research study has been published that compares the university outcomes of students who completed the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) in Australia compared to non-DP students nationally.
The independent researchers found that IB Diploma DP students gain offers of university admission, continue to their second year of study, and complete university for all check points examined within the study (4 years, 6 years and 9 years after commencement) at significantly higher rates than non-DP students. Additionally, completing the DP appears to offer an advantage in university completion rates for students from a range of socio-economic backgrounds.
The research is consistent with previous indeppendent studies into the IB Diploma Programme and other IB Programmes.
The International Baccalaureate is thrilled to announce that the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (QCAA) has officially recognized two Career-related Programme (CP) components.
Personal and professional skills and the reflective project courses are now approved to contribute credits to the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), alongside the already recognized Diploma Programme (DP) courses. This recognition falls under the complementary category of learning and is effective from 6 December 2023.
The Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) is Queensland’s senior school qualification and is awarded to eligible students, usually at the end of Year 12, by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. This achievement enhances opportunities for Australian students to pursue the CP, offering international recognition and improving job prospects.
The CP, for students aged 16 to 19, is an innovative blend of academic study and career-related skills that prepares students to launch directly into a career or excel in further study. CP students engage in career-related learning, gaining transferable skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and cross-cultural engagement, while fostering confidence and readiness for success in their careers.
The IB curriculum is deliberately flexible, empowering students, teachers and schools to tailor an education that is appropriate to their culture, context, needs, and interests. To this end, the IB is committed to continue working with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop rigorous global education programmes, and to increase access to high-quality education to the widest cohort of students possible.
New release date set for November 2024 examination results in Australasia
February 22, 2024
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Following ongoing conversations with schools and with a commitment to enhancing student support, the International Baccalaureate (IB) is pleased to announce a change in the release date for the Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) exam results for the November 2024 session.
The updated release date for the November 2024 session is now set for 9:00 pm GMT on 16 December 2024. This date adjustment also will be reflected in the November 2025 session and subsequent years.
With this earlier release date, the IB aims to assist students in meeting crucial university application deadlines in December, helping them secure spots at the universities of their choice.
This shift reflects the IB’s commitment to adapting its processes for the benefit of students worldwide. The IB has been working with schools to determine the feasibility of this change and is working with universities and admissions centres to communicate the reason for and impact of this change.
By releasing results in December rather than in January, the IB seeks to alleviate stress and uncertainty among students. A shorter waiting period for results can significantly ease the anxiety of anticipation, and the revised release date aims to provide students with a timely and reassuring outcome.
New Zealand IB Students honoured at Top Scholars Awards
February 20, 2024
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This month Kristin School had the privilege of hosting the International Baccalaureate (IB) Top Scholar Awards, where the best IB Diploma graduates from around the country were recognised. Graduates from the eleven schools that offer the IB Diploma in New Zealand who scored 40 or more points – out of a possible 45 – in their IB Diploma were invited to attend and be deservedly celebrated as IB Top Scholars.
Hon. Erica Stanford, Minister of Education and local East Coast Bays MP, was in attendance to acknowledge the superb achievements of these top scholars by making a speech and proudly handing out the awards to the graduates. She spoke of her appreciation for the fantastic effort and dedication these graduates put into their school years to reach this moment and the importance of continuing to push forward in life, even when there are setbacks.
Kristin had the largest contingent of top scholars from the IB schools in New Zealand, with 29 in total, or 36% of their IB Diploma students – including three students scoring 44 points, which was the highest score in the country in 2023.
Kristin Senior School Principal and Chair of the IB Heads’ Association, David Boardman, said, “Achieving an IB Diploma score of 40 points or more places these students amongst the very top from across the world, with only 9% of students achieving this in May 2023 (Northern Hemisphere schools). New Zealand performs well above the global averages, and the strength of our programmes and the preparation that they provide our students is clear when they go on to new challenges in their futures. It is with great honour that we acknowledge these outstanding young people, and I know the pride that is shared by their families, their teachers, and their communities in what they have achieved.”
Following the ceremony, attendees had the opportunity to take photos with the Minister and with their families and fellow top scholars. There was also plenty of discussion among graduates on what their next moves would be, with many graduates heading to top universities overseas. There is no doubt that we will see these remarkable young individuals making their mark on the world in the very near future.
