The DfES has made it clear that, in spite of all that happened in 2002, it does not want to be rushed into making hasty changes to GCE A-levels. However, it is also apparent from what has happened and been said that concerns about the examination are not simply confined to the way in which grades are awarded. There is a growing belief that the structure is flawed. And, it is that belief which has persuaded many schools to consider changing to the International Baccalaureate.

The International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), is a charitable foundation based in Geneva. It offers a number of courses but it is the Diploma Programme for students in the final two years of school and before university which stands as the alternative to GCE A-levels.

While most teachers know that the Baccalaureate is intended to offer a broad-based curriculum, it has some subtle add-ons that make it both attractive to some students and challenging for others. The first is the interdisciplinary element known as the theory of knowledge (TOK) which requires students to think outside the curriculum framework and draw on their own experiences and interests. It is a course that requires to be taught and it is assessed through a lengthy essay, a presentation to the class, and a personal self-evaluation. The second additional element is known as creativity, action, service, (CAS). This requires all students to engage with the arts, sports or outdoor activities, and voluntary activities at some time during their course.

The curriculum is rooted in six groups of subjects. These are the student’s first language, a second language, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics and computing, and the arts. Courses are offered at two levels, higher and standard. At least three and not more than four are taken at higher level while the others are taken at standard level.

This is where the curriculum flexibility is built in. In particular, there are no arts, mathematics and science divides and the place of languages, in an international qualification, is deliberately bolstered. The humanities also survive. However, there is considerable flexibility in the level at which work is engaged with. There are, for example, mathematics and science courses which require quite basic levels of skill and focus on practical applications and business requirements.

Assessment in the Baccalaureate is criterion-referenced and features a mixture of oral and written examinations and coursework. Examination papers, typically slightly shorter than those for A Level, may include, long and short responses, data-based questions, essays, and multiple-choice questions. Once assessed, each of the six subjects is graded on a scale from 1 to 7 and, to be awarded the diploma, a student must reach a minimum total of 24 as well as meeting the other diploma requirements relating to theory of knowledge, CAS and the extended essay. The score of 24 is based on the notion that grade 4 represents a passing level in each of the six subjects but there is some leeway because the three additional diploma requirements are worth an additional three points and there is plenty of space for compensation.

Apart from meeting the requirement for curricular breadth, what other benefits does the Baccalaureate possess? Firstly, it provides the sense of a common course for students in years 12 and 13 and that gives coherence to sixth-form study. Secondly, it can aid timetabling in the school by avoiding the very small groups associated with some A-level subjects. Thirdly, the courses place an emphasis on independent study and research which many would argue has been lost from GCE A-level in the last few years.

It's there a downside? Some schools find the emphasis on languages alien to British educational culture. Science teachers also have to engage with a different model for the subject and schools have to make their own way in theory of knowledge development. It is also fair to say that there are pupils who are likely to succeed at AS level but will find the Baccalaureate too daunting.

Finally, it is worth considering whether there is a middle way between GCE A-level and the International Baccalaureate. In Sir Ron Dearing's original curriculum model, students were expected to study five subjects in year 12 which would offer a mix of academic and vocational subjects. There is an argument that this was a genuine attempt to create an English Baccalaureate which fell apart under the pressure to recreate the old A-levels in the new system.

Any change now would need government support and a sensible timetable for implementation. It would also need a clear long-term vision. However, a new award that was nationally based, that cleared away the existing clutter of academic and vocational subjects, that incorporated key skills and delivered valid and reliable outcomes would be worth waiting for.

MORE INFORMATION

The International Baccalaureate Organisation website (www.ibo.org.uk) contains information about the Diploma Programme and the organisation. Around fifty schools in the United Kingdom currently follow the IB Diploma programme.