IB Evaluation Report Confirms Outstanding Success at Rugby School

Earlier this term, Rugby School welcomed the International Baccalaureate (IB) team for our five-year evaluation visit. We are pleased to share that the report makes for excellent reading.

Rugby School introduced the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) in 2021, and it has been a great success. Three cohorts have now completed the programme, achieving an impressive average score of 36 points per student, well above both the UK and global averages (just over 29 points worldwide).

These very strong results have opened doors to leading universities across the globe. Our IB students have progressed to top UK universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, UCL, and LSE. Significantly, the IB has opened up the top US universities in a way which we did not see when we only offered A levels. We now have IB students studying at leading US universities, including Harvard, Princeton, Vanderbilt, and Cornell.

When we started offering the IBDP we believed it would lead to marginally more accessible university offers for our students. This has been our experience, but more importantly, we believe the IB provides an outstanding and coherent education which equips our students to thrive at university and beyond. IB students gain in depth knowledge of three subjects through their higher levels and maintain breadth through three standard levels, increasing future adaptability and employability. The IB core which includes an extended essay and ‘Creativity, Action and Service (CAS)’, as well as the IB learner profile ensures the development of both skills and knowledge. Crucially, IB students develop an understanding of the major academic disciplines and the ability to think across subject boundaries and join the dots.

The IB’s Evaluation Report, especially when viewed alongside our results, gives further validation of our approach.

Key Highlights from the IB Evaluation Report:

• Rugby School demonstrates a strong commitment to the IB Diploma Programme, with successful integration into our educational offering.
• Academic achievement is significantly above world averages, confirming Rugby School as a highly credible IBDP provider.
• The IB Learner Profile attributes – such as inquiry, open-mindedness, and principled thinking – are embedded in our ethos and instilled across our academic programmes.
• Students benefit from opportunities outside the classroom, enriched by service learning, artistic and musical opportunities, scientific clubs, international exchanges, and field trips.
• The course delivery and timelines are well-structured, and communicated, allowing for a steady and effective progression of learning and assessment
• The pedagogical and leadership teams are actively invested in the program’s continued growth, which is reflected in its increasing maturity and strong presence among students, teachers, and parents.
• The School continues to explore enhancements, including introducing high-demand subjects like Business Management.

We invite you to read the full report here.