The Pre IB course is primarily intended for students who are new to the Prague British School, are approximately 15 – 16 years old and will benefit from a preparatory year before starting the IB. It is not for students who have successfully completed the IGCSE course either at PBS or elsewhere.
The one-year Pre-IB program is a newly introduced specialised course that will enable students to access the International Baccalaureate programme. For the students, it is a rigorous but flexible course designed to prepare them for the challenges of the IB and to create an academic foundation for them to study the full IB diploma, which stresses critical thinking, an international perspective and strong written and oral communication skills.
The central focus of the Pre-IB year is to equip students with the communicative and thinking skills they will need in order to succeed at IB. Language development and Learning to Learn are therefore core components of this course. Subjects taught cover the most fundamental aspects of the IB Diploma.
The Pre-IB student will have to be dedicated and motivated in order to succeed. It is just as important the student continues to learn outside the classroom as well as inside.
Outside the classroom, Pre-IB students are actively encouraged to take part in the rich variety of extra-curricular activities on offer at PBS, including team sports, visual and performing arts.
Each morning students are registered before commencing the school day. Their progress is carefully monitored by the Pre-IB form tutor who is always available for guidance on issues curricular or extra-curricular.
Students will study IELTS (International English Language Testing System) material to prepare them for effective participation in the International Baccalaureate programme. Towards the end of the school year students will sit the IELTS examination externally.
Pre-IB students will need to score a minimum of level 4 on the IELTS test in order to advance to the full IB programme. The levels are as follows:
Level 1: Non-user
Level 2: Intermittent user
Level 3: Extremely limited user
Level 4: Limited user
Level 5: Modest user
Level 6: Competent user
Level 7: Good user
Level 8: Very good user
Level 9: Expert user
In addition to their taught classes, students will also complete a Personal Project, an individual research paper or project, similar to the Extended Essay students are required to write in the IB. This should be 1,500-2,500 words in length.
Excursions, field trips and other activities are also undertaken to develop students' curiosity about the world around them and to engage with their learning in an active and constructive way.
The length of the Pre-IB course is one full school year. Towards the end of the school year, students will be tested to see if they have gained the language proficiency to successfully study on the IB programme.
By the end of the year, the student will be at ease in the school, confident and fluent in the use of English in a wide variety of situations and ready for the IB Diploma programme.
After successful completion of the Pre-IB year, students will progress to the full IB programme.