Does anyone know the difference between the International and regular Baccalaureat? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? My children have been at a Spanish bi lingual school for 5 years (Anoreta) and as my son is almost 15, I am thinking seriously about where he should be in has final few years. He would like to work in IT so if anyone has info on a school that perhaps specialises in this area, please let me know.
Many thanks
International Baccalaureat
You haven't said where your son intends to study after leaving school.
I've just taken a look at some English university prospectuses and it would seem the International Baccalaureate is regarded the same as any other one. It is just seen as an alternative entry requirement to A levels.
If your son is thinking of UK university you can view all the prospectuses on line. If you go onto the UCAS site you should be able to find out which universities offer IT courses and what the entry qualifications are for each.
I've just taken a look at some English university prospectuses and it would seem the International Baccalaureate is regarded the same as any other one. It is just seen as an alternative entry requirement to A levels.
If your son is thinking of UK university you can view all the prospectuses on line. If you go onto the UCAS site you should be able to find out which universities offer IT courses and what the entry qualifications are for each.
I didnt realise there was so much to consider having never been to uni myself - nor any of my immediate family! Lots of research to be done! Unsure as to whether UK, Spain or elsewhere so guess thats the first thing - probably why I was looking into IB as sold as "portable" tho don't think my son will like studying 6 subjects! Not sure how safe UK is now for a boy on his own? I guess now have to consider the area you will be living in as well as all the other factors!!
Marina I know your kids have gone to Uni in UK, but do you know if the costs are similar in Spain? Or has anyone else got family at Uni in Spain?
Many thanks
Marina I know your kids have gone to Uni in UK, but do you know if the costs are similar in Spain? Or has anyone else got family at Uni in Spain?
Many thanks
Sorry, I don't know anything about the costs in Spain.
I do know that there has been a change in the loans system and kids from the UK living abroad should now be eligible for both the student loans if they return to the UK.
If you are thinking of a change of school it may be worth looking at St George's for your son to do A levels, at least he would be able to cut back on his subjects a little. Having said that I do think the IB is highly regarded by universities and if he is going to do well it may be worth him sticking it out.
Just as something to consider... my son is hoping to make a career in IT but is doing a physics degree. He has been advised that a good physics or maths degree will give him the edge over graduates entering the field with an IT degree!
I do know that there has been a change in the loans system and kids from the UK living abroad should now be eligible for both the student loans if they return to the UK.
If you are thinking of a change of school it may be worth looking at St George's for your son to do A levels, at least he would be able to cut back on his subjects a little. Having said that I do think the IB is highly regarded by universities and if he is going to do well it may be worth him sticking it out.
Just as something to consider... my son is hoping to make a career in IT but is doing a physics degree. He has been advised that a good physics or maths degree will give him the edge over graduates entering the field with an IT degree!
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hillybilly
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From what I've read on other forums, if a British born but living overseas student wants to return to the UK to go to university, they are classed as an "overseas student" and therefore have to pay overseas student fees (if they have not been UK resident for the 3 years previous).
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535756
If correct, this is surely a very serious consideration for parents who've moved to Spain with children?
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=535756
If correct, this is surely a very serious consideration for parents who've moved to Spain with children?
That may be the case for people living outside of Europe but it isn't the case if you are living in Europe.
When my daughter started uni three years ago, she wasn't entitled to any financial help at all (even though my husband still pays tax in the UK). She paid tuition fees at the same rate as a UK student, not the overseas rate.
A year later when the tuition fees increased she became eligible for a tuition fee loan, but still not the maintenance loan.
We have recently discovered that the regulations changed last year and she became eligible for both tuition and maintenance fees. Unfortunately we didn't claim these as we didn't know she was eligible.
I was actually given the wrong information when I looked into it again for my son who started uni last year. I was wrongly told that the 3 year rule still applied. Apparently they are now classed as "returning students" and are entitled to claim for both loans. I am now wiser and very much poorer!
We have now put in a claim for my son as a returning student and have been told "It is being considered". Watch this space...
When my daughter started uni three years ago, she wasn't entitled to any financial help at all (even though my husband still pays tax in the UK). She paid tuition fees at the same rate as a UK student, not the overseas rate.
A year later when the tuition fees increased she became eligible for a tuition fee loan, but still not the maintenance loan.
We have recently discovered that the regulations changed last year and she became eligible for both tuition and maintenance fees. Unfortunately we didn't claim these as we didn't know she was eligible.
I was actually given the wrong information when I looked into it again for my son who started uni last year. I was wrongly told that the 3 year rule still applied. Apparently they are now classed as "returning students" and are entitled to claim for both loans. I am now wiser and very much poorer!
We have now put in a claim for my son as a returning student and have been told "It is being considered". Watch this space...
Thanks for your input. We did look at St Georges around January and we did like it. However, we decided to stay put until my son is 16 then make any necessary changes. He has chosen technological science for next year which includes physics, IT and technical design so hopefully a good move? The problem is there is no IT provision in the Bachillerato at his school so we need to move on. Just had a quick look online at costings for universities UK compared to Spain - seems (at a glance!) Spain less than half the price (cost of living, tuition fees all inclusive) 
Anyway, thanks again - lots of research to be done!!
Anyway, thanks again - lots of research to be done!!
The IB is awarded by the International Baccalaureate organisation www.ibo.org and is not the same as the French qualification but the IB diploma is the baccalaureate that people usually refer to.
When you read between the lines the International Baccalaureate diploma is rated higher than A levels not only because of the claims that A levels are being devalued by being made easier but also because it covers a wider area and will be more easily understood by universities internationally. These are probably some of the reasons why Aloha College in Nueva Andalucia does it and Swans International School also in Marbella has just introduced it.
Having said that, it depends what the end goal is, how successful the student has been to date and how motivated they are before decisions are made as to which route to take.
Working in IT covers a multitude of sins from word processing to designing new aspects of software and hardware. It's worth looking at the website of the British Computer Society www.bcs.org which is the professional body. One level of membership gives Chartered Engineer status, like suitably qualified Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers which is where the advice about physics or maths degrees referred to by Marina come in.
When you read between the lines the International Baccalaureate diploma is rated higher than A levels not only because of the claims that A levels are being devalued by being made easier but also because it covers a wider area and will be more easily understood by universities internationally. These are probably some of the reasons why Aloha College in Nueva Andalucia does it and Swans International School also in Marbella has just introduced it.
Having said that, it depends what the end goal is, how successful the student has been to date and how motivated they are before decisions are made as to which route to take.
Working in IT covers a multitude of sins from word processing to designing new aspects of software and hardware. It's worth looking at the website of the British Computer Society www.bcs.org which is the professional body. One level of membership gives Chartered Engineer status, like suitably qualified Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineers which is where the advice about physics or maths degrees referred to by Marina come in.
Thanks for the info re British Computer Society - really useful website. Was thinking Aloha College perhaps good choice for next year - ready to move from east to west! However, having been here for 5 years, depends on finances! The fees at Aloha are horrendous compared to Anoreta Seems all my friends are struggling here financially..........however, onwards and (hopefully) upwards..............
Seems all my friends are struggling here financially..........however, onwards and (hopefully) upwards..............Sur in English published an article few weeks ago re top secondary schools in Spain. Aloha was featured as was Anoreta. Gives you idea of prices - quotes Anoreta average 300 euros per month, Aloha from 4,700 per annum. Really difficult choosing a school here as no league tables as we know them (for what they're worth). I put both my children into school here just on my gut feeling, however, having said that, did the same in UK - was swayed by fresh flowers on the coffee table, children singing hymns in assembly................
I think that you were right in choosing a school according to the things you liked about it.
I dislike what has happened to education in England and Wales in the last few years and think that the national curriculum hasn't been half as beneficial as has been claimed. I don't like league tables for schools because in giving only a partial picture they can misrepresent what is happening. If you judge a school by examination results alone, then by and large all you are going to discover is that schools where most if not all the pupils come from well-off, well-educated families in comfortable houses in nice areas have better results than those in areas of low income, high unemployment, high rates of illness and low educational attainment of the parents. Not exactly rocket science. However, if you look at what a child can do when it enters the school compared with what it can do when it leaves the school, you won't necessarily get the same pattern. In addition, I think education should be more than training and passing of exams and the emphasis on league places has narrowed what schools in Britain offer at the same time as burdening teachers with a great deal of work out of school and perhaps three meetings a week in addition to the work that they chose to do when they trained. The end result, in my opinion, is that many kids and families are being short-changed.
I wait for the heavens to fall on top of me as I'm sure many of you won't agree with me.
I dislike what has happened to education in England and Wales in the last few years and think that the national curriculum hasn't been half as beneficial as has been claimed. I don't like league tables for schools because in giving only a partial picture they can misrepresent what is happening. If you judge a school by examination results alone, then by and large all you are going to discover is that schools where most if not all the pupils come from well-off, well-educated families in comfortable houses in nice areas have better results than those in areas of low income, high unemployment, high rates of illness and low educational attainment of the parents. Not exactly rocket science. However, if you look at what a child can do when it enters the school compared with what it can do when it leaves the school, you won't necessarily get the same pattern. In addition, I think education should be more than training and passing of exams and the emphasis on league places has narrowed what schools in Britain offer at the same time as burdening teachers with a great deal of work out of school and perhaps three meetings a week in addition to the work that they chose to do when they trained. The end result, in my opinion, is that many kids and families are being short-changed.
I wait for the heavens to fall on top of me as I'm sure many of you won't agree with me.
I hadn't seen this headline in today's Evening Standard when I wrote my most recent message: "Pupils 'drilled to pass exams are left without key skills'".
The article is here: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do
The article is here: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/ ... article.do
I think there is too much emphasis on league tables, however, as a parent, I have to admit I found them comforting (especially when moving to a new area). My son went to a prep school in UK and I can safely say we were the only family who lived in a 2 bed end of terrace council house! However, it was one of the main deciding factors in our choice of school (flowers and singing aside!) that it wasn't perceived as elitist and we picked a simple, small church school. This proved to be a good choice as we were readily accepted and I made many great friends. (White van driver and part time worker in co-op - it can be done!).
Here's a quote from an article published today that adds something to the branch of this discussion about careers in IT:
"Large companies are increasingly looking for maths, physics and computer science graduates who can deal with extreme complexity or who can mix business and technical skills to deliver systems that meet user needs." The full article is here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/31 ... od_or_bad/
"Large companies are increasingly looking for maths, physics and computer science graduates who can deal with extreme complexity or who can mix business and technical skills to deliver systems that meet user needs." The full article is here: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/31 ... od_or_bad/
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