The final International Baccalaureate Exams are the very definition of high-stakes, summative assessment. Between 27 April and 20 May, our Grade 12 students were assessed on all the knowledge they had learned since August 2024, across 423 registrations in 40 subjects. To an outsider, the students inside DSC (Diploma Studies Centre) rooms 6-7, pouring over their examination papers, spaced out at an IB regulation of 1.5m, would have seemed to be 71 individuals, each alone in their own narrowly focused world.
What role could anyone else possibly play when it all comes down to what the student can demonstrate in a two-hour-exam?
In truth, if you knew where to look, you could see that our students were far from alone.
This community support was visible ...
...in the way that Grade 11 students vacated the ground floor of the DSC, providing a quiet, restful space for the Grade 12 students.
...in the way that students in Grades 6-10 maintained respectful silence as they moved to and through classrooms in the vicinity of the exam rooms, adapting seamlessly to changes in classrooms and break spaces.
...in the support of DP (Diploma Programme) teachers who came in before exams to provide last-minute help, good wishes and positive vibes for the students.
...in DP Maths teachers coming in on the Ascension holiday to wish students well and help calm their nerves before the Maths exams.
...in the values and ethics instilled by our Primary teachers, who taught over 50% of the graduating class, some since Pre-K.
...in the skills and attitudes to learning developed by our Middle Years Programme teachers.
...in the resilience, focus and determination drilled by our PHE (Physical and Health Education) team and coaches.
...in the love and pride etched on the faces of parents who came to the DSC to celebrate their child’s final exam at high school.
If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a community-focused school to raise a confident, successful graduate. Congratulations, Class of 2026!
In partnership,
Simon Underhill
Diploma Programme Coordinator