International Baccalaureate

By Mr Nick Martin, Assistant Head of Junior School Learning and Teaching

On Monday of last week, Junior School teachers participated in ‘job-alike’ meetings with other International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) schools in Canberra. We now have 12 PYP schools in the growing local network. The ‘job-alike’ is an opportunity for teachers with similar roles to meet, build connections, and discuss practice. The hope of these sessions is that teachers are able to foster ongoing collaborative relationships with their colleagues from the other PYP schools in Canberra. This can be professionally enriching and also practically beneficial for all teachers.

Reflecting on the success of the ‘job-alike’ meetings, it was another moment where we were appreciative of the benefits of being an IB school. Not only can we break down some of the barriers that often exist between educational sectors locally, but we can also tap into a wealth of expertise nationally and globally. Earlier this year, Adelaide hosted the IB Global Conference, which saw educators from all around the world connect for four days of learning. Radford College was well represented with staff from the PYP and DP (Diploma Programme - Years 11 and 12) in attendance.

We are also due to host a team of IB educators who will facilitate our five-yearly IB Evaluation Visit in late July. This year, the PYP and DP will be evaluated together. We benefit greatly from this visit as the visiting team acts as a ‘critical friend’, supporting us to reflect upon our progress to celebrate achievements and identify areas for future programme development. It is a very healthy process for a school as we continue to grow, develop and improve.

We are proud to be an IB school and appreciate the opportunities to learn, reflect, collaborate and connect. We believe this makes us a better school and allows us to positively influence the educational landscape around us.