How to Get Your Child into Oxbridge
If your child is applying to Oxford or Cambridge this year, please read our essential tips for their Oxbridge application - from selecting a college to preparing for the infamous interview.
Private Tutors for the International Baccalaureate (IB)
We introduce experienced private tutors for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Every tutor we introduce has a history of effective IBDP tuition and can support your child with all key International Baccalaureate subjects at Higher or Standard Level, as well as offering guidance with the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and retakes. They will also provide your child with the skills and information they need to produce an outstanding UCAS application for University.
We will carefully match the IB private tutor to your child’s learning style and requirements to ensure that they successfully engage and motivate them. We also introduce tutors who are experienced with the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP).
IB Private Tutors
Sophie Taylor Barthorpe, SLT's Director of Tuition explains how tutors help prepare students for the International Baccalaureate.
How is the International Baccalaureate assessed?
Compared to A Levels and GCSEs, the Internal Baccalaureate requires a deeper understanding of a wider range of subjects. This is demonstrated through coursework, exams and occasionally oral presentations or experiments, depending on the chosen subject. The IB is assessed both internally and externally. External assessment takes place in the form of exams. Each subject normally requires more than one exam to be taken, and each exam generally has a different focus. For example, in science subjects one exam may be multiple choice and the second exam may be essay based. Internal assessment takes the form of coursework, oral presentations for language subject, or experiments and lab work for science subjects. Between 1 and 7 points are awarded for each exam, with 7 corresponding to an A*, 6 with an A and so on.
IB exams have a reputation for being more difficult than A level exams and students often have to retake exams. More material is covered and there tends to be a greater range of marks. Fewer students achieve the very highest grades in the IB versus the A level. Universities appreciate this because it allows for clear differentiation between candidates. The Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creative and Active schemes all contribute to the student's final grade, although they are worth less than the other exams.
How to score highly in the International Baccalaureate
There are plenty of study books and revision aids available specifically for the International Baccalaureate. OSC's IB revision guides are amongst the most popular. However, it is really important to properly understand the IB mark scheme - we recommend asking school teachers, or a suitably experienced private tutor to explain this properly.
Beyond providing your son or daughter with the academic support that they need to succeed, it is important to recognise that he or she is probably under more academic stress or pressure than they have ever felt before. For this reason it is helpful to have a structured working day and to encourage plenty of breaks and extra-curricular activities.
How to write a great International Baccalaureate Extended Essay
The Extended Essay is one of the most challenging pre-university assessments. The 4,000 word Extended Essay requires great planning, and we recommend that this starts by choosing the right topic to write about. International Baccalaureate private tutors will typically recommend choosing something highly original that is i) of great interest to you and that ii) can be explored in sufficient depth. Next comes thorough research, for which you should allow several weeks and plenty of time to discuss with your teacher. At this point, you should feel that you have the makings of a riveting essay. If not, don't be afraid to start again from scratch. There are some good pointers on the IB website.
Before you start writing, it is helpful to have a plan that you can realistically stick to. If you say you will write 400 words (about a page) each week, for 10 weeks, and you schedule a regular time to do the work, then you have created an achievable goal. The most powerful language to use is that which is effective and simple. It is also helpful to leave plenty of time between drafts of your essay, to allow your sub conscious time to reflect on what you have written and come up with some new ideas.
If you would like to book an Extended Essay private tutor, please contact one of our Tuition Consultants.
"I have been introduced to three tutors through Simply Learning and was extremely happy with all of them. They all seemed to be very organised, highly qualified and professional which was impressive. Particularly, they were all very familiar with IB which was what I specifically asked for. I still have an ongoing relationship with all the tutors as they now tutor my other son".
Mrs. N, IB Tuition
"Erkan is very professional and understands very well what Andrea needs. I only hope that he will be able to assist Andrea at the same level until the IB exam".
Mrs. R, IB Tuition
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