Preparatory IB course
• improve your English
• a study break from your own school
Created specifically for students who wish to take the full IB Diploma, this one year course is designed and delivered by IB specialists, many of whom are IB examiners themselves. Class sizes are very low and all students are guaranteed individual help and support.
The unique St Clare’s Trimester structure ensures that all students gain a grounding in the skills essential for their future success on the renowned IB Diploma. The year long programme is a careful blend of breadth of delivery coverage to ensure students experience a range of subjects and depth of exploration to ensure they have the knowledge and understanding to cope with the demands of Higher Level work on the Diploma the following year. The programme is designed to replicate the full diploma with students taking subjects from all 6 areas of the curriculum. The trimester structure allows students to take the core subjects throughout the year and rotate between some of the options.
Who is the Pre IB programme designed for?
Most students are 15 or 16, have either 2 or 3 years of schooling left and are looking for a one-year course that will give them the foundation they need to take the full IB Diploma.
Do I need to stay for the full 3 years (Pre IB & then IB Diploma)?
No. the course will prepare you well for whatever programme you take. Most of our Pre IB students apply to do the IB with us but not all. Most come for the full year but it is possible to join part-way through the year.
What are the Core subjects?
All students take 4 hours of mathematics a week, 2 hours of World Literature and 8 hours of English (IB groups 1, 2 & 5). Which subjects are optional? St Clare’s offers 4 Humanities subjects, 4 Sciences and 4 Arts subjects (groups 3, 4 & 6). Over the course of the year, students will experience 3 of each, changing each Trimester (roughly every 12 weeks).
Can I choose which Options I take?
Everyone is guaranteed their top 2 choices in each curriculum area so you can be certain that you will study in depth the subject or subjects you need for the following year.
Are the subjects streamed by ability?
For English and Maths, we place students in groups of comparable ability so that they can receive the right level of challenge and support. Native English speakers for example prepare for English Group 1 not group 2.
A typical programme might look like this:
| Trimester | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | Group 5 | Group 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | World Literature Drama | English | History | Biology | Maths | Visual Arts |
| 2 | World Lit – The Novel | English | Geography | Chemistry | Maths | Music |
| 3 | World Lit – Poetry | English | Economics | Physics | Maths | Theatre |
Contact the Department
| Chris Osbourn |
|---|
| Admissions Registrar |
| +44 1865 517304 |
| chris.osbourn@stclares.ac.uk |
| Banbury Road Campus |
| St Clare’s Oxford – 139 Banbury Road – Oxford – OX2 7AL – UK |
| Telephone: +44 1865 552031 – Fax: +44 1865 513359 |
| Office hours: Monday-Friday 0900-1700 GMT |
IB Orientation Olympics
The orientation weekend would not be complete without the Orientation Olympics. This is an annual event for new students arriving to study Pre-IB or IB and each student is assigned a team: Blue, Green, Yellow or Red. They play a range of fun games...
Bletchley Park Visit
On the 29 April 2018, 11 IB students and 4 teachers visited Bletchley Park, the place which was once the central site for British codebreakers during World War Two. The location, famous for where Alan Turing broke the enigma code is perfect our history students as...
Career Launch Day
On Monday 26 March the IB1 students were given a career's launch day where they attended career focused sessions tailored to their application plans and subject interests. This ranged from talks on taking a gap year to writing personal statements. We were extremely...
Term Dates
| Autumn Term 2018 | |
|---|---|
| Thursday 30 August | Arrivals Day — first-year IB and all other new students |
| Thursday 30 August – Sunday 2 September | IB and Pre-IB Orientation |
| Sunday 2 September | Arrivals Day — remaining second-year students return between 10:00 and 20:00 |
| Monday 3 September | 09:00 — Classes start |
| Friday 19 October | Teaching finishes at 16:15 |
| Saturday 20 October | Departure Day – students leave by 12:00 |
| Half-term holiday – college closed to students | |
| Sunday 28 October | Arrivals Day – student return between 10:00 and 20:00 |
| Friday 14 December | Teaching finishes at 16:15 |
| Saturday 15 December | Departure Day — students leave by 12:00 |
| Christmas holiday – college closed to students | |
| Spring Term 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Thursday 03 January | Arrivals Day – students return and new students arrive Parent-Teacher meetings 15:30 – 17:30 |
| Friday 04 January | 09:00 – IB classes start Orientation for Pre-IB students |
| Friday 15 February | Teaching finishes at 16:15 |
| Saturday 16 February | Departure Day – students leave by 12:00 |
| Half-term holiday – college closed to students | |
| Sunday 24 February | Arrivals Day – students return between 10:00 and 20:00 |
| Monday 25 February | 09:00 – classes start |
| Friday 5 April | Teaching finishes at 16:15 |
| Saturday 6 April | Departure Day – students leave by 12:00 |
| Easter holiday – college closed to students | |
| Summer Term 2019 | |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 23 April | Arrivals Day – students return between 10:00 and 20:00 |
| Wednesday 24 April | 09:00 – classes start |
| Thursday 2 May – Friday 24 May | Final exams for second year students |
| Tuesday 21 May – Monday 27 May | Term 3 exams for first year students |
| Tuesday 28 May | Graduation Day for second year IB students |
| Wednesday 29 May | Departure Day for second year IB students – all graduating students leave by 12.00 |
| Saturday 8 June – Thursday 13 June | Science field courses for first year IB students |
| Friday 21 June | Classes finish at 13:15. Parent -Teacher meetings 14:00 – 16:00 |
| Saturday 22 June | Departure Day – first year IB and Pre-IB students – students leave by 10:00 |
Further information
The Pre-IB course prepares you for either choosing to study your next stage of education at another school but, of course, we hope you will continue at St Clare’s.
Our IB Diploma Guide provides comprehensive information about studying the IB here.
- Have a look at:
- our student’s results
- their university destinations and what they have chosen to study
- the subjects available and an explanation about the subject groups
- details about how the grading systems works for the diploma
- more information about the other required elements of the diploma CAS, and of course,
- the views of some of our graduating students
Fees
Academic Year 2017-2018
| Annual Fees | |
| Day students | £18,655 |
| Residential students (weekly and fully residential) | £38,820 |
| Registration Fee | £100 |
| Enrolment Deposits: | |
| IB course | £2500 |
| Pre-IB course (per module) | £500 |
| Annual fees are payable in two instalments | |
| Weekly and fully residential students: | |
| 1st instalment 10 August 2017 | £19,564 |
| 2nd instalment 14 December 2017 | £19,219 |
| Day students: | |
| 1st instalment 10 August 2017 | £9,392 |
| 2nd instalment 14 December 2017 | £9,226 |
| (The fees above include fees and travel insurance) | |
| Additional charges | |
| The following prices offer an approximate guide only and there may be other charges in addition to those listed below: | |
| Books | per year £300–£350 |
| Examination charges | |
| SAT Reasoning Test | $100 |
| SAT Subject Tests | $90–$100 |
| IB Diploma | £550 |
| Legalisation of IB Diploma — (for Latin American, Mediterranean and Eastern European countries) | £97 per country |
| Biology Field Trip | £350 |
| Geography and Environmental Systems & Societies Field Trip | £250 |
| Private Music Lessons | £45 per hour |
| Music and Drama Exams | £30–£80 |
| Extra lessons and special tuition | per lesson £50 |
| UK Day Trip | free–£30 |
| Trips to Musicals or the Theatre | £30–£70 |
| European cultural weekend trips | £500–£600 |
| Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award — two practice expeditions and the final assessed expedition | £650 |
| Team Sports Clothes | £50–£100 |
| Airport Transfer (depends on single or return and on destination) | £100–£250 |
| Graduation Ball (includes Ball ticket and graduation photo) | £70 |
This might be just the course you are looking for
Chris and Olivia will be happy to explain more