The IB Curriculum
What is the International Baccalaureate (IB)?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a globally recognized, non-profit educational organization with offices around the world.
The IB offers challenging educational programmes for a worldwide community of 5,000+ schools in over 150 countries, all with a common aim of creating a better world.
The IB continuum consists of four coordinated programmes of study, ranging from the start of formal education in primary school all the way through to the end of high school. KIS Bangkok is very proud to be one of the few schools in Thailand to offer all four IB programmes.
Established in 1968, an IB education suits families looking for a high quality, holistic education that is internationally recognized and respected worldwide.
Early Years to Grade 5
Grade 6 to Grade 10
Grade 11 to Grade 12
Grade 11 to Grade 12
KIS IB Curriculum
At KIS International School Bangkok all students learn through IB programmes. With the IB recognised as a global leader in education, these programmes are well-known and respected throughout the world for helping children and young adults to become well-rounded citizens who are knowledgeable, caring and know how to think critically.
Our curriculum utilizes the four IB programmes as a framework for all subjects and disciplines. The benefit of having all four programmes in one campus means that learning is aligned, with a coherent curriculum and clear connections between the various stages of a child’s formal education. At KIS, we have further developed these by incorporating the best aspects of many national curricula to extend the quality and internationalism of the taught curriculum.
To this effect, our curriculum is broad and balanced, internationally minded, and ensures the best possible benchmarks and outcomes for student learning in Bangkok. Because our curriculum is not specific to one national or state curriculum, it can more easily transfer to other schools (especially IB schools) when families may need to relocate nationally or internationally.
Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme is for students from 3-11 years old, it focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world around them.
Middle Years Programme
The Middle Years Programme is for students from 11-16 years old and provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand the connections between traditional subjects and the real world, and become critical and reflective thinkers.
Diploma Programme
The IB Diploma Programme is for students from 16-19 years old. It is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepare students for success at university and in life beyond.
Career-related Programme
The Career-related Programme (CP) for students from 16-19 years old combines rigorous academic subjects with specialized, hands-on learning tailored to a student’s professional aspirations. Designed for those with a strong interest in Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Business, Art, Design, or Hospitality, the CP allows students to engage in university-level coursework. Through our strategic partnerships, students also earn university credits as a core part of their high school journey, providing a distinct head start on their chosen career pathway.
The IB Learner Profile
The IB learner profile is a key component of all IB programmes. It promotes attitudes and characteristics in students that develop international-mindedness. Students are encouraged to recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet and to help create a better and more peaceful world.
The learner profile provides long-term vision for education and is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of the entire school community-students, teachers, administrators, and parents, uniting them in a common purpose of international-mindedness and global citizenship.
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Caring
Balanced
Thinkers
Risk Takers
Communicators
Reflective
Open Minded
Principled
Frequency Asked Questions
What is the philosophy of the IB Programmes?
IB programmes are learner-centred, conceptually driven and inquiry-based. They emphasize education as a process (learning how to think, learning how to learn) and not just as a product (a collection of knowledge), thereby stimulating the students’ natural creativity and curiosity. All IB programmes strive to build international mindedness.
Do students have to study all three as a continuum?
No. Each IB programme is designed as a stand-alone programme, and completing one is not a prerequisite for entering another.
At KIS, however, all students begin their journey in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and continue into the Middle Years Programme (MYP). At the end of the MYP, students choose the pathway that best suits their strengths and aspirations, whether that is the Diploma Programme (DP), the Career-related Programme (CP), or a bespoke selection IB courses.
While the programmes can operate independently, they share important common characteristics. All have a strong international dimension, draw on content from educational cultures around the world, and require study across a broad range of subjects. They include both individual disciplines and opportunities to make connections between subjects, place special emphasis on language learning, focus on developing transferable skills, and encourage students to become responsible members of their communities and the wider world.
Can IB students transfer to other types of schools?
Yes. Students transferring to other IB world schools will have common learning experiences in terms of conceptual development and skill acquisition. The content may be different as schools in other countries would wish to reflect the unique nature of their locations. Close attention is paid to a range of national curriculums when developing the best IB programmes. IB students transferring to countries with national curriculums should have no trouble with meeting the standards of national schools.
Are the best IB programmes only available in private schools?
The IB programmes can be taught in state, private, national and international schools. They can be offered individually, but a growing number of schools offer them as a continuum of learning. The IB does not own or manage any schools. Instead, the community is made up of state and private schools called IB World Schools. There are currently over 5,000 IB World Schools around the globe. KIS Bangkok continues to have some of the best IB results and best Diploma pass rates in Bangkok and is one of the few international schools in Bangkok, and indeed Thailand, to offer the IB continuum; our students can be enrolled in IB programmes for their entire primary and secondary education.
