Pupil and Parent Portal Alumni Email Cookie Policy Home About Us Preparatory School Senior School Sixth Form Academic Subjects A - Z Exam Results & Info Staff Qualifications A Level IB Creative Life Sports School Facilities Community Admissions Prospectus News Photo Gallery Boarding Admissions Parent Communications Term Dates & Calendar School Shop Friends of Brentwood Old Brentwoods Sports Centre Job Vacancies Contact/Visit Us /store/images/sixthformers.jpg Home > Sixth Form > Academic > IB The IB at Brentwood The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) is a two-year programme which provides an academically challenging and broad curriculum for well-motivated Sixth Form students. It provides an excellent basis for further study at university and work in a global job market. The IB is based on a holistic approach to education. You are required to study six academic subjects, as well as complete the following core components: Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and the Creativity, Action and Service (CAS) programme. In this way, you can keep a broad range of subjects without compromising depth of study. The Diploma encourages independent thinking, deep analysis and supports learning outside the classroom. All of this fits perfectly with the educational philosophy of Brentwood School. The two-year course is not interrupted by modular examinations; IB students mature and gain confidence in their chosen subjects before they sit public examinations. The IB encourages you to keep an open mind and have greater flexibility. You are not forced into a narrow selection of subjects too early in their education. The six subject groupings ensure that you continue with vital subjects and that you build up confidence in them, rather than prematurely giving up on them. The latest research by the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA) shows that IB students have more chance of achieving a place at a top 20 university than other students and are more likely to achieve a 2:1 or a 1st class degree. They are also more likely to work in graduate level employment. Brentwood's ambitious IB programme offers an unusually wide range of subjects. Please see the Sixth Form Academic Prospectus for further details. IB World Religions Sixth Form IB student Jake Tyler reports back on a memorable trip. “As part of our IB World Religions course, we go beyond the limits of the text book when it comes to research and enhancing our cultural understanding of the world. I am a strong believer that the best possible way to fully appreciate something is to experience it first-hand, hence my enthusiasm when Mr Clements announced our ‘Buddhist Experience’ in London. The Buddhist way of life has always interested me yet I have never really understood it – what better way to do so than to visit a Buddhist temple and to meet those who engage in this fascinating religion. To begin our journey we visited a charming Taiwanese Fo Guang Shan Buddhist temple just off Oxford Street. A magnificent Gothic-style Victorian building is home to this international community of Buddhist Nuns (originating from Taiwan) and local Buddhists who can turn up to meditate and worship. We were given a private tour of the establishment, including the beautiful Guan Yin Shrine Room. Once you are in the hall, you are very much transported elsewhere. Indeed, the decoration is an absolute feast for the senses, yet, at the same time, is ‘calming, quiet and meditative’. One of the Taiwanese Nuns explained to us the meaning and the significance of the decorations (many of which we already knew from studying at school) and we were also given an insight into her experiences with Buddhism. The second destination that we visited was the British Museum, we passed through the Witchcraft exhibition, which we briefly studied simply for personal interest. Our main concentration at the Museum was the exhibition of Buddhism and religious practices in Burma and Thailand. This exhibition was very helpful for making detailed notes that extended past the scope of the specification. I particularly enjoyed the visual arts of this era/destination - there was a plethora of strikingly beautiful paintings that portrayed images of Bodhisattvas and many pieces of art that told a story rather than just a depiction of a spiritual person. These artefacts gave us a great understanding of the culture and the religious context at the time of production, particularly which ‘flavour’ of Buddhism was the most popular and how they differed from each other. Located in central London, hidden away in the oldest surviving intact Victorian Police Court is the Jamyang Buddhist Centre. It welcomes people of every faith, whether to enquire about the nature of Buddhism or to simply appreciate the tranquil and easy-going atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, we grabbed some lunch (which, I say without any hesitation, was very delicious) and we made our way through this captivating environment. One of the most profound moments of our educational lives took place here, we had the chance to see a relic of the Buddha himself, a piece of his body there in front of us - astonishing. This is something that not many people have the ability to say: I have seen the Buddha. This is an experience that I will never forget. This trip was a memorable one, full of excitement and a tremendous amount of learning and cultural understanding. Our studies have benefitted greatly from this experience, I hope that future trips will be just as dynamic and enthralling.” Reseach by HESA shows IB students are more successful at university and in employment that other students. Brentwood School is an independent day and boarding school in Essex for boys and girls aged 3 to 18