Statement on IB Results (Response to International Baccalaureate Organisation)

Following the release of IB results on 6 July the BSN and many other schools raised concerns with the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) about downgrades to results compared to the predicted grades (PGs) that teachers were asked to calculate following the cancellation of summer examinations.
Our school has already submitted appeals for individual students, some of which have been successful, and requested a full cohort review, for which we await an outcome.

On 17 August, the IBO made an adjustment to their awarding protocol so that the subject final grade result of students will be equal to the internal assessment (IA) result when the predicted grade was only one grade less, equal to, or greater than the IA grade. 

Students will be awarded their IA grade as their final grade for that subject in these cases:

• If the PG is higher than the IA grade, then the IA grade will be applied as the final grade
• If the PG is the same as the IA grade, then the IA grade should be applied
• If the PG is one grade point below the IA, then the IA grade should be awarded

The very late change in protocol has implications for over half of our Year 13 cohort, who will now receive revised subject component points score and overall points scores. 

Students who have applied through UCAS and had places confirmed (Unconditional Firm), do not need to take any action to inform their universities. For other countries and systems, the IB has sent updated results through the Request for Results service. Our recommendation, if a place is dependent on these new grades (i.e. has not been confirmed), is that students contact the university later today and request that they download the updated grades from their IB system.
We continue to work with and support students who need assistance in securing university places and fully understand this has been a distressing time for some students and parents. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Paul Topping
Headteacher Senior School Voorschoten and The British School in The Netherlands' Executive Leader