International Baccalaureate (IB)
Scots College is a fully authorised IB World School in Wellington, New Zealand, offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in Years 1–6, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in Years 7–10, and the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. Independent research by ACER confirms that IB students consistently outperform non-IB peers in reading, scientific literacy, and writing across multiple year groups.
Scots College has offered IB programmes since 2008 – one of the longest-running IB commitments of any Wellington school. Students follow a connected IB pathway from the inquiry-led Primary Years Programme (Years 1–6) through the Middle Years Programme (Years 7–10), before moving into the IB Diploma in Years 12 and 13. In Year 11, students undertake a Scots-designed bridging programme, called the Scots Tohu, that prepares them thoroughly for either the IB Diploma or NCEA in the Senior School.
The IB Diploma is offered alongside NCEA, giving families a genuine choice. For students with ambitions to study at universities in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States, or beyond, the IB Diploma is recognised by leading institutions worldwide as one of the most rigorous pre-university qualifications available.
What Research Says About IB Education
In 2026, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) conducted an independent analysis of 71,267 students across 254 international schools. The findings consistently favoured IB students – not just marginally, but across multiple year levels and every domain measured.
IB students outperformed their non-IB peers in reading in seven of eight year groups from Year 3 to Year 10 – the exception being Year 5, where no statistically significant difference was detected. In scientific literacy, Year 9 and 10 IB students scored significantly above the OECD international average, with large effect sizes across both year levels. The pattern extended to writing, with IB students recording significantly higher results in both narrative and expository writing at multiple year levels.
These advantages held after accounting for school type, student gender, and English-language background – making the findings particularly robust.
About the IB Programmes
The IB curriculum is deliberately broad and globally oriented. Students work across six subject areas, ensuring they graduate with both depth in their chosen fields and genuine breadth across disciplines – the kind of preparation that leading universities look for.
| Core Subjects | |
|---|---|
|
Mother Tongue Language (Literature)
|
Language Acquisition
|
|
Individuals and Societies
|
Sciences
|
|
Mathematics
|
The Arts
|
Alongside these six subjects, the IB Diploma includes three core components that set it apart from other qualifications:
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) • Theory of Knowledge (TOK) • Extended Essay
The Extended Essay – an independent, in-depth research piece in a subject of the student’s choice – develops the kind of sustained, self-directed thinking that universities value from day one.
The IB Learner Profile
Every IB programme is shaped by the IB learner profile – ten attributes that describe the kind of person a Scots College student becomes through this education. These values sit naturally alongside our own: integrity, curiosity, service, and the courage to think independently.
Inquirers
Developing natural curiosity and the skills to learn independently, sustained throughout life.
Principled
Acting with integrity, fairness, and a strong sense of personal responsibility.
Open-minded
Appreciating their own culture while remaining genuinely open to the perspectives of others.
Knowledgeable
Exploring concepts of local and global significance across a broad range of disciplines.
Balanced
Understanding that intellectual, physical, and emotional balance underpins personal wellbeing.
Thinkers
Applying thinking skills critically and creatively to complex problems and ethical decisions.
Communicators
Expressing ideas confidently across languages, modes, and collaborative settings.
Caring
Showing empathy and commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of others.
Risk-takers
Approaching unfamiliar situations with courage and independence of spirit.
Reflective
Giving thoughtful consideration to their own learning to understand strengths and grow.
Find Out More
Explore our curriculum handbooks, read the independent research on IB outcomes, or speak with our Enrolments team about how the IB pathway fits your child’s goals.