Public Exams
Students at Dover Court work towards two sets of public exams, (i)GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at the end of Year 11 and IBDP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme) at the end of Year 13.
GCSE
The iGCSEs (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) are internationally recognised qualifications studied by students aged 14- 16 years old. Respected by universities worldwide, they cover a broad range of subjects including languages, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, computer science and more. The (i)GCSE is one of the most challenging qualifications currently on offer for secondary students, before they embark on the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. At DCIS students sit the Edexcel GCSEs, we also offer certain AQA courses.
IBDP
In keeping with our offer of a broad, balanced and differentiated education programme, DCIS offers two strands of the IB programme: The IB Diploma Programme and IB Courses.
The IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a rigorous, academically challenging and balanced programme designed to prepare students for success at university and life beyond. It is one of the world’s most prestigious international qualifications, respected and sought after by the world’s best universities. A core focus of the IB curriculum is to develop internationally minded young people, encourage critical thinking and continuous self-reflection, both in academic courses and through extra-curricular activities.
The IBDP curriculum is made up of 6 subject groups and the core, comprising Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE) and, Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS). The core is a compulsory part of the IBDP. Students choose 6 subjects, 1 from each group with 3 at Higher Level (HL) and 3 at Standard Level (SL). Students can achieve up to 7 points for each subject, and a further 3 points for the core, making a total of 45. In 2020, the average IB score at DCIS was 37 points (compared to a worldwide average of 31). In addition, 100% of our IBDP students passed, with 10% of students achieving above 40 points.
Students following the IB courses curriculum have greater flexibility with their choice of HL and SL subjects, and elements of the core. Students can typically apply to universities in the UK, North America and some European countries. In the UK, offers will often require specific scores for HL courses, or will be in the form of UCAS tariff points for HL and SL courses. In North America, HL courses will frequently lead to academic credit for the first year of an undergraduate programme.
In addition, there are many colleges and universities around the world where admission is based on the completion of secondary education. Students progress onto a variety of academic or vocational pathways including, but not limited to, Polytechnic foundation and diploma programmes in Singapore, University foundation programmes in the UK, and University bridging programmes in Australia and North America.
Throughout Years 12 and 13 students receive tailored careers and university counselling to support their next steps following graduation. Students are guided to their ‘best-fit’ institutions based on their interests, aspirations and academic achievements.
82% of our 2020 graduates completed the IBDP. Of these students 64% have continued to prestigious universities around the world. The remaining students elected to take some time out from their studies for a variety of reasons including National Service.
2019 and 2020 Destinations:
UK
Durham University
University of Edinburgh*
University of York
Royal Holloway University of London
University of Manchester
Lancaster University
Australia
University of Melbourne
The Netherlands
The Hague University of Applied Sciences
Leiden University
Ireland
University College Cork
New Zealand
University of Auckland
Canada
Quest University
*Denotes more than one student