An IB World School

Glenlyon Norfolk School is proud to be an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, and offers programmes for students aged 3 to 19:

• Primary Years Programme (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 5)
• Middle Years Programme (Grade 6 to 10)
• Diploma Program (Grades 11 and 12)

About the IB

Founded in Switzerland in 1968, IB is an internationally-recognized educational programme respected for its challenging classroom syllabi, its high standards of pedagogical practices, and its promotion of intercultural understanding. With over 962,000 students in 3,291 schools in 141 countries, the IB works with governments and organizations as well as educational institutions of all levels to deliver a quality programme that not only teaches students essential facts and figures, but also engages them in learning that teaches them how to think, question, and appreciate other points of view.

At the heart of the IB mission and learner profile is the wisdom that education must prepare students for more than the workforce: education must prepare students to be committed, creative, and compassionate citizens of the world.

Outside Recognition of GNS as an IB World School

As the IB programmes have developed and flourished at GNS, so has the recognition of GNS as an IB school. Our teachers instruct and evaluate other IB teachers throughout North America, and many have moved on to positions both within the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and as administrators at other IB schools. Of particular interest is that the IBO and Harvard University's Graduate School of Education identified GNS as an IB Middle Years school that has produced notable units of work.

Our Teachers and the IB

All GNS teachers have received special training to deliver the IB programme. In fact, some of our teachers are now IB trainers themselves who travel to different schools to train other teachers! You will often hear teachers using specialized vocabulary when discussing their teaching philosophies: inquirer, area of interaction, central idea, transdisciplinary. While at first a bit overwhelming, these terms are used as specific learning tools to communicate educational goals between teachers and among students. You’ll find that your child quickly adopts the IB terminology as each student learns what is expected of him or her in the classroom.