Impington International College: A World Class IB education

Impington International College, an international further education College for ages 16 – 18, located in Cambridge, is the UK’s top non-selective provider of the International Baccalaureate (IB), and has been offering the world class education to its students for over 30 years.

Relocate Editorial

6 July 2020

What has allowed Impington International College to stand the test of time is its impactful study options, focusing on the development of the whole student, its wide range of extra-curricular activities and its emphasis on outstanding pastoral care. Through this approach, Impington International College offers its students a unique educational experience, a curriculum that can be tailored to individual needs and a place within its welcoming, close-knit community.The growth and success of students studying at Impington International College is evident in the results they achieve and the university destinations and places of work that they progress to. At the College over 95% of students are offered their first choice of university place and, in 2019, 25% of students were offered Russell Group places (including Oxbridge). Alumni of the College have gone on to study at renowned higher education institutions around the world, including: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University College London, King’s College London, Loughborough University, Leiden University, UCLA, The Place, Italia Conti, International University of Japan, and many more. Many students from the Performance School go on to join professional companies, with a number starring in the West End. Students from the sports scholarship programme often go on to study coaching and management at university, or play semi-professionally.For the fifth year in a row, the pass rate for the IB Diploma Programme (DP) has exceeded 95%, an exceptional success in comparison to the international pass rate of 80%. Alongside the IB, outcomes for the BTEC courses at Impington International College are just as impressive, with 100% of students passing, and 50% achieving a distinction or distinction*. In 2019, the average point score for the DP students was 33, beating the global average of 29 points. The IB Career-related Programme (CP) cohort achieved an amazing 100% pass rate and an outstanding 50% distinction or distinction* in their BTEC components.With the IB’s mission statement and ethos underpinning all that the College does, Impington International College aims to develop “inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world”, and endeavours to imbue a strong community ethos within the sixth form. With its diverse and varied curricula, Impington International College caters to all interests. However, a student’s time at the sixth form is not just focused on passing an exam. Impington International College students are able to gain a valuable breadth of skills and depth of knowledge, but also the attributes that go beyond academic success, developing as well-rounded individuals, who are ready and raring for the next stages of their life journey in an ever-changing world.Impington International College is a truly international sixth form and provides an inspiring educational home for students from over 30 countries. Located on the outskirts of Cambridge, there is no better place where families can integrate with both local and international communities, while avoiding the stress that a bigger city might impose upon students dealing with such a life-changing transformative process. Within this unique and beautiful city stands famous architecture old and new, together with an abundance of green open space, which students have the opportunity to explore in their free time. The location also allows students to tap into the diverse business community around them and gain valuable experience. The variety of students studying at the College allows everyone to widen their knowledge of all cultures, develop their international-mindedness and understand and appreciate their own personal history while being open to the perspectives, values and traditions of others.The DP is the only solely academic curriculum at Impington International College and centres around a set of core competencies, skills and values which are important to the development of every student. The programme requires students to study a broader range of subjects that can be tailored to their own strengths and interests, offering great flexibility within their learning. The curriculum and its teachers push students to develop the intellectual skills that allow them to grow and stand out in applications for university and employment, but are also provided with the opportunity to develop skills such as independence and inquiry.Also offered at Impington International College, is the IB Career-related Programme (CP). The CP is an educational framework that incorporates the values of the IB into a unique programme engaging students both in academic and career-related study. Impington International College works with a number of professional companies and institutions that gives students taking the CP the opportunity to gain hands-on professional experience, developing their understanding of a world beyond the classroom. The programme develops skills in students such as communication, leadership and a deepened sense of cultural understanding, all of which are able to be taken to life beyond the classroom and can be used by students to understand and engage with the world around them.Another one of the most notable examples of Impington International College’s development of the whole student is through the creativity, activity and service (CAS) and service learning elements of the IB curriculum. Participation in CAS and service learning is an integral and compulsory part of being a student at Impington International College and through these elements students are involved in the Impington iCAS programme.The iCAS programme supports students’ personal development and wellbeing, encourages commitment and responsibility, and fosters a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. The programme also provides an opportunity for learning for pleasure, rather than focusing on exams and offers an extraordinary range of extra-curricular experiences including: primary teaching, overseas initiatives, charity and volunteer work, sports fixtures, and many more.Impington International College students are also able to study an extended BTEC, taking a practical approach to learning, without missing any of the important theory on the subject. Those who wish to enter the professional world of theatre and performing arts can choose to study at the performance school and those with a high interest in sport can train alongside their studies through one of Impington International College’s professional sports scholarships. Those training on the sports scholarships are able to ignite their passions and work with a range of expert clubs and teams while also studying elements of the DP, CP or BTEC programmes.Time spent at Impington International College is all about a students’ two-year journey, the skills developed and lessons learnt. These experiences and attitudes allow students to overcome any future challenges they may face and truly have the educational experience they desire, opening up a world of opportunities for them beyond the school gate. [Download the Impington International College prospectus] (3259k) Visit the Impington International College directory page for more information - or visit their website.