Xaloc, the First Charter School in Spain Authorized to Offer the IB Continuum
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization was founded in Geneva in 1968 with the creation of the Diploma Programme for pre-university students. The introduction of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in 1994 and the Primary Years Programme (PYP) in 1997 established a continuum of international education programs for students aged 3 to 19, based on high-quality educational methodology.
IB programs can be implemented independently or combined. They are based on shared values and emphasize lifelong learning. Students will not only be able to understand our interconnected and complex world but also make a positive impact on it.
What is the International Baccalaureate Organization?
It is a non-profit organization founded in Switzerland with the goal of providing effective solutions to global problems and needs. Thus, the Diploma Programme was created, which is now recognized by over 1,400 universities worldwide. Nearly 2,000,000 students from 5,700 schools in more than 160 countries around the world learn with the IB methodology, which is based on the idea of creating better students and people.
But how is this task accomplished? What sets the IB apart from any other educational methodology? Since 2010, Xaloc has offered students the opportunity to pursue the Diploma Programme alongside their high school studies. After experiencing positive outcomes with our students, which facilitated their transition into the world after school, we decided to introduce the PYP —Primary Years Programme— in 2021. Following the verification of the MYP —Middle Years Programme— in 2024, we have been authorized as the first charter school in Spain with the IB Continuum Programme.
What are the benefits our students receive?
The shared mission of all IB schools is to help young people develop the values, skills, and knowledge necessary to create a better world. Students will graduate with an education that enables them to understand the complexities of the world around them and make responsible decisions to improve it. The four fundamental elements of the International Baccalaureate, integrated into the school from the early years, help explain this philosophy:
1. International Mindedness
At Xaloc, we often emphasize the great intercultural richness of our environment. The IB promotes this international mindedness, inviting students to be aware of the common project of all human beings, while understanding and appreciating the differences in the cultures and communities that make up our world. Exploring these nuances allows us to establish multicultural ties in a global world. The commitment to humanity and community service stems from this IB foundation.
2. Active Citizens Committed to Improving the World
The learning community profile is defined by 10 attributes reflecting the holistic nature of IB education. These attributes aim to develop students' overall growth and prepare them to be active and committed citizens in a globalized world. After their time at Xaloc, students can be characterized by these attributes:
- Inquirers: Foster curiosity and research skills to learn autonomously and collaboratively, maintaining a passion for discovery.
- Knowledgeable: Explore various disciplines to understand the world, engaging with important local and global ideas.
- Thinkers: Develop critical and creative thinking to tackle complex problems responsibly, making ethical decisions proactively.
- Communicators: Express ideas confidently and creatively in different languages and forms, collaborating effectively and listening to others.
- Principled: Act with integrity and respect, taking responsibility for actions and valuing justice and equity.
- Open-minded: Appreciate different perspectives and are willing to learn from diverse experiences.
- Caring: Show empathy and respect, committing to helping others and positively impacting the world.
- Risk-takers: Face uncertainty with determination, exploring new ideas and innovative strategies with ingenuity and resilience.
- Balanced: Recognize the importance of physical, mental, and emotional balance for well-being.
- Reflective: Evaluate experiences and thoughts to contribute positively to personal learning and development.
3. Balanced Knowledge Acquisition
A broad, balanced, conceptual, and cohesive curriculum developed throughout all IB programs. The Continuum Programme allows students to delve into concepts and knowledge that underpin their learning. It promotes conceptual learning, creates frameworks that support knowledge acquisition, and focuses on important organizing ideas relevant to different disciplines, contributing to curriculum coherence.
The three programs offered by Xaloc share the goal of promoting international mindedness and developing the IB learner profile attributes. However, each has its own identity and elements tailored to each stage:
- In the PYP, learning aims to transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students explore six transdisciplinary themes of global significance across various subjects: who we are; where we are in place and time; how we express ourselves; how the world works; how we organize ourselves; and how we share the planet.
- In the MYP, students explore six global contexts in an interdisciplinary manner, developed and expanded from the PYP transdisciplinary themes: identities and relationships; personal and cultural expression; orientation in space and time; scientific and technical innovation; fairness and development; and globalization and sustainability.
- In the DP, the curriculum is organized into six subject groups and three core components: Theory of Knowledge; Creativity, Activity, Service; and the Extended Essay. All IB programs require the completion of a final project (the PYP Exhibition, the MYP Personal Project or Community Project, and the DP Extended Essay).
All IB programs require a final project: the PYP Exhibition, the MYP Personal Project, and the DP Extended Essay. These projects allow students to refine and demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and understanding.
4. Enhancement of Teacher Work
Teaching and learning approaches guide and focus the work of teachers and students. What is the best way to teach and the best way to learn? These approaches focus on inquiry, action, and reflection; conceptual understanding and global contexts; collaborative work, inclusive learning, and assessment, always emphasizing the teacher-student relationship. This relationship profoundly influences educational outcomes and is reinforced by personal tutoring, a fundamental pillar of Xaloc's educational project.
Teachers foster the various skills students need to forge their own path of knowledge: thinking skills, research skills, communication skills, social skills, and self-management skills. These skills ensure that students acquire the IB attributes.
Why Choose Xaloc
At Xaloc, we are convinced that education is the fundamental driver for making this world a better place by forming integral, caring, open-minded, and reflective individuals. The IB is a constantly evolving methodology with which we share this objective. All IB schools worldwide contribute to this common goal.
When we committed to the quality of the IB project, Xaloc was developing a series of innovative projects that needed a common axis. It was thanks to the IB methodology that we managed to coordinate these activities to achieve the best outcomes for our students and staff.
The Xaloc school team is proud of this achievement, which would have been impossible without the involvement of all teaching and non-teaching staff, families, and students. This success is also yours!