June School Support Officer update
As we reach the end of the academic year, I have been, as any true IB student would be, reflecting on what has been my first full year as IBSCA School Support Officer! Throughout the year, I have been incredibly grateful for the openness and engagement shown by members, and it has been a welcome change for me to support schools through a range of conversations around the day-to-day realities of leading IB programmes in our UK member schools. School visits, online consultations, and ongoing dialogue with coordinators and senior leaders have all reinforced the value of ensuring IBSCA remains a ‘go to’ community for support and collaboration.
A particular focus this term has been supporting schools and colleges at the various stages of their implementation and evaluation cycles. It has been a pleasure to work alongside schools preparing for authorisation and evaluation visits, discussing everything from curriculum planning and documentation to strategic development and programme coherence. These conversations have highlighted the enormous commitment and professionalism that exists across our network and have provided valuable opportunities to share ideas and reassure colleagues as they navigate what can often feel like complex processes. Alongside this, recruitment continues to be an area of concern for many members, and work on developing practical marketing resources and templates tailored to the UK context is continuing.
Within the programme communities, it has been especially rewarding to continue supporting the IBCP network as schools work through the implementation of the new iteration of the CP Core. The willingness of colleagues to share ideas, raise questions, and support one another has once again demonstrated the strength of our community. Alongside this, I have enjoyed supporting the planning and delivery of the DP/CP Conference and contributing to preparations for future events, all of which continue to provide valuable opportunities for professional dialogue and the sharing of effective practice. More recently, it was fantastic to attend and support the MYP Conference as a panel chair, exploring the theme of how we ‘market’ the MYP within our own school communities. The discussions highlighted the importance of articulating the value of the programme clearly and ensuring that students, parents, and colleagues fully understand the distinctive opportunities that the MYP provides.
Alongside direct school support, we have also begun exploring ways to broaden the professional learning opportunities available to members beyond conferences and community meetings. Work has started on the development of think pieces, reflective articles, and new approaches to sharing expertise across the network. There are also some exciting early conversations taking place around the creation of an IBSCA podcast series, which has the potential to celebrate practice and further strengthen connections between members- watch this space!
As always, my work remains centred on supporting individual schools and colleges while helping to develop resources and opportunities that benefit the wider community. Thank you to everyone who has reached out, shared experiences, and contributed ideas over the past year. It has been a genuine privilege to undertake this role in its first year, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside you all as we strengthen IB education across the UK.
Leanne Gibbons
School Support Officer, IBSCA