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When my twins started elementary school in Miami, they studied the national Common Core curriculum at a typical American school. However, when we relocated to the UK, as an educator myself, I knew that I wanted an International Baccalaureate (IB) education for all of my children moving forward.
That is why I specifically chose ACS International School Egham for our three children. This meant that my youngest son would be able to start the program in his first year of formal education, and my older twins could start the IB in middle school.
Our twins, both now 18, have just completed their final year of the IB program and will attend university. We plan for our younger son, now 13, to remain at ACS Egham until he graduates.
I grew up traveling from one school to the next. By the time I graduated, I had been through nine schools all over the world. Similar to an IB education, I was used to being exposed to diverse cultures at school, which consequently meant that I felt comfortable in any school environment.
So, when it came to my own children's education, I wanted them to learn in as multicultural an environment as possible. Very few schools offer as much diversity as an IB school does because it naturally attracts people from all over the world, which was a big pull for me.
I like the way that the IB is taught, which enables my children to really engage with their studies. They do not just receive information from their teachers and then regurgitate it in final exams.
Instead, they are active participants in their learning since they are given opportunities in their lessons to collaborate with and question their teachers daily.
The IB pushes young people to think differently, independently, and critically in ways that other curriculums do not.
One of the benefits of the IB, especially for my younger son, is that it reduces the mounting stress that often comes with the intense final weeks of exams.
Throughout the IB, there isn't just one test, but instead many different types of assessments that reflect the different ways people learn, which also gives a broader picture of every child's abilities.
In those middle years at school, children are supposed to be focussing on learning and developing key skills. Thankfully, my son is doing exactly this instead of pulling his hair out about his grades, which I think is a much healthier way to be.
While my older twins have found the IB challenging, the program has also nurtured their passion for learning, encouraging their intellectual curiosity. This, in turn, has fostered a desire to dedicate themselves more to their studies. They're both thriving as a result: The IB has enabled them to apply to top universities, including Cambridge and Oxford.
Because students complete incredibly hard work across a wide range of subjects, they are better prepared for the rigorous level of university study — compared to their peers who may have followed a different curriculum.
This is because an IB school gets students involved in group projects, independent research, and advanced writing assignments throughout their education.
I can truly say the IB has prepared my children extremely well for the workplace by instilling in them the soft skills most valued by employers.
Thanks to the diversity of their classmates — and the collaborative and unique teaching style of the IB — my children are already confident and articulate individuals who are open-minded, capable of thinking outside the box, and able to challenge information presented to them.
Sending my children to ACS Egham is the largest financial investment we have ever made as a family. Of course, we have the privilege of making this choice, but we believe that it is the best and most important investment we will ever make.
