International Baccalaureate
Scotch College offers students the opportunity to study the International Baccalaureate. The International Baccalaureate is a broad-based curriculum with exciting 21st century relevance.
Scotch College is proud to offer all three programmes: the Primary Years Programme in the Junior School for Kindergarten to Year 5, the Middle Years Programme in the Middle School for Years 6 to 8 and the Diploma Programme, which is an alternative programme to the Western Australian Certificate of Education programme for Years 11 to 12.
The International Baccalaureate has an international reputation for offering the highest quality education, promoting an international mindedness and a positive approach to classroom learning.
Learning and academic support
At Scotch, we acknowledge that all students are entitled to rigorous, relevant and engaging learning opportunities that support their social, emotional and intellectual needs.
Students with learning challenges
For our students who have been identified with potential difficulties and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) (for example dyslexia, language-based dysgraphia, motor-based dysgraphia, ADHD, autism spectrum disorder), Academic Support offers opportunities to promote and support progress, self-advocacy and confidence.
Our support staff
The Years 9–12 Academic Support Team is made up of teachers and Educational Assistants (EAs) who work closely with the student, subject teachers, psychologists and parents, to ensure all assistance and feedback is current, relevant, inclusive and flexible. The team utilises information from a variety of sources to supplement a successful, learning pathway.
Learning support programmes
We draw on best practice when students need support in their understanding of content via targeted, differentiated programmes.
Three such innovations include:
- Before-school tutoring – an organised, safe place for students to receive help from teachers, EAs and selected Year 12 peer tutors to support and consolidate their understanding.
- Case Manager (CM) – for boys identified with a SLD, we provide 1–1 meetings with a qualified support teacher to discuss management strategies, the potential challenges of SLD and ways to best navigate the consequences of managing academics and learning. A CM will discuss the best approaches to specific accommodations for timed assessments and exams.
- Targeted workshops – these small and effective group workshops focus on an identified challenge and promote specific strategies to assist and consolidate understanding.
Our ongoing collaborations with students, parents, teachers, EAs and the College psychologists provide invaluable guidance with the provision of these programmes, particularly in regards to the often complex, social and emotional needs of our students who may find learning challenging.
Contact us
Please contact Libby Muddle, Head of Academic Support in Senior School, libby.muddle@scotch.wa.edu.au if you have any queries regarding the programme.
Tàlantach: gifted and talented programme
Tàlantach | Adjective · talented · gifted [Scottish Gaelic]
For our students identified as gifted and talented, our Tàlantach programme offers an expansive range of academic enrichment, extension and acceleration opportunities.
Our Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12 Head of Enrichment, Sam Sterrett, works closely with our Enrichment Leadership Team, to ensure this identification process is inclusive and flexible.
Students identified for the Tàlantach programme join a strong academic culture that promotes curiosity, excellence and creativity, but more importantly, intellectual humility and a service mindset. We encourage our students to take opportunities that build on their strengths but also challenge them to go beyond their comfort zone.
Tàlantach programmes
We draw on best practice in the field of gifted and talented education via targeted, differentiated and innovative educational programmes.
Two such innovations include:
- Our Scholar in Residence delivers a range of inter-disciplinary courses for our most academically talented students across all three sub-schools. This promotes intellectual curiosity and higher-order thinking skills.
- The Connect to Create programme sees Year 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma students design, create and manage passion projects for like-minded Junior School students. This vertical integration helps our students feel socially connected and understood.
International collaborations
Our ongoing collaborations with the Stanford International Institutes and The Nueva School provide invaluable guidance with the provision of these programmes, particularly in regards to the often complex social and emotional needs of our most gifted students.
Contact us
Please contact Sam Sterrett, Head of Enrichment, Sam.Sterrett@scotch.wa.edu.au if you have any queries regarding the programme.
Cognitive Curriculum
Our students will inherit a rapidly changing world. To prepare them to adapt, we place as much importance on how they learn as what they learn and have developed a Cognitive Curriculum that is incorporated into every subject, at every year level. Our approach to learning nurtures:
- communication;
- self-management;
- research;
- thinking; and
- social skills.
In great detail, your child will study the subject that will have the biggest impact on his future: themselves. They will learn what their learning style is, where they create obstacles for themselves and how to overcome them. Step by step, they will be guided through how to develop perseverance and mindfulness, how to problem solve and think laterally. They will learn how to lead and collaborate, resolve conflict and build consensus. They will become more engaged learners with the skills to embrace change.
For more information on Cognitive Curriculum, we encourage you to visit and explore our dedicated Teaching and Learning site. Alternatively, visit our specific course information page.
Through the Cognitive Curriculum, your child will "learn how to learn".
