IB Diploma Programme – Bishop Mackenzie International School

Get in Touch

Lesley Peacock

Secondary Principal l.peacock@bmis.mw

Jonathan McClenahan

DP Coordinator j.mcclenahan@bmis.mw

Richard Ellis

Student Support Coordinator r.ellis@bmis.mw

Our Approach

At BMIS, we offer three pre-university pathways for our students. With the support of our dedicated teachers, these programs allow students to select courses and core components that match their strengths and aspirations.

The first is the BMIS High School Diploma, which lasts four years from G9 to G12. Except in rare cases, all age-appropriate students will engage in this programme. Additionally, during G11 and G12, students pursue either the Diploma Courses Programme or the Full IB Diploma Programme, described in the High School Pathways Handbook. Our goal is to ensure that students have a positive and healthy experience in the DP or DCP while maximising academic attainment.

BMIS High School Diploma 23-24

High School Pathways Handbook 23-24

Secondary Student Parent Handbook 24-25

BMIS Diploma Programme Assessment Policy 23-24

The IB in BMIS

BMIS is the only school in Malawi to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma. This is a rigorous, academic, two-year pre-university programme designed to facilitate students’ international mobility and promote global-mindedness. A successful IB student will apply to universities and colleges worldwide with advantages over students who have taken less intensive programmes. DP students apply to more than 3,300 higher education institutions each year in close to 90 countries.

International research shows that there are many benefits to choosing the DP over other 16-19 curriculums. For example:

DP students enrol, persist and graduate at higher rates than the national average in a study about postsecondary outcomes of DP graduates in the United States.
IB students studying at higher education institutions in the United Kingdom have greater odds of achieving positive higher education outcomes than their A-level peers, according to a study comparing student performance
On average, DP alumni reported higher capacities for a variety of 21st-century skills compared to their non-DP counterparts according to a study in Asia-Pacific.

BMIS Subjects Choices:

BMIS offers a wide range of courses, including higher and standard-level IB courses and High School Diploma-level courses. There are literally thousands of variations on student selection, paving a multitude of pathways to possible careers. All courses are designed to be completed over two years, with the IB courses summatively graded by the IBO at the end of the two years and the HSD courses by BMIS teachers at the end of each year.

Studies in language and literature

English Language and Literature (HL and SL)

English Literature (HL and SL)

School-supported self-taught Literature mother tongue (SL)

Language acquisition

French B (HL and SL)

Spanish B (HL and SL)

Spanish ab initio (HL and SL)

Mathematics

Mathematics: analysis and approaches (HL and SL)

Mathematics: application and interpretation (SL and HSD)

Individuals and societies

Business Management (HL, SL and HSD)

Global Politics (HL and SL)

Environmental Systems and Societies (SL)

Sciences

Biology (HL and SL)

Chemistry (HL and SL)

Physics (HL and SL)

Design Technology (HL, SL and HSD)

Sport, Exercise and Health Science (HL and SL)

The Arts

Theatre (HL and SL)

Visual Arts (HL, SL and HSD)

Core Components

Career skills course (HSD)

The Extended Project Qualification (HSD)

Creativity, Activity and Service (DP)

Theory of Knowledge (DP)

The Extended Essay (DP)

DP: Students choose six courses, one from each subject group, three higher level and three standard level, to be completed over two years when they will sit the IB exams.DP students will also complete the Core Components of the DP: EE, TOK, CAS. DCP: Students choose five or six IBDP or HSD courses, zero to three at HL and the rest at SL, to be completed over two years. DCP students are expected to complete the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and may choose additional core components. Also, see IB-approved online course provider Pamoja at pamojaeducation.com for other online subjects available at BMIS. Note: annual subject selection is subject to availability due to course demand.

Note: The IB requires the use of a Graphical Display Calculator for the Mathematics exams in the Diploma and only some calculators are allowed. This is to ensure that a calculator is not being used which has the ability to store extra formulae so that some students have an advantage over others. All calculators used must be able to be put into an exam or test mode. We like all our students to use the same brand of calculators so that it is easier to illustrate the function being used as we can display a calculator on the screen and show the students exactly which sequence of buttons to use. We recommend the Casio FX-CG50 model. The slightly older models Casio FX 9860 GIII and Casio FX 9750 GIII are also appropriate. (Please note that the FX 9860 and the FX 9750 must be GIII not GII). These calculators are not readily available in Malawi or South Africa, so we understand that it might not be possible to buy one immediately. If you are leaving the country, you may be able to order one to an address abroad and bring it back to Malawi. They are available on Amazon and other online retailers. You may also be able to find someone else who is leaving the country who may be able to receive your package and bring it back. Other calculators allowed by the IB - all must have exam-mode feature: TI 84 Plus TI-Nspire (non-CAS models only) HP Prime NumWorks