++ Welcome to Markham College ++

The IB Programme is a comprehensive, two-year, pre-university course of study taught in over 119 countries and 1,400 schools around the world. It is a very demanding programme with an international perspective, emphasizing critical thinking and both written and oral communication. It is excellent preparation for any student planning to study at a university abroad, and students regularly receive credits or advanced placement after being accepted.

Many local universities in Lima now recognize the excellent preparation this Programme provides for university studies and several offer direct admissions to Markham students who have successfully completed the Programme. These universities include: Universidades Cayetano Heredia, Catolica, Del Pacifico, Ricardo Palma, Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, San Ignacio de Loyola, Escuela de Belles Artes, UNIFE del Norte (Trujillo), Universidad de Piura and Universidad de Lima.

The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) is based in Geneva, Switzerland and is administered from Cardiff, Wales, with offices worldwide. Our local office is based in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The organisation is administered in English, Spanish and French.

In the IB Programme, students follow six courses which must include a first and second language, mathematics, a science, a humanities subject and one other subject of their choice. Three of these courses must be studied at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. In addition, there are three further requirements for the award of this Diploma:

The Extended Essay – a 4,000 word research essay in any one of the six areas studied
Theory of Knowledge – (TOK) allows students to explore the different concepts of knowledge found within the subject areas. A student may be asked to explore the differences in problem solving of a mathematician with that of an artist or historian
CAS – student involvement in projects involving Creativity, Action and Service in real-life service to the community

Each course is assessed on a scale of 1-7 with a possible 3 other points for the additional requirements of the extended essay and TOK, making a maximum possible of 45 points. Students with a minimum of 24 points and above are awarded the IB Diploma.

Markham College is arguably the most successful IB Diploma school in Lima with the greatest number of Diplomas issued in Peru over the past 10 years. 100% of Markham students who finish the IB Programme receive the Diploma. The average score at Markham is almost 34 points, far above other schools in Lima, and well above the required 24 points worldwide.

Our students have been following the IB Programme since 1992. Admission is required into the IB Programme and is normally decided at the end of Secondary 4. Students who are admitted into the Programme must have obtained 6 Grades A-C in IGCSE courses including three Grades B or higher. The IB Programme at Markham is both challenging and comprehensive. It is designed for highly-motivated students who wish to attend the best universities worldwide.

Lateral Entry students from other colleges are accepted into the Markham IB Programme on a limited basis. For further information regarding the IB Programme at Markham please contact the IB Coordinator, Mr. Colin Bibby at: bibby@markham.edu.pe

The IGCSE examinations are a two-year course of study provided by Cambridge University for Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 students, ages 14 to 16. IGCSE courses are substantially skills-based and are assessed by a variety of different methods. There are written essay type examinations, oral and listening examinations (English, Spanish and French), practical examinations in Science and other subjects, and videos and CDs of student performance submitted in subjects such as Music and Physical Education. All examinations are independently marked by Cambridge University examiners.

Markham students write an average of ten subjects. All students are required to take a minimum of 9 examinations (other schools in Lima prepare for as few as 6 subjects) including First Language Spanish, First or Second Language English, Literature in both these languages, Mathematics, either Coordinated sciences or single Sciences (Biology, Chemistry and Physics), and three optional subjects from the following list: History, Geography, French, Art, Business Studies, Food and Nutrition, Design Technology, Music, Computer Studies, Information Technology and Physical Education. In practice, Extended Level Mathematics is passed by the vast majority of students in S3 and most students then follow the Additional Mathematics syllabus in S4.

The British Government uses the benchmark of 5 Grade A-C passes per student as an indicator of academic achievement. Currently, 57% of students in Britain pass five such examinations with Grades A-C. In 2007, 100% of Markham students who sat the IGCSE examinations passed.

This chart shows the unprecedented improvement in academic standards over the last 15 years at Markham. In this respect Markham has broken our own school record thirteen times, most recently in 2007. Our test scores are reflected in the work of all of our students, year after year. Our IGCSE test scores are one example of why Markham College is well known in Lima for outstanding academic success.