Subject groups

Language A: Language and Literature

Explore how language shapes meaning across literary and non-literary texts — interpretation, analysis, and confident communication across cultures and media.

Spanish ab initio

For beginners — or students with very little prior Spanish. Five themes (identities, experiences, human ingenuity, social organisation, sharing the planet) build receptive, productive and interactive skills.

Geography

Interactions between people, societies and physical processes across space and time — patterns, change, and sustainable planning from local to global scales.

History

World history with a comparative, multi-perspective approach — critical thinking, sources, and the concepts of change, continuity, causation and significance.

Digital Society

Interdisciplinary inquiry into digital systems — data, algorithms, media, AI and robotics — and their social, cultural and environmental impacts.

Business Management

Decision-making for a complex marketplace — creativity, change, ethics and sustainability across people, finance, marketing and operations.

Environmental Systems and Societies

ESS bridges sciences and individuals & societies. It can count for either group — or both — freeing a sixth subject choice when used as a dual count.

Design Technology

Inquiry and problem-solving through the design cycle — prototypes, systems and ethical design literacy for a shared planet. Can also satisfy Group 6 in some pathways.

Demanding practical load — map carefully with the IB Coordinator.

Biology

The study of life from micro to macro — experimental work, data, collaboration, and ethical awareness in a living world under pressure.

Chemistry

Experimental science linking the physical environment and biological systems — often a prerequisite for medicine and related tertiary pathways.

Physics

From particles to galaxies — models, observation, and the societal implications of how we understand and alter the natural world.

Environmental Systems and Societies

Also listed under Group 3 — systems thinking for 21st-century environmental challenges across scientific and social lenses.

Sports, Exercise and Health Science

Anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology and nutrition — laboratory and field investigations behind physical performance and health.

Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches

Strong emphasis on constructing and justifying mathematical arguments — form, structure, and links between concepts. Ideal where analytical depth is the goal.

Mathematics: Applications and Interpretation

Mathematics in context — modelling, technology and interpretation in a data-rich world. External assessments involve technology throughout.

Theatre

Make theatre as creators, designers, directors and performers — research, ensemble practice, and critical reflection across cultures and contexts.

Visual Arts

Challenge creative and cultural boundaries — technical skill, divergent thinking, and critical engagement with contemporary practices and media.

Music

Performer, creator and researcher in balance — diverse musical cultures, practical exploration, and industry-aware HL extension work.

Design Technology (arts pathway)

Where Design Technology is taken as the Group 6 option rather than a second Group 4 science — same design-cycle discipline, different slot in the Diploma map.