International Baccalaureate
Sancta Maria International Schools at Faridabad and Hyderabad Aerocity offer curriculum that is aligned with the philosophy and framework of the International Baccalaureate (IB). For families choosing a school that will prepare their child for life anywhere in the world, the IB represents the gold standard in international education. It is rigorous in its academic expectations, rich in its human values, and recognised by universities across every continent.
What Is the International Baccalaureate?
The International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) is a non-profit educational foundation established in Geneva in 1968. Today, more than 5,800 schools in over 160 countries offer one or more IB programmes. The IB is not simply a curriculum, but a philosophy of education that believes learning is most powerful when it is inquiry-driven, concept-based, and connected to the real world.
IB students are taught to think, not just to memorise. They learn to ask meaningful questions, evaluate evidence, reflect on their own assumptions, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. The result is a learner who is genuinely prepared and not merely examined.
Why IB?
IB graduates are accepted at leading universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Europe, and beyond. Many universities award advanced standing or course credits to students who complete the IB Diploma Programme, recognising the rigour and depth of IB study.
IB students are taught to think, not just to memorise. They learn to ask meaningful questions, evaluate evidence, reflect on their own assumptions, and approach problems from multiple perspectives. The result is a learner who is genuinely prepared and not merely examined.
The IB Continuum: A Connected Learning Journey
The IB offers a continuum of programmes spanning a child's entire schooling, from the early years through to university entry. At Sancta Maria Aerocity, our curriculum is designed around this continuum, ensuring each stage builds intentionally on the last. At Sancta Maria Faridabad, we offer the PYP and the DP, but currently not the MYP.
Primary Years Programme (PYP): Early Years to Grade 5
The PYP shapes the learning of children aged 3 to 12. It is an inquiry-led, transdisciplinary programme in which students explore big ideas across subject areas rather than learning in subject silos. Six transdisciplinary themes structure the curriculum:
- Who We Are
- Where We Are in Place and Time
- How We Express Ourselves
- How the World Works
- How We Organise Ourselves
- Sharing the Planet
Within each theme, students investigate meaningful questions collaboratively, developing knowledge, conceptual understanding, skills, and dispositions to become lifelong learners. The PYP culminates in the PYP Exhibition, which is a student-led inquiry that demonstrates the capacity to take action on something that matters.
Middle Years Programme (MYP): Grades 6 to 10
The MYP serves students aged 11 to 16, building on the curiosity and inquiry habits developed in the PYP. Across eight subject groups — Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Physical and Health Education, and Design — students develop depth and rigour whilst maintaining connections across disciplines through interdisciplinary units.
The MYP places particular emphasis on conceptual understanding, applying knowledge in unfamiliar contexts, and developing approaches to learning that will serve students throughout life. At the end of Grade 10, students may complete the MYP Certificate, an internationally recognised qualification assessed by the IBO.
Diploma Programme (DP): Grades 11 to 12
The IB Diploma Programme is among the most respected pre-university qualifications in the world. Students study six subjects from six groups — three at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL) — developing both breadth and depth. All DP students also complete three core elements:
- Theory of Knowledge (TOK): a philosophical enquiry into how we know what we claim to know
- Extended Essay (EE): an independent research essay of up to 4,000 words
- Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS): structured engagement beyond the classroom
The IB Diploma is marked on a scale of 1 to 45 and is accepted by over 4,500 universities worldwide. Top universities in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Singapore, the Netherlands, and across Asia actively seek IB Diploma holders.
Sancta Maria Class of 2025 — Destinations
Our graduates have gone on to universities including King's College London, Imperial College London, the University of Toronto, Purdue University, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Colorado — across four continents.
Inquiry-Based Learning: What It Looks Like at Sancta Maria
Inquiry-based learning is often misunderstood as unstructured or teacher-free. In reality, effective inquiry at Sancta Maria is carefully structured by expert teachers who create the conditions for deep thinking and genuine discovery.
- Students begin with a provocation, which could be an image, a question, a problem, or a story, that sparks curiosity
- They identify what they know, what they want to know, and what they need to find out
- They investigate through research, experimentation, discussion, and reflection
- They synthesise and communicate their understanding in a meaningful way
- They reflect on what they have learned and how their thinking has changed
This approach builds habits of mind that are essential in a world where information is abundant, but wisdom is scarce: the ability to ask better questions, evaluate evidence critically, and learn independently.
A Note for Families New to IB
If your child is joining Sancta Maria from a national curriculum school, whether in India, Vietnam, the Philippines, or elsewhere, our admissions and pastoral teams offer dedicated transition support. The IB asks students to think differently, and our teachers are trained to guide that journey with patience and expertise.
Sancta Maria International School, Aerocity
Sancta Maria International School, Faridabad
Sancta Maria International School, Hyderabad
General Enquiry: enquiry@sanctamaria.in
Careers: apply@sanctamaria.in
