INTERNATIONAL Baccalaureate students at Colchester Sixth Form College are celebrating a record-breaking year.

The college enrolled its first cohort of students for the International Baccalaureate Diploma course 16 years ago.

Adrian Frost, the college’s assistant principal, said the students broke records with their results this year compared to other schools across the world.

The prestigious course takes on a different approach to A Levels and is for those who wish to study a broader range of subjects.

The course, which is made up of four educational programmes, also encourages students get involved in a range of creative and charitable pursuits.

Students at Colchester Sixth Form College who have studied the IB, have gone on to graduate from some of the best universities across the country.

Mr Frost said: “Many of those first generation of students went on to considerable success at university and in employment and beyond.

“We are sure they would be glad to see their successors have continued to build upon their achievements, with another set of outstanding results achieved this summer.

“We are really proud of the students’ successes this year.

“As a group, the 18-year-old students at the college who passed the diploma have scored an impressive achievement level of an average of 32 points and a pass rate of over 96 per cent - even better than last year’s cohort.”

The International Baccalaureate is a worldwide qualification.

Mr Frost added: “In this context, the achievements of our students compares extremely well to the international average of 29 points and a pass rate of just 77 per cent.

“We are delighted to see a number of students achieve excellent grades. For example, Jess Wallis achieved a stunning 39 points, and is now taking up a place reading Law at Worcester College, Oxford in the autumn.”

Subjects covered include languages, sciences, maths, theory of knowledge and creativity, activity and service.

College principal Ian MacNaughton congratulated the students. He said: “The students should be proud of their success.

“It is pleasing to see so many of them moving on to such a wide range of opportunities, including places upon some of the very best university courses.”

“This is proving once again the value of the International Baccalaureate in developing students’ outlook and skills.”