Recently published statistics show that International Baccalaureate students are performing well above the average at Cambridge in both Arts and Science courses, with IB Science students significantly outperforming the university average.

This comes just as the Royal Society recommends a review of A-levels to tackle the declining numbers of teenagers studying sciences.

The University of Cambridge produced the graphs below based on the 683 IB students admitted to Cambridge since 2005; about 140 of these are from Sevenoaks School. They show the recent performance of IB students in University exams at the end of the first three years.

The statistics reveal that IB scientists with 39 IB Diploma points and 766 at Higher Level start to outperform the university average, and suggest that an offer of 42 IB Diploma points with 776 at Higher Level for Science courses is significantly above the level required to achieve a First or 2:1. The average IB points score at Sevenoaks in 2010 was 39.5.

The depth and breath of the IB was also recognised in a new study published today by the Royal Society, which called for a Baccalaureate-style qualification to replace A-levels in the UK.

The ‘state of the nation’ report says that A-levels are limiting the numbers of students applying for science degrees, stating that, as universities prefer Science and Maths undergraduates to have taken more than one science subject, ‘it is clear that A-levels are not fit for purpose’.

Across the UK, just 17 per cent of 16- to 18-year-olds took one or more science A-levels in 2009, and British universities produce fewer than 10,000 science graduates each year.

The scientific institution suggests that a broader qualification, such as an ‘A-level based baccalaureate’, would give more teenagers the chance to pursue science and maths as part of a wider course of study, and refers to various approaches to post-16 education, including the IB.

It added that sciences and maths qualifications ‘build up the key scientific, technical and mathematical skills urgently required by “UK plc” in these tough economic times.’

The IB is a challenging Sixth Form course which combines academic rigour with breadth, demanding a strong commitment to learning and educating students across curriculum areas, thereby preparing them well for undergraduate study.