IB Sports, exercise and health science, I salute you!

The International Baccalaureate Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL) are changing. A new course will be first taught in August 2024 and first assessed in summer 2026, replacing the existing IB Sport, exercise and health science course that was first assessed at SL in 2014 and HL in 2018.

IB SEHS is a very popular course amongst UK independent schools (in the region of 95 schools offer it in the UK) and also international schools all over the world. In fact, IB SEHS is at least a solid competitor to A-level PE in these types of institutions and, for this reason, is worthy of the entire PE sector’s attention.

The IB diploma system operates differently to the A-level system. The course is presented as six academic areas enclosing a central core. Students study two modern languages (or a modern language and a classical language), a humanities or social science subject, an experimental science, mathematics and one of the creative arts. Instead of an arts subject, students can choose two subjects from another area. Interestingly, from August 2024, IB SEHS will sit alongside biology, chemistry and physics as an experimental science subject:

Therefore, IB SEHS is not attempting to be “another PE course”. No! It is clearly identified itself as an experimental science and stands tall as an equivalent experience to core science subjects. This is to be applauded and, in my opinion, admired. 

Take a look at these images below that I have (somewhat randomly) selected from the IB SEHS (first assessment 2026) guidance:

 What is my opinion of the new IB SEHS? 

1. The new IB course does what it claims.
   IB are proud to state that SHES is a science and the course guidance, assessments and content reflect this. I applaud IB for this.
   
   
2. The new IB course is aspirational.
   The course is not attempting to be “accessible” or “inclusive” in terms of rigour. Rather, it is aspirational and very rigorous. We need this in our sector. We need leadership in every area of our subject domain and IB is achieving this here.
   
   
3. The new IB course excites scientific PE teachers.
   Those of us who teach both core science and PE will be excited by this course. It is true that it is challenging. I find it challenging. But this is good! We need challenge. 
   
   
4. The new IB course will be taught by both PE and science teachers.
   In most settings, schools will not have an individual teacher or team of teachers that currently has the skill set and application experience to teach this course. Therefore, significant training demands (see point 5) will be placed on both PE and science teachers who will undoubtedly take shared responsibility for the course in many centres.
   
   
5. The new IB course requires significant training for current teachers of PE, sport or the existing IB SEHS course.

 What happens next? 

Within centres, teachers will begin preparing their schemes of work, experimental structures and assessment models. Here at The EverLearner Ltd, we will begin creating the entire IB SEHS courses ready for use in advance of August 2024. We have a team of four PE teachers, including me, working on this project and we are deeply excited to be creating it for you. Interestingly, we are also about to launch the CIE AS PE course and will be emailing teachers when it is live. Therefore, international schools will have a robust combination of courses via our service.

If you are interested in our new IB SEHS course, please register to receive updates below:

Thank you for reading. I would value receiving your comments below.

James.