IB Philosophy (Block B)

Applications Open: - Friday 7 November 2025

Applications Close: - Sunday 15 February 2026

Entry Requirements: - Dependent on course

How to Apply: - Please visit our website to make your application using the Applicaa system https://www.welcometonsfg.org.uk/sixthform/

Student profile

This course is for students who want to further develop their studies from the GCSE Religious Studies Course.

Students who have not studied Religious Studies will be considered but should have a desire to develop:

- an inquiring and intellectually curious way of thinking

- an appreciation for the diversity of approaches within philosophical thinking

- an application of their philosophical knowledge and skills to the world around them.

Why this course?

This Philosophy course provides an opportunity for students to engage with some of the world’s most interesting and influential thinkers. It also develops highly transferable skills (see the list below). The emphasis is on ‘doing philosophy’, that is, on actively engaging students in philosophical activity. The course is focused on stimulating students’ intellectual curiosity and encouraging them to examine both their own perspectives and those of others.

Skills developed: knowledge and understanding, application and analysis, synthesis and evaluation, selection, use and application of appropriate skills and techniques, thinking and research skills, comprehension, text analysis, use of primary sources, ability to formulate arguments clearly ability to make reasoned judgments to evaluate highly complex and multifaceted issues.

Assessment on the course is both internal and external. The external element consists of three written exam papers and accounts for 80% of the final grade.

External assessment:

Paper 1: 2.5 hours 40% Paper 2: 1 hour 20% Paper 3: 1.25 hours 20%

Internal Assessment:

In the internal assessment students are required to complete a philosophical analysis of a non-philosophical stimulus. It accounts for 20% of the final grade.

GENERIC IB ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: 5 GCSE'S 4-9, including English Language

SUBJECT SPECIFIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS: Grade 5 in GCSE Religious Studies. We will consider students who have not taken GCSE Religious Studies but have a Grade 5 in GCSE English Literature and a passion for the subject.

Undergraduate studies in Religion, Philosophy and/or Ethics. A qualification in Philosophy doesn’t limit you to just this subject area, it can lead to other opportunities such as: law, teaching, police work, social work, civil service, charity officer, youth worker and many more.