ASIB Bi-annual Conference 2019 at SSHL

Last week, SSHL had the pleasure of playing host to the Association of Swedish International Baccalaureate Schools (ASIB) biannual conference, a prestigious event where Heads and IB coordinators from Swedish IB schools around the country come together to discuss pressing common interests and share examples of outstanding practice.

Hosted by SSHL’s IB pedagogical leadership team, the two day conference attracted around seventy IB educators working with all the schools educational programmes in Sweden and also some extra delegates from within our wider nordic network.

Distinguished speakers and student performances

After an opening speech by Ian Gavin, Vice Principal at SSHL and IB school head, one of our IB parents, Lena Ramfelt, an experienced educator herself at Stanford University and the Stockholm School of Economics led a transformative keynote and numerous follow up sessions about how developing some entrepreneurial thinking could benefit us all as decision makers with an interest in international education.

This was followed by an outstanding presentation by Jonas Eriksson, Sigtuna resident, entrepreneur and former FIFA referee on using teamwork to make decisions when under pressure. Feedback on both sessions was very positive.

Throughout the morning, SSHL students represented the school showing off their musical and dramatic talents as well as exhibiting some of their outstanding MYP personal project work.

IB heads of SSHL: Kerry Browning, Ian Gavin and Eva Fellin.

Breakout sessions

In addition to formal keynote sessions, a series of breakout sessions were led by Eva Fellin and Kerry Browning, SSHL’s MYP and DP Coordinators respectively, along with Ian Gavin and Marlene Mumford from ISLK in Lund, who led PYP sessions. They were supported by Katrin Fox and Jon Sauer, who both work for the IBO and are based in the Hague.

The aim of the breakout sessions was to meet with colleagues working in similar roles in other Swedish IB world schools and discuss some of the most pertinent issues that face us all, as schools working in similar contexts. As always, hot topics for discussions was national recognition of the IB by the Swedish educational authorities and the latest updates on UHR’s conversion scores for IB Diploma students who will be applying for Swedish Universities.

Also, there were very constructive discussions and shared ideas about how the new changes in the Diploma Mathematics curriculum could affect us and students about to undertake the diploma.

Great dinner and on-campus food

As always, one of the highlights of the conference is the dinner, which this year was hosted at Sigtunahöjden. An outstanding venue, the dinner always affords conference delegates the opportunity to mingle with old friends and colleagues and also talk about specific issues that are not scheduled. However, delegates were also very impressed with the quality of food throughout their time on campus, something that SSHL prides itself on.

SSHL is a unique venue

As the only boarding school in Sweden that offers an IB education, SSHL provided a unique backdrop for the conference and the fantastic campus like feel of the school was something that impressed all delegates. Most were treated to guided tours of the campus by their respective group leaders.

Ian Gavin, along with Björn Swartling, former Vice Principal at SSHL and now Programme Head for IB at Katedralskolan in Uppsala treated all the heads of school to a special tour of Kvarnbranten. Björn’s fantastic knowledge of the school was an amazing resource for all delegates. In addition, Björn and Ian fielded questions about what it was like to work as school leaders in a boarding school in a uniquely Swedish context.

A huge success overall

Overall, the conference was described by all delegates as a huge success. Thanks to particularly Kerry Browning and Eva Fellin who undertook most of the arduous planning and preparation, but also to all SSHL staff and students who made things work and made the delegates so welcome.

As always SSHL staff and students showed the school in its best light and gave all the visitors a memorable conference. While we are confident that the next conference at ISLK Lund will be a huge success, the bar has been set high and we wish them good luck and look forward to joining them in two years time.

The IB Diploma Programme is our most international programme and is established in over 140 countries around the world. All teaching on the programme is in English. SSHL was one of the first schools in Sweden to implement the IB Diploma Programme. Our long experience of the programme, together with the dedicated help of skilled teachers, makes it possible for students to reach their academic potential. The vast majority of our teachers have English as their mother tongue. Read more