Bruce, IFD Student

I am a recent student of IFD, which is the International Foundation Diploma.

There are eight components in the IFD: Foundation Mathematics, Introduction to
Business, Computer Science, Cultural Studies, Study and Communication Skills
(SCS), English for Academic Purposes (EAP), Developing English Language Skills
(DELS) and Advanced English Language Skills (AELS).

There are a lot of benefits to learning IFD at Chase Grammar School.

Mathematics, which I found quite easy, is useful in every undergraduate degree – it
teaches students how to use data to analyse and output different kinds of charts.
Business is a great subject, and I learned many new things from it, such as how to
run a business and how to make your business successful by analysing its SWOT,
PESTLE, and Porter’s Five Forces. Computer Science teaches plenty of theories,
giving students a basic understanding of computers and the potential
performance. Cultural Studies helped me to fit in the UK quickly, with its
assignments comparing the cultural differences in education and the workplace
between two countries (China and the UK), and the teaching was very interactional
with many discussions about the topics in our textbooks.

A special quality of the IFD are the four components within Study and
Communication Skills (SCS) and English for Academic Purposes (EAP), as these
feature elements which are not included in A-levels, but are invaluable throughout
our student career. SCS includes note-taking skills, academic essay writing, reading
techniques and revision strategy, while EAP is a subject which has been most
beneficial to me, by improving my academic writing skills. DELS and AELS are
exams which are sat in May, and these subjects are about grammar, idioms,
vocabulary, reading, writing and speaking. After learning these, you will find that your
English is so much better. When I started at Chase my IELTS level was 3.5, and I
have just taken my official IELTS and scored 6.5, which is enough with my IFD
scores to gain me a place at my chosen university – one of the top 10 Russell Group
universities in the UK.

The IFD is a course focused on language and academic skills, which is
good for students whose first language is not English. Also, the IFD only takes one
year to learn, saving time. Additionally, the course teaches you many things that
A-levels don’t, like note-taking skills, and academic writing. The quality of teaching is
outstanding, and I would highly recommend anyone to consider IFD.