Quick Answer for Busy Parents
At ACS Cobham, every student follows a shared eight-subject program in Grades 9 and 10, then chooses a pathway for Grades 11 and 12: the IB Diploma Programme, Advanced Placement courses (including the AP Capstone Diploma), or the US High School Diploma. The right choice depends on your child’s strengths, how they like to learn, and whether they’re aiming for UK, U.S., or other universities.
How ACS Cobham’s High School Is Structured
The choice doesn’t start on day one of high school, and that’s deliberate. In Grades 9 and 10, every student takes eight subjects: English, Mathematics, Languages, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education and Health, and two electives drawn from options like film, graphic design, ecology, introduction to engineering, computer science, and genetic engineering. Those two years give your child room to discover what they’re good at before committing.
By the end of Grade 10, families face the decision that shapes the final two years. It’s worth starting the conversation in Grade 9, not the spring of Grade 10.
The Three Pathways Compared
| IB Diploma Programme | Advanced Placement (AP) | US High School Diploma | |
| What it is | A two-year, broad diploma across multiple subjects with a single overall score out of 45 | College Board courses in individual subjects, with exams scored 1–5; plus the AP Capstone Diploma | An accredited American high school diploma |
| Best suited to | Students who like breadth and can sustain a demanding, balanced load | Students who want depth in chosen subjects and flexibility | Students who want a familiar American credential and course-by-course flexibility |
| ACS Cobham 2025 results | Average 35 points (world average 30); 97% pass rate; top score 44 | 208 AP students; 91% scored 3 or higher; average score 3.6 | Not reported as a separate exam result |
| University recognition | Accepted by all universities, per the school; IB points convert to UCAS points in the UK | Accepted by all universities, per the school, and increasingly popular for UK entry | Recognized by North American colleges |
The IB Diploma at ACS Cobham
The IB suits a student who enjoys connecting ideas across subjects and can manage a sustained, demanding workload. ACS Cobham’s 2025 cohort averaged 35 points, five above the world average. For bilingual students, the school’s EAL materials also point to the IB Bilingual Diploma.
Advanced Placement and AP Capstone
With more than 20 College Board AP courses, ACS Cobham lets students build depth where they’re strongest. In 2025, 91% of its 208 AP students scored 3 or higher. AP Capstone adds a research-and-seminar dimension for students who want to show independent inquiry.
The US High School Diploma
The accredited US diploma offers an American credential with course-by-course flexibility, and AP courses can be taken within it. For families who expect to return to the U.S., it keeps things simple.
Not Sure Which Pathway Fits?
We help families weigh their child’s strengths and university goals before the Grade 10 decision.
Matching the Pathway to Your Child’s University Goals
Where your child wants to land at 18 should drive this decision more than prestige. Most ACS Cobham graduates go to UK universities, roughly a third go to the U.S., and others study across Europe and beyond. If UK universities are the likely target, the IB’s UCAS points conversion is a clear advantage, though the school notes AP is increasingly accepted there too. If U.S. colleges are the goal, AP scores and the US diploma speak a language admissions offices know well. And if your child is genuinely undecided, ask how each pathway keeps doors open on both sides of the Atlantic.
Questions to Ask Before Grade 11
- Does my child thrive with breadth across many subjects, or depth in a few?
- How does my child handle long, sustained workloads versus subject-by-subject deadlines?
- Which countries are realistic university destinations for our family?
- Does my child speak a second language well enough to consider the IB Bilingual Diploma?
- What combinations of IB, AP, and diploma courses does the school currently allow for my child’s goals?
Making the Pathway Decision With Confidence
The pathway choice at ACS Cobham is less about picking the “best” program and more about knowing your child. A student who is honest about how they learn, and a family that’s clear about where they’re headed, almost always chooses well. We’re glad to help you think it through.
Plan the Grade 10 Decision Early
Talk with an advisor about your child’s strengths and the university paths each diploma supports.