After several years of preparation, Vietnam Tinh Hoa (VNTH) has achieved recognition as an IB World School, joining a global network of over 5,700 schools worldwide.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a global standard in education that helps students attain the tools and skills to excel throughout their lives. The program is an integral part of VNTH’s entire approach to education, which includes academic rigor supported by North London Collegiate School International and prioritizes Vietnamese identity via language and culture.
To better understand how VNTH integrates the IB curriculum and its impact on the school’s philosophy of placing students at the center of learning while fostering critical thinking, curiosity, and a global mindset, Benjamin Brown, Deputy Head of Academics at VNTH, spoke with Saigoneer over email.
Introducing the IB System to Saigon Families
“Many families understand the concept of academic excellence, but not necessarily the philosophy behind the IB,” Ben notes. “So we start by explaining the 'why' before the ‘what.’ The IB nurtures independent thinkers, confident communicators and compassionate global citizens.” Indeed, while the IB Diploma awarded to students serves as proof of a mastery of subjects including the English language and critical thinking skills for university admissions offices around the world, that isn’t the entire point. The IB curriculum develops each student to be a multi-talented individual who values their ability to contribute to the communities around them.
Benjamin Brown, Deputy Head of Academics at VNTH, speaks to students during orientation.
Introducing the IB system is an exciting opportunity to strengthen the connections between families and VNTH. The school hosts parent workshops, open classrooms, bilingual communications, and one-to-one meetings so families can be active participants in the learning journey. “Most popular has been our ‘Window into Learning’ where parents received an introduction about inquiry-based learning by myself, and then got to sit in their child’s class and see it in action,” Ben shares.
The Role of English Rigor via North London Collegiate School
VNTH benefits from its profound relationship with North London Collegiate School (NLCS), which is a world-class IB Family of schools with 175 years of exceptional education in the UK, Korea, Dubai, Singapore and Kobe. NLCS provides support for implementing a curriculum framework that meets all the requirements of the National Curriculum for England and scaffolds the IB. The rigor and structure provided by NLCS’s formal standards balance the IB system’s more holistic and difficult to assess inquiry-based learning methods.
Ben is particularly well-suited to implement NLCS’s philosophies and standards for excellence throughout the school. A founding member of NLCS Jeju, he spent six years establishing a culture of academic rigor and high expectations. After time at Nord Anglia schools in Saigon and Guangzhou, he arrived at VNTH with a wealth of experience. “I came to VNTH because it offered a rare opportunity to help shape a young school with strong values and enormous potential. My focus is on building solid curriculum and assessment systems, raising academic standards, and ensuring every student is challenged, supported, and known as an individual. I want VNTH to become a place where rigorous learning, bilingual strength, and a warm community come together to give students the very best start,” he says.
Students celebrate the ending of the year.
Maintaining Vietnamese Identity
VNTH graduates will go on to exciting opportunities around the world, but they must do so without ever losing connection with their home and culture. A key component of this is Vietnamese fluency, which is developed naturally and mindfully in coordination with the IB and English curriculum. It may at first seem that achieving bilingual fluency while also pursuing the rigorous English curriculum requirements and IB system presents an overwhelming task, but it’s not only possible, but preferable. As Ben explains: “Bilingualism is an asset, not an obstacle.”
”The IB PYP values mother-tongue development because it strengthens cognitive growth, identity, and academic achievement. Vietnamese at VNTH is not simply a subject; it is a living language in the school, reflected in literature, cultural experiences, and classroom practice,” Ben continues. “Students learn to think, problem solve, and express themselves in both English and Vietnamese, giving them cognitive flexibility, stronger literacy skills, and a deeper connection to their heritage. This is an advantage unique to VNTH’s context.”
Achieving all the Vietnamese language and knowledge standards of students who attend local public schools has a profound impact on their ability to maintain ties to their communities. They can communicate fully and connect deeply with family members, friends, and neighbor,s which enables them to feel a part of their local communities.
Putting it All Together
Vietnam’s national curriculum, the English national curriculum, and the IB’s required interdisciplinary units can complement one another when designed and delivered carefully. Thanks in part to Ben’s significant experience with the programs, the best of all worlds can be blended.
For this blending to occur, NLCS’s teachers and leadership work together closely. “A key strength of our model is the partnership between Western and Vietnamese teachers,” Ben explains. ”Planning is done collaboratively. Teachers co-design units, share expertise, and align instructional approaches so that the learning experience is coherent across languages and subjects. Western teachers bring international pedagogical approaches and inquiry-led methodology, while Vietnamese teachers bring cultural insight and language expertise.” When it succeeds, students develop learning approaches that are both internationally minded and deeply connected to Vietnamese culture. Small class sizes and modern, purpose-built facilities, including the STEAM Lab, Makerspace, Art Studio, and Science Lab, assist in offering authentic learning opportunities.
The IB program, like the focus on Vietnamese language and culture, is intended for every student’s lifelong benefit as leaders, thinkers, and contributors. Ben says: “We want families to know that our goal is long-term: to help children grow as thinkers, collaborators and leaders, confident in who they are and prepared for the world they will inherit.”
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