Following four years of planning and development, Oakleigh Grammar has been granted official status as an International Baccalaureate (IBO) World School.

Recognised globally, the school’s Middle Years Program (MYP) was accredited with the status last week, granting educators and students access to what the school described as “unparalleled educational resources”.

Principal Mark Robertson said that that the school’s status as an IBO World School was “a significant achievement”.

The newly-implemented program being offered to years 6 to 9, and year 10 in 2016, is a five-year project that places greater emphasis on the learner and the development of their learning skills.

The curriculum comprising of eight subject groups grants students a greater opportunity to explore different subject areas, enabling them to decide which streams they would like to pursue while completing their Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE).

Deputy principal Peter Cummins says they are already reaping the rewards of the program, so far having seen “a huge impact on student learning and achievement”.

More than 4,000 schools have opted to take part in the IBO program, a trend attributed to the emphasis placed on students’ personal development, encouraging them to make practical connections between their studies and the world around them.