Teachers, gardeners and PAs are among those who most enjoy their jobs, according to our survey of surveys. See if your profession features, and if not let us know how you feel about your 9-5
Engineers have the happiest job in the world, closely followed by teachers and nurses, according to analysis carried out by the Guardian.
We looked at nine different surveys conducted to find the occupations that make us happiest, and then did our own survey of these surveys, looking for the professions that appeared most often in the top 10 of each study.
Farm workers, hairdressers and beauticians narrowly missed out being included, as did members of the clergy.
Interestingly, we didn’t discover a link between a high salary and happiness, with occupations such as gardeners, personal assistants and construction workers also making it on to our list.
So what, in fact, does make a job a happy one? We spoke to workers doing the happiest jobs in the world to find out.
Engineer
Appears in: six out of nine surveys. Highest rank: second. Typical salary: around £40,000.
Test engineer Adam ClaytonWhat makes you so happy? “Coming up with new designs that offer solutions to industry problems – and seeing my designs transferred into a commercial reality,” says Stuart Berry, a tooling engineer at Brandauer, a specialist precision stamper and pressworker in Birmingham. “I get a lot of freedom to test my ideas, have access to state-of-the-art technology and I’m learning new skills on a daily basis.”
“I am working in a field that significantly crosses over with my hobbies, so most of the time, my work doesn’t really feel like work,” says Adam Clayton, a test engineer for luxury and sports car manufacturers at quality and safety experts Intertek Transportation Technologies. “Every day brings a new challenge, and I find it particularly satisfying to watch or read a five-star review of a vehicle that I have had a role in testing components for, and know I had a small part in its creation.”
“I love working in a team,” says Dr Esther Hills, an engineer for BP fuels. “My role also requires a high level of precision and attention to technical detail, which I find very rewarding, and I like being able to work across a wide variety of engine projects. It all offers something different day-to-day.”
Teacher
Appears in: five out of nine surveys. Highest rank: first. Typical salary: around £30,000.
Special education tutor Vanessa CorreiaWhat makes you so happy? “The lightbulb moments – watching children make leaps in learning,” says Karina Thompson, a reception teacher at Greenleaf School. Plus, she says, working with children keeps you young: “There are many laugh out loud moments during your day, and I love the variety and creativity of the job – you can be doing drama in the morning, pretending you are a superhero, then demonstrating gymnastics jumps, then the next lesson is life in Roman Britain.”
“Young people are great to work with,” agrees Dougal Hand, head of sixth form at Emmanuel School in London. “They have humour, intelligence and generally want to make the world a better place.”
Meanwhile, Martine Monksfield, a teacher of the deaf at Whitehall Primary School, sees teaching as an opportunity to change society for the better. “As a deaf person myself, I can emphasise with deaf children easily, as I have been through ‘the system’ myself.
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“When they’re looking confused or lost I know what it means to not understand what is going on around them. I like to think I am making a difference to their education and I enjoy seeing them achieve their potential.”
For Kathryn Bowers, a teacher of autistic children at the Puzzle Centre in Buckinghamshire, “there is nothing more wonderful than seeing children achieve and progress. Many of our children start with limited interaction skills and often with virtually no methods to communicate.
“Knowing that you’ve helped make a difference to that child and that family is tremendously rewarding.”
Vanessa Correia, a special education tutor for Action for Kids, agrees: “Showing the future generations that just because you have a disability doesn’t mean you can’t live a normal life like anyone else – that’s what makes me happy. Every day, I go home with a permanent smile on my face.”
Nurse
Appears in: five out of nine surveys. Highest rank: sixth. Typical salary: around £26,000. What makes you so happy? “When you feel you have made a real positive impact on the patient,” says Joanne Upton, a skin cancer nurse at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Merseyside. “I meet some fantastic people every day and as cliched as it may sound, they really are inspirational people.”
Skin cancer nurse Joanne UptonFor cosmetic surgery nurse Lindsey Silker, it’s “seeing patients transform and blossom”.
“For so many different reasons people are desperately unhappy with a physical feature and it’s so rewarding to see them happy, looking great and feeling confident when they come back to the clinic for their follow up consultation,” she says.
Jessica Carrodeguas, a nurse at the children’s hospice charity Shooting Star Chase, says: “Every day, you go home and you know you’ve helped a sick child and their family – you’ve made a difference. ”
Unlike other nursing jobs, the charity’s hospice nurses are allocated just one child to look after. “You really get to know the child and their family,” Carrodeguas says. “Plus, it’s less rushed than nursing in a hospital and you get to do fun activities with the children. And from a professional perspective, you are constantly learning about lots of different conditions and hospital equipment.”
Dr Dan Cooper from the International Medical Corps’ Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra LeoneAppears in: four out of nine surveys. Highest rank: first. Typical salary: around £70,000. What makes you so happy? “I get the opportunity to meet fascinating patients and improve their quality of life,” says Dr Kevin Dynan, consultant geriatrician in the Ulster Hospital. “Being part of a team adds to the job satisfaction – my work is never boring and my working days are often quite different. Sometimes I lead a ward round, other days I attend outpatient clinics or I have to drop everything and rush to A&E.”
Professor David Gartry, an eye surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, finds his job equally exciting: “The progress being made [in my field of medicine] is rapid and seemingly exponential in its rate of change – and restoring or improving vision for patients must be the most rewarding surgery that any doctor can perform.”
Dr Dan Cooper, who is currently based at International Medical Corps’ Ebola Treatment Centre in Sierra Leone, agrees that a doctor’s work results in enormous personal satisfaction: “I’m getting the opportunity to use my skills and training to try to make a genuine difference to individuals and a community in great need. It is exactly the job I dreamed of doing when I was a naive and idealistic medical student.”
Gardener Innes SmithHighest rank: first. Typical salary: around £18,000. What makes you so happy? “Gardening is so freeing – being outdoors and working with nature and the changing seasons,” says Susie Atterbury, a horticulturist for the Therapy Garden, a community garden near Guildford.
“The variety is what I love,” agrees Innes Smith, gardener at the Atholl Palace Hotel in Pitlochry. “Every hour of every day is different and the scenery is spectacular.”
Will Sandy, creator of landscape architecture and urban design company The Edible Bus Stop, agrees: “I like to create installations that challenge the norm and demonstrate that even the most brutal of landscapes can be transformed by nature. To return the next day and see the difference you’ve made is always exciting.”
For Robert Sayers, the most enjoyable aspect of his work is witnessing the therapeutic, transformative effects of gardening on others. He helps to run Putting Down Roots, a gardening group run by St Mungo’s Broadway for people who are homeless. “One client said to me recently that ‘gardening gives me a reason to get up in the morning’. It’s not hard to love going to work and hearing comments like that every day.”
Construction worker
Appears: three times. Highest rank: second. Typical salary: around £27,000.
Hayley Chilton, construction worker for Barratt HomesWhat makes you so happy? “Working in the fresh air and with a wide range of skilled people,” says Hayley Chilton, a construction worker for Barratt Homes. “There is never a dull moment in construction, and a lot of satisfaction to be had in creating something from scratch. Handing over the finished product, especially to a first-time buyer, is incredibly rewarding.”
Paul Findlay, who works for Bargate Homes, agrees: “The best part for me is when you get to hand over a house, knowing that everything is how they want it. It’s quite a buzz.”
He also enjoys seeing the physical results of his labour. “I love the idea that in 20 years’ time I’ll be able to drive around the region looking at homes and saying, ‘I built that’.
“Plus, at the moment, when we’re experiencing a boom, there’s job security and the knowledge that I can provide for my family.”
Personal assistant
Appears: three times. Highest rank: fifth. Typical salary: around £20,000.
Meghan Kerr from charity Prostate Cancer UK“As secretary to the chief executive, I get an insight into all aspects of the organisation’s work, which means I can see the big picture,” says Meaghan Kerr, who works for the charity Prostate Cancer UK. “I really enjoy supporting the chief exec, so that he can achieve more with his time. Every day is different and you have to be organised and prioritise work, which I like doing. It’s a satisfying and fulfilling job.”
Christie Hylton, a PA at TSB bank, says the key to being happy as a secretary is “finding your match”: “You spend so much time with the people you work for, arranging their lives, and it can get very intense – so it’s important they appreciate you. I am an incredibly busy person and I get a lot of satisfaction out of helping the people I work for and making their day easier. The work is very diverse, and there are new challenges everyday, but it’s the people that I work with who make me happy in my job.”
● What makes you happy at work? Do you work in one of our happiest occupations, and if so how happy are you? Do you think other occupations should be on our list? Please share your views with other Guardian readers.
* Surveys included were from the Cabinet Office, Career Bliss 2014 and 2015, City and Guild 2012 and 2013, Gallop, the University of Chicago, LV=, and research conducted for the Guardian by IBM Analytics. Some surveys were more specific about occupations they listed than others so broad definitions of each job had to be used for comparison purposes. Typical salaries based on mean incomes listed by the Cabinet Office in 2014.
In an increasingly globalised world, where national boundaries are becoming less and less relevant, an international education appears an ever more enticing prospect. And for its devotees, there is no qualification more appropriate to the modern age than the International Baccalaureate.
“It is an international approach to a globalised world,” says Katy Ricks, head of Sevenoaks School in Kent. “I think that is absolutely vital for the future.” Sevenoaks has offered the IB diploma for more than 30 years, at first alongside A-levels before focusing just on the IB from 2006.
And the breadth of its outlook is a key part of its appeal. “Students learn to look at things not just from a British perspective. The IB has an international element built into the curriculum,” says Dr Ricks. “They are thinking about other languages and other countries’ histories. They’re thinking about literature in translation and studying economics and geography from other vantage points. It fosters a genuine global understanding.”
While A-level students typically take three or four subjects and are free to focus on either the humanities or the sciences, the IB diploma requires a mix of disciplines. Students must take at least one science, maths, a language, their native literature and a humanities subject, in addition to the IB’s core elements (see below). This aims to ensure students do not become too narrowly focused, says Dr Ricks.
“It is a balanced curriculum and all areas of the brain are engaged,” she says. The IB also involves a different style of teaching to A-levels, she adds, focusing on more open-ended inquiry to promote independent thinking.
• Students feel benefits of an online MBA - even before graduation • Distance learning is now open to all thanks to the internet
This, along with the research skills required for the extended essay, helps make it a good preparation for university study, says David Rose, head of Dwight School in London. “It doesn’t force students to specialise too early and it develops other skills apart from just memory and regurgitating facts,” he says. “At university there is nobody there to spoon feed them and say ‘This is what you need to know’, so you need to know how to investigate and ask the right questions.”
Rose is also a fan of the service element of the IB (see below). This is an integral part of the diploma, and students get credit for it. “You have got to be involved in the school community, the local community and the global community,” he says. Dwight School students have done everything from house building in Cambodia to working in local charity shops as part of the voluntary work element of the diploma.
Universities in the UK are much more familiar with the IB than was the case 20 years ago, says Peter Fidczuk, UK development manager for the International Baccalaureate Organisation. And there is also a recognition among admissions tutors that the IB is a good preparation for university, he adds. The advantages of taking the IB today are beginning to greatly outweigh those of the more traditional A-levels, according to many teachers
As a result, some, such as King’s College London and Leeds, have lowered their entry requirements for IB students. This is not just true of UK universities. The IB is recognised in many European countries, while for students looking to go further afield it also stands them in good stead. Employers are looking for the skills the IB develops, he adds, such as time management, using initiative and independent working. IB students study maths and English to a high level, so are both numerate and literate, and their experience in giving presentations helps make them articulate, he says.
It is these qualities that help make the IB much more than the sum of its parts, according to Richard Markham, principal of Hockerill Anglo-European College in Hertfordshire. “It develops the whole person. It is not just about what they do in the classroom, it is about what they do outside the classroom,” he says. “To succeed with the IB diploma you have not only got to demonstrate considerable knowledge in six subject areas, you have also got to demonstrate that you have got the passion and enthusiasm to undertake the core element.”
With students from 30-40 different countries, Hockerill perhaps embodies the internationalist flavour of the IB. Lower down the school, all students take at least one GCSE in a foreign language, and its bilingual programme means three quarters of pupils take history or geography in either French or German.
But it is the holistic approach which best defines the appeal of the diploma for Markham. “The biggest strength is that it is a programme. It is not a selection of qualifications, it is a coherent whole,” he says. “You are developing a portfolio of transferable skills that are going to stand you in good stead whatever you go on to do.”
How it works
The IB diploma consists of a core and six subject groups, designed to give students a balanced education combining arts, sciences and extra-curricular activities. The core is made up of three elements. Theory of knowledge (TOK) looks at how we know what we know and aims to underpin study of the different subjects, as well as providing a unifying thread between them.
Students must also complete an extended essay, which is a 4,000 word paper on a subject of their choice, while the third core element is creativity, action, service (CAS), usually made up of artistic, sporting and voluntary projects. They then take six subjects, three at higher level and three at standard level.
These must include literature, a foreign language, maths, a science and a humanities subject. For the sixth choice, they can either take an additional subject from one of these categories or one from a list of arts courses.
Each subject is graded 1-7, while a further three points are available for the CAS element, making a maximum of 45 points.
Nine ways to use language skills to get a job and boost your career
Unsure of where your language learning may lead? From choosing the right degree to making your CV stand out, experts at our recent live chat share advice
1. Combine your language degree with a core subject
If you want to be able to use a language within a specific field, it’s essential to combine subjects, as a straight language degree may not command a big enough premium on the job market. Adam Marshall, executive director, policy and external affairs, British Chamber of Commerce, London says: “Companies look at language as part of a wider skills base – very few recruit on this alone. Pure language degrees are often seen as less valuable by prospective employers than degrees that combine other core skills.”
2. Set your career goals early on
Don’t leave these decisions until the end of your degree when you are applying for jobs. For Darren Paffey, lecturer in Spanish and modern languages, and employability officer at the University of Southampton, it’s crucial to think about employability all the way through your degree. You should refer to the aims and objectives of modules for job applications he adds. Marshall also thinks you need to track your progress throughout: “You should be able to see the potential return on your degree from the start.”
3. Sell your study abroad experience
None of the panelists could deny that taking a year out isn’t as novel as it used to be. But what you do during your stint abroad can set you apart from the crowd. “You have to show that you’re aware of the soft skills it has taught you. This could include cross-cultural awareness, maturity and resilience from time spent abroad – and even logical problems,” says Jack Porteuous, language and culture adviser for UK Trade and Investment.
Furthermore, you need to be able to apply the skills you had to use to become fluent in a language to a professional environment to prove your worth to employers, says Arti Sharma, head of UK youth campaigns at the British Council. “By highlighting the added advantage of learning and becoming proficient in a language shows you have gained other skills for real business needs: multitasking and perception,” she adds.
4. You don’t need to be near native fluency
Employers aren’t necessarily looking for linguists. If you’re applying to a job that emphasises fluency, don’t be put off if you’re not at native speaker level – this doesn’t deter employers. “We have seen organisations intentionally employing functionally fluent graduates.” Employers will often look to see that you can communicate in a certain field and look to nurture your skills and potential in the long term. “We have seen organisations intentionally employing functionally fluent graduates,” says Humair Naqvi, enterprise and education regional director of Rosetta Stone.
5. Don’t over inflate your skills on your CV
On the flip side of that, although it might be tempting, avoid exaggerating how well you know a language. If your language prowess was once more polished but now needs fine-tuning, Marshall believes honesty is the best policy: “If you can demonstrate that you have the fundamental skills, but need practice and support so that the company can get the best out of you, say it upfront. They may be impressed by this.”
6. Instead, spell out your language experience
Lizzie Fane, founder of thirdyearabroad.com and globalgraduates.com, which helps connect young people with international career opportunities, advises expanding the detail of your language skills: “Your CV says you speak a language to a certain level but does it say you’ve worked in that foreign language five days a week? Or that you brought in new clients for the company because of your bilingual abilities?”
7. Be specific with your job search online
Avoid typing in “languages” because you will get a very narrow set of results that exclusively revolve around just that. “Job searching in the digital age has become less, rather than more innovative,” says Marshall. “Candidates use search engines to match up what they have to offer to a business rather than understanding what the business needs.” Graduates are often under the false pretence, Marshall believes, that there is a market for what they’ve studied, rather than a market for skills demanded by business – which could include their speciality. Fane also notes that you need to do your research and apply speculatively to a company that you’d like to work for.
8. Look for internationally oriented companies
Trying to find an outlet for your language skills in a UK-based retail company, for example, won’t be as useful as applying for a market research company undertaking cross-country research, says Dasha Amrom, founder and managing director, Career Coaching Ventures. “Internationally oriented companies recognise the significant importance of language knowledge at recruitment stage and further into employment. Try companies such as WPP Group, Euromonitor, Mintel – they all need qualified language professionals for a lot of their posts,” he adds.
9. Expect the unexpected
Languages can get you far, literally. Porteous, who works with businesses who export all over the world, has noticed Japan as a key player in the export market in the fashion sector. “Any candidate with Japanese language skills and effective communication with Japanese consumers alongside other business skills and knowledge would be an attractive candidate.” It’s also worth noting, according to Miranda Reid, associate director, Multilingualvacancies.com, that “German is a particularly sought-after language across all sectors. Definitely in sales and marketing, operations roles, even gaming would have a demand.”
The BBC Kick Off Trainee Sports Reporter Scheme gives talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds the opportunity to learn and develop sports reporting skills at the BBC. These work experience placements are two days a week for eight weeks during July and August 2015. Placements will be available at BBC local radio and online sites across the UK – the full list is below. We're looking for talented applicants, male or female, from a range of backgrounds and experiences.
What’s on offer?
Full training
A mentor from your chosen BBC site
The chance to learn how to interview and write sports stories for radio and online
The opportunity to go to sports events and be part of a team bringing all the excitement of sport to BBC audiences
Where are the placements?
Belfast - Radio Ulster
Birmingham - online
Birmingham – Radio WM
Bristol - radio
Cambridge - online
Cardiff – BBC Radio Wales
Cardiff – Radio Cymru
Carlisle - BBC Radio Cumbria
Chelmsford - BBC Essex
Cornwall - radio
Derby - radio
Guernsey - radio
Kent - radio
Leeds - radio
Lincoln – radio
London - Asian Network radio
London – BBC London 94.9 radio
Manchester – online
Manchester – radio
Northampton - radio
Oxford - radio
Reading - BBC Radio Berkshire
Glasgow - BBC Radio Scotland
York - radio
What we’re looking for:
You'll need to be aged 18 or over on 1st July 2015. There are no other age limitations
A proven passion for sport
A willingness to further your career in sports journalism
You don’t need to have any prior journalism experience or training to apply
Many previous Kick Off trainee sports reporters have gone on to work full time in sport for the BBC across the UK, from local radio to BBC Sport in Salford. Don’t miss out on your chance to follow in their footsteps!
In an increasingly competitive job market, where there are often dozens of applicants for every vacancy, companies are looking for stand-out candidates. First impressions count, so a CV or application form is sometimes the only chance a jobseeker will have to grab an employer's interest and bag themselves an interview.
So, how do you make sure your CV excites a boss and doesn't get lost in the keep-on-file pile?
Youth charity, the Brathay Trust, recently surveyed 900 line managers to explore their opinions on the CVs and job applications they receive from young people. The results weren't overly positive. One in five claimed young people's CVs all look the same and 34% said it takes too long to sift through them to find the gems. Perhaps unsurprising then, a third of managers went on to admit that good candidates miss out on interviews because their applications are just not exciting enough.
But what is it bosses want to see? Of course, there are no hard and fast rules, and criteria will differ from employer to employer, but the study suggests that focusing primarily on qualifications, whether they be academic or vocational, is probably not going to be enough to get that interview invite.
Far from being a catalogue of qualifications, our study indicated managers want applicants to tell them a story in their CV. They want to get an understanding of the personal qualities you might bring to the table, both now and in the future.
In fact, nearly two fifths of the managers surveyed said they want young people to give greater prominence to their personal achievements and real-life experiences (so-called soft skills) in job applications and more than a quarter said they would actually like to see this information listed ahead of qualifications. One fifth also said candidates with volunteering or community work on their CV go straight to the top of the interview pile.
Give soft skills the hard sell
The study delved further into demand for soft skills. It revealed a strong work ethic, commitment, communication skills and team work are the traits managers look out for most in CVs, providing some indication of the attributes young applicants might want to focus on selling.
The research also investigated the value of soft skills to businesses, not just in new recruits but also existing staff. A third of managers said their employees' soft skills are critical to the future success of the business. A quarter also agreed it is their workers' soft skills that set them apart from their competitors.
Young people shouldn't be disheartened if they feel they don't have strong examples of these personal skills to share with potential employers. Many can be developed, with volunteering and community work being just two potential avenues for doing so. Remember, many young people may already have a lot of valuable soft skills, but just need to find a way to better package and sell these on their CV.
All in all, it's clear that better promotion of personal qualities and life experience in CVs is one way young applicants can make their applications pop. So they shouldn't be afraid to get up close and personal with potential employers, put their passions on paper and tell them what they're all about. Jeremy Anderson is head of apprentice development at the Brathay Trust, a charity that improves the life chances of children and young people This content is brought to you by Guardian Professional. To get more content and advice like this direct to your inbox, sign up for our weekly update and careers ebook.
Deadline Approaching: Luton, Newcastle & Edinburgh Paid Summer Work Ex
AP
Careers information, Face-to-face mentoring, Work experience / career exploration
01 June 2015 - 31 March 2016
Luton, Newcastle and Edinburgh
EY Foundation Paid Summer Work Experience for Year 12 Students CLOSES Sunday 15th March 2015 Locations and Summer Work Experience Dates 22/06/2015 - 10/07/2015 - Scotland (Edinburgh & Glasgow) 13/07/2015 - 31/07/2015 - Newcastle 20/07/2015 - 07/08/2015 - Luton
Smart Futures is a ten month programme, which starts with three weeks paid work experience this summer. You'll gain a variety of transferable skills that will give you a head start in your career. At the end of the programme you will be more employable - helping you to either secure a job after school or go onto higher education. You'll also be buddied with an EY Foundation mentor who will support and advise you throughout your final year of school - plus you'll be invited to a series of alumni events.
The summer work experience programme will be held at your local Ernst & Young office at the beginning of the summer of 2015. Criteria - please read carefully before applying
You will currently need to be a Year 12 / Fifth Year student
Either be in receipt of free school meals or would be first generation in your family to attend uni
In addition you will need to be on track to securing 300 UCAS points
Have obtained grade B at GSCE Maths and English or a Standard Grade 2
The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 15th March 2015- so you'll need to register and apply ASAP. Register & APPLY
Oxford and Cambridge universities fear that admissions arrangements will “grind to a halt” if the competition watchdog orders changes.
The universities believe that they could be forced to abandon their interviews of applicants and detailed scrutiny of candidates’ exam marks and backgrounds. It follows a preliminary inquiry into university admissions announced last month by the Office of Fair Trading. The Times has been told that civil servants have been informed by officials that the OFT wants to examine a rule that candidates cannot apply to Oxford and Cambridge to see whether it is anti-competitive. They also want to look at the system of applying for degree courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (Ucas), which restricts applicants to five choices.
The rule that candidates can apply to Oxford or Cambridge but not both, known as the “rule of combination”, was introduced by Ucas in the late 1980s to limit the volume of applications to manageable levels.
A senior administrator at Cambridge said it would be unable to cope if the number of applications doubled and said the same principle applied to medical schools. Candidates applying to study medicine, dentistry or veterinary science are restricted to four choices of medical or dental schools and, as with Oxbridge applications, must apply earlier.
Jon Beard, director of undergraduate recruitment at Cambridge, told a conference yesterday: “We receive 15,000 applications a year, Oxford receives 17,500. In term of interviewing that number of students the process would grind to a halt.
“If our rate of application doubled, it would be very hard to look at the range of data that we currently apply to each application.”
The University of Oxford would not comment but is understood to be preparing a detailed submission to the OFT raising identical concerns.
Cambridge invites around 80 per cent of applicants for one-to-one interviews with academics, whose off-the-wall questions are the stuff of student legend. It also looks at raw marks achieved by candidates in AS levels, the academic performance of their school and a range of other data.
Oxford goes further by asking most applicants to sit aptitude tests related to their chosen degree subject.
Some experts in competition law have suggested that the agreement with Oxford and Cambridge may amount to uncompetitive practice and that university admissions may come under competition law as higher fees could be seen as the sale of services.
However, arrangements deemed to have anti-competitive elements may be justified if they are shown to benefit consumers.
Mr Beard told the conference: “There are similar rules in place for medicine for very, very similar reasons and all students are restricted to five choices. So this rule of combination, although the focus is always on Oxford and Cambridge, actually there are a number of other restrictions in place on students applying to higher education, so if that rule is one that is deemed to be unsuitable it raises issues in relation to the whole process.”
The OFT has invited submissions of evidence by the end of the year and, once it has analysed these, will decide whether to launch a formal investigation
Comment
The advantages of taking the IB today are beginning to greatly outweigh those of the more traditional A-levels, according to many teachers 
