2 May 2024

RM plc

("RM")

RM and The International Baccalaureate ("IB") announce

an extension to their long-term relationship to deliver digital assessments

RM, the global EdTech, digital learning and assessment solutions provider, is delighted to have a significant new contract expansion with the IB to deepen its longstanding partnership.  Building on over 15 years of collaboration, the new agreement will include the transformational delivery of IB's Diploma and Career-Related Programmes as digital assessments.

This marks a significant milestone for both organisations. For RM, this project is fully aligned with its strategy to build a Global Accreditation Platform that enables the digital transformation towards fully on-screen examinations, which will provide IB learners with enhanced opportunities throughout their programmes.

The extension represents the next step and natural evolution of RM and the IB's ongoing successful partnership in assessment, which has to date focused on the onscreen marking of examinations.

This has been a collaboration built on shared values around educational excellence and innovation. This new phase demonstrates both parties' core ambition to positively harness the digital transformation taking place in education to improve experiences and outcomes for learners.

Mark Cook, CEO of RM, commented: "We are delighted to be starting on this new phase of our partnership with the IB, which has delivered best-in-class assessment for learners across the globe over the last 15 years. By working together on the transformation towards digital assessments, we will be able to offer learners more flexible, effective, and enriching educational outcomes and opportunities. This agreement is fully in line with RM's strategy to create a Global Accreditation Platform to serve this high-growth market, and reflects the shared values and purpose of our two organisations."

Olli-Pekka Heinonen, Director General of IB, commented: "Shared values are central in education. We have a long history with RM and have now entered into partnership to deliver digital assessments which are a key part of the IB strategy.  Digital assessment opens the door to the variety of possibilities the digital transformation gives - not only giving knowledge to students, but making sure they get the skills, the capabilities, the agency and willingness to make a difference in the world - and to find meaningful ways to assess what they are really capable of doing."

The IB's Diploma Programme (DP) and Career-related Programme (CP) are the IB's flagship internationally recognised programmes for students aged 16-19. The DP is a pre-university qualification for students that aims to develop their breadth and depth of knowledge. The CP incorporates these same values into a more career-focused programme to prepare students for further or higher education, apprenticeships, or employment.

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Notes to Editors:

About RM

RM was founded in 1973, with a mission to improve the educational outcomes of learners worldwide. Fifty years on, we are a trusted Global EdTech, digital learning and assessment solution provider, transforming learners, educators, and accreditors to be more productive, resilient, and sustainable. Our simple approach enables us to deliver best in class solutions to optimise accreditation outcome.

RM is focused on delivering a consistently high-quality digital experience, acting as a trusted consultative partner to provide solutions that deliver real impact for learners worldwide. Our three businesses include:

·      Assessment - a global provider of assessment software, supporting exam awarding bodies, universities, and governments worldwide to digitise their assessment delivery.

·      TTS (Teacher Technology Solution) - an established provider of education resources for early years, primary schools, and secondary schools across the UK and to 80 countries internationally.

·      Technology - a market-leading advisor and enabler of ICT software, technology and bespoke services to UK schools and colleges. 

About International Baccalaureate

Founded in 1968, the IB is a Swiss non-profit foundation, which offers four high quality and challenging education programmes for a worldwide community of schools. For more than 50 years, the IB programmes have gained a reputation for rigour and high academic standards, for preparing students for life in a globalized 21st century and for helping to develop citizens who will create a better, more peaceful world. Currently, more than 1.9 million IB students attend over 5,600 schools in 159 countries.

Contacts:

RM plc

Rachael Powlesland                                          Email: rpowlesland@rm.com

Tel: +44 (0)7803 438 393

Headland Consultancy (PR Adviser)                   Email: rm@headlandconsultancy.com

Chloe Francklin                                                 Tel: +44 (0)20 3805 4850

Dan Mahoney

Freya Ellingsen