The International Baccalaureate’s (IB) career-related programme (CP), the latest in IB’s continuum of programmes, has been allocated UCAS tariff points for its reflective project by the UCAS tariff advisory group.
The CP is available for 16-19-year-olds and was designed by the International Baccalaureate Organisation for students wishing to engage in career-related learning while gaining transferable skills in applied knowledge, critical thinking, communication and cross-cultural engagement.
Dane Court Grammar School in Kent has offered the CP for three years and Paul Luxmoore, executive headteacher, believes that its mix of academic and career-related study makes it accessible and relevant to a broad variety of students: “The CP is a great educational offer with really exciting methodology. We have seen remarkable results among our students who would not have even considered higher education before studying for the programme, with the majority now going to university or a higher employment position. In the past the IB has been viewed as an elitist academic qualification but the CP completely breaks that mould.”
The CP’s reflective project has been awarded the same tariff points as those awarded to the IB DP extended essay and will be applied to all reflective projects submitted from May 2016.
Adrian Kearney, regional director AEM for the International Baccalaureate Organisation, explained: “A quarter of all CP students are based in the UK and the allocation of UCAS points is excellent news for them. Not only will they now gain all the advantages that studying CP offers, but their achievements will be recognised by universities and employers. The allocation of UCAS tariff points supports the growing momentum behind this programme, which was launched just three years ago and builds on the exceptional track record of the IB diploma programme (DP).”
CP students are required to undertake: a minimum of two DP courses: career-related study and a CP core which bridges IB academic courses and career-related study. There are four components to the CP core: approaches to learning, community and service, language development and a reflective project. The reflective project is already accredited by Ofqual (The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations), which regulates qualifications and assessments in England. The project has also been accepted onto the Register of Accredited Qualifications.
Kearney continued: “Through the reflective project, students identify, analyse, critically discuss and evaluate an ethical issue arising from their career-related studies. This encourages students to engage in personal inquiry, action and reflection, and to develop strong research and communications skills.
“Importantly, CP allows graduates who are beginning their careers to manage the complex demands of the 21st century by developing self-management skills and intercultural understanding and by learning to think critically, write effectively and collaborate. In a global economy, universal perspectives such as lifelong learning and analytical skills are much needed and CP students have a distinct advantage.”
