IB Career-related Programme Route (IBCP)
The Anglo European School was the first state school in the UK to offer the International Baccalaureate IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) and is now one of 214 schools in 23 countries offering this unique programme. The IB is responding to a worldwide trend of developing courses that combine academic skills with work-ready competencies and IBCP has been developed as a result of listening to what employers and universities want from students. Major industries have been involved in the planning of the curriculum.
What is the IBCP?
The IBCP is the first-choice pathway for students who intend to develop work-ready competencies. Its unique core combines distinct teaching of personal and professional skills to ensure students are ready to enter the dynamic and globalised labour market or further education. The IBCP incorporates the educational principles, vision and learner profile of the IB into vocational pathways and specifically addresses the needs of students engaged in career-related education.
Since 2010 Anglo European School has been offering this qualification as part of a pilot group of schools. We were the first state school in the UK to offer it. A total of eleven schools from around the world, including schools from Finland, Canada, Hong Kong, Dubai, USA, Australia and Mauritius were also part of the pilot. The IBCP was accredited by OFQUAL in 2011 which allowed the school to offer another fully UK accredited IB programme. The IBCP provides an exciting opportunity for schools and colleges to be involved in the provision of a certificate that focuses on the mix of practical and academic skills needed by students in the 21st century.
Entry Requirements
In order to study on the IBCP route, students must first meet our general matriculation requirement of 5 GCSEs grades 9-5 including a grade 5 or above in English. The majority of the A Levels that we offer require that the student has obtained a grade 6, or above, in the subject at GCSE in order to study it at A Level and a grade 5, or above, for any subject that they wish to study at IB Standard Level.
Course Content
Students following this course study two A Levels from the existing A Level provision. One must be Business Studies, Computer Science or Physical Education as a career related subject. In addition students will study two IB Standard subjects. There will also be the opportunity to study GCSE English or Mathematics if needed.
Students must study a language course at any level as part of their IBCP course portfolio. This adds a distinctive nature to the programme and allows students to evidence their international learning through a formal qualification, in conjunction with the language portfolio evidence developed as part of the personal professional skills course.
| A LEVEL - Select 2 A Levels, one of which must be Business Studies, Computer Science or Physical Education | IB STANDARD - Select 2 IB Standard Subjects |
| Business Studies | Group 1 |
| With one of the following: | English Literature |
| Biology | Group 2 |
| Chemistry | French |
| Computer Science | German |
| Drama and Theatre Studies | Italian |
| Economics | Italian Ab Initio |
| English Language and Literature | Japanese |
| English Literature | Mandarin |
| French | Russian |
| Geography | Spanish |
| German | Spanish Ab Initio |
| History | Group 3 |
| Italian | Business Management |
| Mathematics | Economics |
| Music | Geography |
| Physical Education | Global Politics |
| Physics | History |
| Politics | Philosophy |
| Psychology | Psychology |
| Religious Studies | Group 4 |
| Russian | Not applicable |
| Sociology | Group 5 |
| Spanish | Mathematics Applications and Interpretations |
| Textile Design | Group 6 |
| Economics | |
| French | |
| History | |
| Mandarin | |
| Psychology | |
| Spanish | |
| Visual Arts |
| If a language has not been selected above, then an Introductory Language must be selected: |
| Introductory Arabic |
| Introductory Italian |
| Introductory Mandarin |
| Introductory Russian |
Students also undertake Work Experience during the March of their first year that relates to their Applied A Level.
As well as the course described above students also complete the study of the Core, which is made up of:
- Service Learning – (50 hours) Similar to CAS
- Personal and Professional Skills (90 hours over the course) – skills based course. Critical thinking, personal and interpersonal skills (This is a timetabled class)
- Reflective project (50 hours) of 3,000 words. This will be an academic piece of work, linked to an ethical dimension of the Vocational course. This is equivalent to half an AS Level course
- Language Development (50 hours) – students create a language portfolio which summarises and evidences their linguistic and cultural appreciation of the language they are studying
- Work experience – a two week experience provided by selected employers in the media and finance sectors. Students are able to apply their work-based competencies and develop their professional network
Students on this course are potentially also entered for the EPQ (Extended Project Qualification).
Universities see this as a broad course, one that will be accepted as entry into over 40 universities (a number that grows annually), and this is supported by evidence from our previous cohorts, who have all been successfully placed at UK universities. The University of Southampton is the first Russell Group University to formally recognise the CP, and this year Cambridge accepted a CP student to read Education.
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IBCP Subjects for September 2024 Entry