South Island School launches new IB career-related programme

ESF South Island School (SIS) has newly launched the International Baccalaureate career-related programme (IBCP). This additional new offer will be for the current Year 11 student cohort that will be commencing Year 12 study in the 2017-18 academic year.

As the IB’s fourth programme, the IBCP provides a comprehensive qualification framework that links the academic rigour of the Diploma Programme with the career-related experiences of our BTEC courses to create a personalised, career-focused, post-16 pathway.

The IBCP is tailor-made for students who wish to engage in career-related learning.  It provides a combination of BTEC courses, IB Diploma elements (namely Certificates) and IB core components. The IBCP is a university recognised qualification.

For the vocational component of the offer, Pearson Hong Kong will provide a choice of four ‘major’ options of BTEC Diploma courses in Business, Sport, Art & Design and Creative Media, where students can choose one. These courses will make up approximately half of the IBCP programme. The IB Diploma courses a student may take, also known as stand-alone ‘Certificates, can be selected from any Diploma Programme subject area, ideally to complement a student’s BTEC area of study. Students must opt to take at least two IB Diploma Certificates together with an IBCP Core which includes personal and professional development, a reflective project, service learning, and language development. These elements are all delivered and assessed by SIS and then externally moderated by the IB Organisation.

For students who wish not to take the full IBCP programme will still be able to elect to follow a combination of BTEC and IB Certificates. This reduced offer would not gain an IBCP but can still deliver good University places in different parts of the world.

Another ESF school, Renaissance College first introduced the IBCP in 2014 and welcomes its first batch of graduates this year, while Sha Tin College (STC) is going through its verification process to become CP schools. RCHK is currently negotiating with providers for options in the performing arts and sports science, and on the lookout for possibilities in hospitality and business. STC is expected to launch the programme in August 2017 with possibility to offer students more career-related options in a few subject areas.