Personal and Professional Skills aims to develop students’ attitudes, skills, and strategies for application in both personal and professional contexts. The course emphasises essential workplace competencies and develops students’ ability to think critically, conduct research, and reflect continuously on their learning journey.
The course is structured around five core Learning Outcomes explored through inquiry-based learning:
These transferable skills prepare students for higher education and professional environments, explored through global contexts that link directly to their career-related studies. Throughout the course, students curate a Portfolio of Evidence documenting their learning, development, and reflections across all five learning outcomes.
(Formerly Service Learning)
Community Engagement encourages students to build a deeper understanding of the wider world by identifying and addressing genuine needs within their local or global community. Student-led at its core, this component provides opportunities to take on active leadership, project planning, and collaborative roles beyond the traditional school environment.
Students connect their career-related studies to real-world community action, using a structured Learning Journal and scheduled progress reviews to track their engagement, impact, and continuous reflection.
The Reflective Project offers students the opportunity to delve into an ethical dilemma directly connected to their chosen career path. Whilst it can initially seem like a daunting undertaking, students relish the chance to explore complex real-world issues while mastering research, critical analysis, and extended writing skills—essential preparation for university-level dissertations and future professional research.
Students can choose from flexible submission formats to best express their research and findings:
This component carries valuable UCAS points and is highly regarded by higher education institutions.
(Formerly Language Development)
Designed to ensure language is never a barrier in a global career, this component takes a culture-first approach rather than focusing strictly on traditional grammar drills. Students gain communicative confidence and intercultural awareness tailored to their personal interests and career aspirations.
Instead of sit-down written examinations, assessment is continuous. Students document their engagement through a personal Learning Journal and progress reviews, allowing for a flexible, enjoyable, and personalised learning experience.
(Language offerings update dynamically each academic year to reflect current student pathways).
Assessment across the IBCP Core is continuous and portfolio-based over the two-year period: