CAS Coordinator: Mr J Rye

Aims of the course

CAS is at the heart of the IB Diploma Programme and consequently a key component of sixth form life at Dane Court, enabling students to demonstrate attributes of the IB learner profile in real and practical ways as they undertake an individualised journey of discovery of self and others, to grow as unique individuals with new possibilities, new challenges, and new roles, and to understand they are members of local and global communities with responsibilities towards each other and the environment.

Course outline

CAS stands for:

• Creativity—exploring/extending ideas leading to an original product or performance

• Activity—physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle

• Service—collaborative engagement with the community in response to a need

Students develop skills, attitudes, and dispositions through a variety of individual and group experiences that provide students with opportunities to explore their interests, express their passions, and grow as unique individuals, recognising their role in relation to others. A CAS experience is a single or series of events based on interest, skill, or potential for growth. Students complete around 150 hours of experiences – 50 hours in each element. The focus, however, is not the time spent but the quality of experience, reflections, and personal growth. Although the CAS experiences will have to be completed in the students’ own time, there is time allocated where a member of staff can give guidance and support on the different experiences.

Assessment outline

All CAS students are expected to maintain and complete a CAS portfolio as evidence of their engagement with, and achievement of, CAS. The portfolio is used by students to plan their CAS programme, reflect on their experiences, and gather evidence of involvement. CAS is not formally assessed or graded; rather it is simply a pass/fail criteria of the diploma being awarded. Therefore, the portfolio compiled by students is the evidence used to monitor and determine completion of the CAS programme.

Careers links

As an individualised journey based around developing skills, attitudes, and dispositions, CAS has the potential to link into or even open doors into whatever careers or future paths that students could consider. This is an ideal opportunity for students to explore work experience and develop critical skills for their future careers. Research has shown that previous CAS participants perceive positive outcomes that endure beyond the DP, both generally and in the development of more specific attributes.

EE Coordinator: Mr J Rye

Aims of the course

The EE is at the heart of the IB Diploma Programme and consequently a key component of sixth form life at Dane Court, enabling students to demonstrate attributes of the IB learner profile in an applied manner as they undertake the opportunity to investigate a topic of individual special interest, promoting high-level research and writing skills, intellectual discovery, and creativity, whilst encouraging personal reflection on abilities and growth throughout the process.

Course outline

All DP students undertake and complete an in-depth study of a focused topic chosen from one of their six studied academic subjects. This piece of work is intended to promote academic research and writing skills, providing students with an opportunity to engage in personal research in a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. The student’s independent research, analysis, and critical thinking ultimately leads to a major piece of formally presented, structured writing of 4,000 words, in which ideas and findings are communicated in a reasoned and coherent manner, appropriate to the subject chosen. It also features three reflection sessions with their supervisor, which includes a short, concluding interview, or viva voce, with their supervisor following the completion of the extended essay.

Assessment outline

The EE itself is graded from A to E, with the lowest grade being a failing condition. Points awarded for the IBDP core are compiled based on the gradings for both the EE and for Theory of Knowledge. Scoring an A grade in both areas will earn the student the maximum 3 points for the Core, whereas scoring a D grade in both areas will earn the student 0 points for the Core.

Careers links

Previous EE participants routinely feel that the skills gained from doing the EE prepared them for life at university and beyond, enabling them to meet complex demands through drawing upon the experience of completing a long-lasting research process. The developed ability to formulate arguments in a coherent manner, with specific and honed research, writing, analysis, and referencing skills, is invaluable. Skills of organisation and time management help throughout their daily personal and professional lives.

“Some years after leaving school, I still find myself citing my EE in conversations; the feeling of self-accomplishment remains to this day.”

Head of Department: Miss J Vincent

Course aims

1. to encourage students to reflect on the central question, “How do we know that?”, and to recognise the value of asking that question

2. to expose students to ambiguity, uncertainty and questions with multiple plausible answers

3. to equip students to effectively navigate and make sense of the world, and help prepare them to encounter novel and complex situations

4. to encourage students to be more aware of their own perspectives and to reflect critically on their own beliefs and assumptions

5. to engage students with multiple perspectives, foster open-mindedness and develop intercultural understanding

6. to encourage students to make connections between academic disciplines by exploring underlying concepts and by identifying similarities and differences in the methods of inquiry used in different areas of knowledge

7. to prompt students to consider the importance of values, responsibilities and ethical concerns relating to the production, acquisition, application and communication of knowledge.

Course outline

The TOK curriculum is made up of three deeply interconnected parts:

The core theme—Knowledge and the knower: This theme encourages students to reflect on themselves as knowers and thinkers, and to consider the different communities of knowers to which we belong.

Optional themes: This element provides an opportunity to take a more in-depth look at two themes of particular interest to teachers and students. The given themes all have a significant impact on the world today and play a key role in shaping people’s perspectives and identities. Teachers select two optional themes from a choice of five: knowledge and technology; knowledge and language; knowledge and politics; knowledge and religion; and knowledge and indigenous societies.

Areas of knowledge: The areas of knowledge (AOK) are specific branches of knowledge, each of which can be seen to have a distinct nature and sometimes use different methods of gaining knowledge. In TOK, students explore five compulsory areas of knowledge: history; the human sciences; the natural sciences; mathematics; and the arts.

Assessment

There are two assessment tasks in the TOK course.

1. The TOK exhibition assesses the ability of the student to show how TOK manifests in the world around us. The exhibition is an internal assessment component; it is marked by the teacher and is externally moderated by the IB.

2. The TOK essay engages students in a more formal and sustained piece of writing in response to a title focused on the areas of knowledge. The essay is an external assessment component; it is marked by IB examiners. The essay must be a maximum of 1,600 words and must be on one of the six prescribed titles issued by the IB for each examination session.