The new core components 2025
New CP Core 2025
The long awaited updates to the core have arrived! In essence, the same four components remain, albeit with two name changes; also the updates range from enhancements and widening student choice to much larger revisions. All of it is designed with intentional connections between all elements of the core. Here is an overview of the main changes to implement for first teaching in September 2025.
In Personal and Professional Skills ...
- There are six concepts which means students can explore what really interests them in contexts ranging from all elements of their CP course to their personal life and informal learning from other interests they have. And to do all this they explore and develop transversal personal and professional skills. The school, students and teachers decide the content which means you can really consider what works in your specific context.
- One aspect of note is that you will find 'ethical thinking' appears twice in the skill domains which serves two purposes; one it is to demonstrate how important ethics is to the entire core and second to give you the opportunity that has always existed in PPS to give students a background in ethical thinking that they will need to navigate the reflective project.
- This course is 100 hours which brings it in line with TOK on the DP. This takes place across the two years.
- Completion of the course is decided by the students meeting the learning outcomes.
- Students keep a portfolio throughout the course but to complete the course, they must curate their portfolio to demonstrate their completion of the learning outcomes. Create and Curate.
In the Reflective Project...
- Students still explore an ethical dilemma but this can be inspired either by their career-related studies or a career field they are interested in (and might not necessarily study).
- Keeping a learning journal is not assessed but it is mandatory now.
- Supervisor support is now 3-6 hours.
- There is a distinct learning journey of five phases to support students through the process with additions of peer feedback, a presentation and a viva voce.
- Students can respond in four modes of written, visual, audio or audio-visual. This widens out the opportunities for students and the ability to choose communication styles directly related to their career field. For example, a budding journalist might choose to write newspaper or magazine feature exploring an ethical dilemma or a podcast; a student with an interest in advertising and marketing, might choose a presentation or report. There is no end to the ideas here and it is going to be exciting for students to think what could be truly useful for a prospective career and form part of their portfolio. Obviously essays are still possible but just one of many options.
- Whilst there are specific requirements depending on the format you choose, the general rule is 4000 words including up to 1000 word reflection. This is not divided into 3 reflections like the RPPF. The students use their learning journal to help them to put together their final reflection.
- The reflective project is externally assessed now by the IB rather than internally assessed and externally moderated.
Do anticipate how students will learn how to give feedback to each other.
Students are expected to take about 50 hours with this process.
In Community Engagement ...
- The change in name solidifies what schools successful in Service learning already know; this is a process about reciprocity with the community/communities. Service Learning has unsavoury historical connotations and a new name sets the tone for this course.
- More than just a change in name, this is a course that is designed for a sharper learning journey for students as the think critically and ethically about engagement in a variety of contexts.
- A welcome addition and helpful for other elements of the core, is an emphasis on ethics and ethical thinking when in collaboration with the community.
- There are three key principles of CE: dialogue, reciprocity, reflection and reflexivity.
- Students go through stages of exploring and preparing, relating and acting and evaluating and sharing.
- Students keep a learning journal and have three review points. This will provide the evidence for meeting the official learning outcomes. Again the emphasis here is on process.
Guided hours: minimum 30
Total learning hours: Sustained engagement over the two years (total not specified)
Language and Cultural Studies
In Language and Cultural Studies...
- Your starting point is the student and what they discover about themselves and the direction they want to take rather than the mode of delivery, as it has been in the past (eg self-directed, direct instruction, duo lingo, external agent).
- The focus is on language and culture: by this we mean developing both linguistic and cultural repertoires.
- A repertoire refers to the tools and resources students develop that enable their understanding of language and culture.
- Whereas in Language Development there was no syllabus outline, in LCS there is a syllabus with an emphasis on inquiry. This is an important distinction to make with emphasis very much being about the process (a common thread in the core)
- Students must take part in an introductory unit, choose one of three areas of exploration and, like other elements of the core, the rest of the course is determined by students and teachers working together through inquiry.
- the learning outcomes are focused on expanding repertoires and the learning process rather than communicative processes as we had in LD.
- All CP students must take LCS with no exceptions - it cannot be fulfilled through taking a language acquisition course as was the way with LD.
- Students keep a learning journal and have three review points. This will provide the evidence for meeting the official learning outcomes.
Guided hours: minimum 30 (school can adapt depending on needs of students)
Total learning hours: minimum 70 sustained over the two years.
Process
You will notice a common thread throughout the core is the continuity of process throughout the CP core. The emphasis here is vital as it brings an equity and balance to every element - all four elements are designed so process is central. Especially important to consider in terms of the reflective project where this balance was easily skewed in the past.
Evidencing
It's all about porfolios and journals. A 'learning journal' supports all elements of the core. In PPS this is called a portfolio and emphasis is on not merely creating it but also curating the evidence in there to demonstrate the student's learning journey.
Reflection and Reflexivity
You will notice a far deeper focus on reflection throughout the core culminating in the reflective project. Students embark on self and critical reflection as well as self and critical reflexivity. The key distinction is between reflecting on process and experience and being reflexive about one's values and influences changing and/or developing and the impact on oneself and the world around you.
That is a very brief summary but the key here to understanding this is you can structure reflective and reflexive experiences so students can really develop an understanding of what they do, the actions they take and the impact their values have in the real world. No more vague, plodding reflections.