The Core of the IB

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What may seem at first glance to be impenetrable acronyms are actually the very centre of the IB’s structure and purpose.

Creativity, Activity and Service

Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) is one of the core requirements for the IB Diploma Programme. For many this will involve music, drama, sport and service. While students must complete a minimum number of hours in each area, the emphasis should not be on counting hours but learning through meaningful experiences. CAS emphasises reflection which is central to building a deep and rich experience.

For many students, this is the most enjoyable area of school life; it is here they spend much of their time and make many of their friends. It is also in these areas that students develop many of the attributes that are vital in later life: leadership, the ability to work as part of a team, confidence and resilience.

Creative activities include visual and performing arts, digital design, photography and film, culinary arts and initiating and planning service projects.

Activity must involve physical exertion and is usually a team or individual sport such as hockey, squash, sailing, tennis, swimming or athletics. These activities should be focused on achieving a personal goal and should encourage a positive lifelong approach to fitness and physical wellbeing. 

Service activities are defined as collaborative and reciprocal engagement with the community in response to an authentic need and might include helping older people, environmental work, working with local primary school pupils, working with adults with learning disabilities, helping in charity shops, helping run school activities, or gaining first aid qualifications.

Extended Essay

The Extended Essay (EE) is a unique opportunity for students to engage in independent research. As part of the diploma each student chooses a topic that interests them and undertakes an in-depth 4000-word study.

The scholarly apparatus that the essay demands – including citations, bibliography, abstract – is a very effective preparation for university dissertations, projects and theses. It is a distinctive feature of the IB Diploma, and universities regularly comment positively on the scope, depth and structure of argument that the Extended Essay inspires.

Examples of recent Extended Essay titles include:

  • How does the addition of the inhibitor phenylthiourea (PTU), affect the behaviour of the reaction between catechol solution and catechol oxidase extracted from bananas?
  • What is the Significance of Richard Powers’ Use of Images of Instability in The Echo Maker?
  • To what extent can a redevelopment of Dharavi be truly sustainable?
  • How does the area and shape of a nozzle head affect the distance and angular separation of water pumped through at constant input pressure?
  • To what extent did Peter the Great modernise Russia between 1682-1725?
  • How can we model the motion of a single stage rocket in one dimension after a vertical launch?
  • Cúal es el papel de los gitanos en la sociedad espanola y como ha cambiado a través del tiempo?
  • To what extent does McDonald’s in Hong Kong use pricing strategies to maximise profit?
  • How successful is the radical feminist critique of contemporary legal theory?
  • What has been the impact of computer-aided design upon architectural design within London?

Theory of Knowledge (TOK)

What is TOK?

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What will I study?

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What are the benefits of studying TOK?

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Where Next?