Resource · IB CAS Planning
IB CAS coordinators face a specific problem: the IB CAS framework is rigorous, the documentation expectations are precise, and most generic school-trip operators don't understand either. This guide walks through how to organise a CAS trip that actually satisfies the framework — and that an IB visit, if it samples your cohort, would find watertight.
For Portugal-specific CAS programmes see our CAS programmes Portugal hub; for the broader programme overview see our CAS programmes page.
The first design decision is balance across Creativity, Activity and Service — not which country to visit. Map your cohort's existing CAS commitments first; identify which strands need strengthening; then choose a trip designed to deliver those strands. Working in this order produces CAS programmes that genuinely complement portfolios rather than duplicating what students already do.
Generic operators bolting on a 'service' afternoon don't qualify. Look for partners who: name their on-staff CAS coordinator and their IB-school experience; demonstrate audited Service partnerships (registered NGOs, not volunteer-tourism); issue evidence packs aligned to IB portfolio expectations as standard; and reference other IB schools that have travelled with them.
A well-built CAS trip names each strand component in the itinerary and the hours it will contribute. A weak one says 'students will engage with local community partners' without specifying what or how much. Request itineraries that show daily hour totals against C/A/S — and reject those that don't.
DP1 launch trips: spring of Year 12. DP2 consolidation trips: autumn of Year 13 or pre-portfolio submission. Avoid IA submission weeks in both years. A combined DP1-and-DP2 trip is possible but adds significant programme-design complexity — usually only worth it for very small cohorts.
School CAS coordinator approval is structurally similar to EVC approval — they're checking that the trip will produce IB-acceptable evidence for the portfolios they're responsible for signing off. Bring them into operator-selection conversations early, not at the contract stage. Their challenge questions will improve the brief.
The IB framework expects students to identify and engage with CAS experiences personally — not have them imposed. Pre-trip sessions where students articulate which strands they want to develop, which learning outcomes they're targeting, and what evidence they intend to capture, dramatically improve the quality of post-trip reflections.
On-site supervisor sign-off on every daily hour log is non-negotiable. Use template forms aligned to IB CAS portfolio expectations; ensure supervisor names, qualifications and organisations are recorded; collect signed originals before departure and store in the school's CAS portfolio archive.
End-of-trip evidence packs need to flow into ManageBac or equivalent within a week or two — while the experience is fresh. Reserve a school-based session within 10 days of return for students to upload reflections, photographs and supervisor reports against the relevant CAS learning outcomes. Late uploads dilute reflection quality.
FAQ
Balanced engagement across at least two of Creativity, Activity and Service (most trips cover all three); documented hours signed off by an on-site supervisor; reflections mapped to the seven CAS learning outcomes; and evidence (photos, supervisor reports, student artefacts) usable in the portfolio. A trip missing any of those rarely passes IB-coordinator scrutiny.
DP1 cohorts typically run launch-style trips in the spring of Year 12 — early enough to embed commitments before exam pressure ramps up. DP2 cohorts run consolidation trips in the autumn of Year 13, or completion trips before the March/April portfolio submission window. Avoid the IA submission windows in both years.
Partner CAS coordinators issue daily hour logs signed off on-site, with each entry tagged to the relevant CAS strand and to specific learning outcomes (LOs 1–7). At trip end, schools receive a portfolio-ready evidence pack — hour totals, supervisor reports, photographic evidence and reflection prompts — formatted for ManageBac upload.
Yes, in part. The CAS project requires sustained collaboration over an extended period — a trip alone usually isn't long enough. But a trip can launch a CAS project (with school-based continuation), provide its mid-point intensive, or deliver its completion phase. Partner CAS coordinators support multi-month structures.
On-site supervisors complete daily hour logs with their name, qualification, organisation and signature against each strand. Reputable partners use template forms aligned to IB CAS portfolio expectations. Avoid trips where supervisor sign-off is informal — IB visits sample these and the documentation needs to stand up to scrutiny.
Five to ten days is standard, with seven days being the most common balance of CAS contribution and curriculum-time impact. Group sizes typically 12–30 students — small enough for genuine Service engagement and supervisor attention, large enough to make logistics efficient.
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