Primary Years Programme

 

Kindergarten students and students from Grade 1 to 5 are part of the IBO Primary Years Programme (PYP). The programme focuses on the total growth of the developing child, affecting hearts as well as minds in addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic welfare. The PYP combines the best research and practice from a range of national education systems, together with a wealth of knowledge and experience derived from international schools - resulting in a highly relevant and engaging educational programme.

Our current programme of inquiry is available here

Link to Current Units of Inquiry

 

The Primary Years Programme offers a comprehensive, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. Children have to find answers to their own inquiries. The three basic questions that students have to deal with daily are:

 

• What do we want to learn?

• How best will we learn?

• How will we know what we have learned?

 

Within the framework of PYP programme students learn through six transdisciplinary themes per school year. These transdisciplinary units aim to weave together subject-specific knowledge with a  focus on the teaching of concepts, developing greater skills, positive attitudes to learning and life, and through the development of the Learner Profile Attributes which underpin the PYP programme.

Transdiscplinarity is the key approach to binding together subject-specific knowledge in the following areas:

• English
• Mathematics
• Science & Social Studies
• Foreign Languages (Slovenian, German or French)
• Visual Arts
• Music
• ICT
• Physical Education
• Personal & Social Development

 

Some subjects are grade dependent and additional information can can be found in parent's and student's handbooks which are distributed at the beginning of the school year:

Collapsed Days, Excursions and Special Events

Running througout the school year, our PYP programme also includes transdiciplinary in-class and excursion-based science, cultural and sport activities, which are organised to complement the student's inquiries, promote and develop our school community, and to introduce novel and interesting experiences.

PYP Units of Inquiry 2011/12: Learning Objectives

Central ideas and learning objectives for the 2011/12 PYP units of inquiry are made available on this page as they are adopted into the classes.

 

	1	2	3	4	5	6
K1	I am somebody	Even garbage is useful
K2	Everybody needs a family	We express ourselves through music in unique ways
1m	Schools are the anthills of the school community	Safety is our responsibility	Each of us has unique cultural and geographical roots
2m	Our differences and similarities make us unique	From past to present people have developed ways and systems in order to communicate with others	We can express ourselves in different ways through art
3m	Co-operation helps us everywhere	There are many ways to find directions	Extraordinary people are ordinary people with an extraordinary amount of determination
4m	Trees and their importance	Stories come in different forms, which can be analysed and reused to express different ideas and intentions	Energy exists in various forms and is changed, stored and used in different ways	Each culture has its own belief(s) and value systems
5m	Reptiles have adapted to different environments, yet some may become extinct	Over time various breakthroughs in the understanding and exploration of space have given us clues about life in our solar system	Stress is a condition that can affect everyone, including students

 

 

PYP Exhibition

The PYP Exhibition is held in the last quarter of the school year. It is the culmination of all the skills and working attitudes that have been developed by students of Grade 5. Students are required to inquire, research and report their findings. The PYP Exhibition Guidelines give students and parents information on the processes and outcomes of this project work and the 2010/11 versions can be downloaded here for your information.