Primary Years Programme
The PYP (including Early Years) is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.
It is a framework guided by six interdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subjects areas, as well as interdisciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry.
The IB Primary Years Programme
- addresses students’ academic, social and emotional well-being
- encourages students to develop independence and to take responsibility for their own learning
- supports students’ efforts to gain understanding of the world and to function comfortably within it
- helps students establish personal values as a foundation upon which international-mindedness will develop and flourish.
The six subject areas identified within the IB Primary Years Programme
- language
- mathematics
- science
- social studies
- arts
- personal, social and physical education
International Mindedness and Learner Profile
The aims of all the IB programs (PYP, MYP, DP) is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. We are working to ensure that the students at ISH are globally minded in the following ways:
Inquirer
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range od disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
Thinker
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
Communicator
We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways, we collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
Open-minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view and we are willing to grow from the experience.
Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have commitment to service and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
Courageous
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.
Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our independence with other people and with the world in which we live.
The Written Curriculum
The most significant and distinctive feature of the IB Primary Years Programme is the six transdisciplinary themes.
These themes provide IB World Schools with the opportunity to incorporate local and global issues into the curriculum and effectively allow students to “step up” beyond the confines of learning within subject areas.
- Who we are
- Where we are in place and time
- How we express ourselves
- How the world works
- How we organize ourselves
- Sharing the planet
The Exhibition
The Exhibition is an important part of the PYP for all students. In the final year of the programme, students undertake a collaborative, interdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. As the culminating experience of the PYP, the Exhibition offers students an exciting opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning.
PYP brochure
