Introduction to the Primary Years Programme (PYP)
Kuwait
Bilingual School is a candidate school for the
Primary Years Programme. This school is pursuing
authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools
share a common philosophy—a commitment to high-quality,
challenging, international education—that we believe is
important for our students.
The IB Primary Years Programme
Students in the 21st
century are faced with the challenge of learning about
an interconnected world where knowledge is constantly
developing. The International BaccalaureateŽ (IB)
Primary Years Programme prepares students to be active
participants in a lifelong journey of learning.
The IB Primary Years
Programme (PYP), for students aged 3 to 12, focuses on
the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both
in the classroom and in the world outside.
Primary Years Programme Curriculum framework
At the heart of the
programme's philosophy is a commitment to structured,
purposeful inquiry as the leading vehicle for learning.
Curriculum model
The curriculum is
expressed in three interrelated ways:
-
the written
curriculum—what do we want to learn?
-
the taught
curriculum—how best will we learn?
-
the assessed
curriculum—how will we know what we have learned?
The written curriculum
The most significant and
distinctive feature of the IB Primary Years Programme is
the six transdisciplinary themes.
These themes are about
issues that have meaning for, and are important to, all
of us. The programme offers a balance between learning
about or through the subject areas, and learning beyond
them. The six themes of global significance create a
transdisciplinary framework that allows 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
Teachers are guided by
these six transdisciplinary themes as they design units
of inquiry that both transcend and articulate
conventional subject boundaries.
The programme can be
illustrated by a hexagon with the six transdisciplinary
themes surrounding six subject areas:
-
language
-
social studies
-
mathematics
-
arts
-
science
-
personal, social and
physical education.
The transdisciplinary
themes and subject areas outlined above form the
knowledge element of the programme.
Five essential elements
The five essential
elements—concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes,
action—are incorporated into this framework, so that
students are given the opportunity to:
-
gain knowledge that is
relevant and of global significance
-
develop an
understanding of concepts, which allows them to make
connections throughout their learning
-
acquire
transdisciplinary and disciplinary skills
-
develop attitudes that
will lead to international-mindedness
-
take action as a
consequence of their learning.
The taught curriculum
The six
transdisciplinary themes help teachers to develop a
programme of inquiries–in-depth investigations into
important ideas, identified by the teachers, and
requiring a high level of involvement on the part of the
students. These inquiries are substantial, in-depth and
usually last for several weeks.
The assessed curriculum
Assessment is an important
part of each unit of inquiry as it both enhances
learning and provides opportunities for students to
reflect on what they know, understand and can do. The
teacher's feedback to the students provides the
guidance, the tools and the incentive for them to become
more competent, more skillful and better at
understanding how to learn.
Further information
For further
information about the IB and its programmes visit
http://www.ibo.org/
Contact
PYP
Coordinator – Rebecca Hawtin
pyp.coordinator@kbs-edu.com