The Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a curriculum framework which is learner centred and at its core focuses on students being agents of their own learning. It prioritizes relationships and building strong and supportive learning communities.
The PYP encompasses develop knowledge, conceptual understandings, skill and dispositions that encourage students to become lifelong learners who are internationally minded and empowered to make positive change in the world.
The Learner Profile
The learner profile is a group of ten dipositions that we aim to nurture in our globally-minded citizens:
Inquirers
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.
Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned ethical decisions.
Communicators
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.
Risk-Takers
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.
Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
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.
Caring
We show empathy, compassion, and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and on the world around us.
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 this experience.
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 interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
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.
The Approaches to Learning
PYP Approaches to learning are a set of skills that help students become independent and self – motivated learners. They include skills such as thinking, research, communication, social and self-management. These skills are important for student development because they help students engage with different subjects and topics, connect their learning to real-world contexts, collaborate with others, and reflect on their own strengths and areas for improvement. These skills also fosters students’ sense of self-efficacy, which is their belief in their own abilities to achieve their goals.
Learning and Curriculum
Our Primary Years Programme is designed to create a holistic approach to education that supports social, emotional well-being while developing academic excellence. As our curriculum is guided by the PYP framework, its key elements are designed to promote and strengthen transdisciplinary learning and teaching.
Our units of inquiry have been developed to ensure that learning is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant to the learner. The PYP transdisciplinary approach encompasses these aspects of learning and encourages us to push beyond traditional subject-based teaching to innovative concept-based and transdisciplinary approaches that bring relevance, authenticity and connection to student learning.
Concept-based inquiry, as the leading pedagogical approach of the Primary Years Program (PYP) recognizes learners demonstrating agency and being actively involved in their own learning; taking ownership for that learning and applying it across domains. At SIS, learners are continuously encouraged to think, challenge and extend their ideas and to reflect and take action. The teaching of the units of inquiry is flexible and responsive to student interest and needs. Therefore the proposed dates in the program of inquiry are guidelines and subject to change.
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