H.I.S. is authorized to provide the Primary Years Programme (PYP) of the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students of the age of 4 to Grade 5.
About PYP
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It focuses on the total growth of the developing child, social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic development.
The PYP draws on research and best practice from a range of national systems with a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools to create a relevant, engaging, challenging and significant educational framework for all children.
The curriculum framework consists of five essential elements: concepts, knowledge, skills, attitudes, action.
The knowledge component is developed through inquiries into six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, supported and balanced by six subject areas.
The curriculum framework is further structured around three interrelated questions:
- What do we want to learn? The written curriculum.
- How best will we learn? The taught curriculum.
- How will we know what we have learned? The assessed curriculum.
Teachers in the programme receive IB certified training at regional and inschool workshops in addition to online and inhouse professional development.
The holistic approach enables students to adapt and cope in new or unfamiliar situations, such as moving to a different country, culture and school. They are equipped with ideas, strategies and experiences, which can be applied to many situations they face as they grow and which have made them flexible in their approach to learning.
Students who have worked in the programme are able to make connections between their learning at school and apply this knowledge to the world around them. It is the development of these connections between all learning that will enable students to make sense of the world that they live in.
When students join the Early Primary at the age of four or five, they bring with them a wide range of experiences, skills and interests.
In the classroom, an atmosphere is nurtured where the students feel secure and valued. The positive learning environment helps students approach their education with enthusiasm and confidence.
As the H.I.S. Early Primary curriculum is the first stage of the Primary Years Programme (PYP), a firm foundation is developed in key learning skills, such as listening, speaking, concentrating and working as a part of a team.
The curriculum is designed to provide opportunities for all students to experience success, and to advance learning. Inquiry is a central part of the learning process and individual learning styles are addressed through a variety of activities. Early literacy and numeracy skills, acquired through practical experience with everyday materials, prepare the students for their primary education.
I have been the Primary Years Programme (PYP) Coordinator at H.I.S. for 4 years. I am an Early Primary specialist and have spent a large amount of my teaching career with our youngest students and seen some of them progress through their entire Primary years at the school. I have taught students at all Primary grade levels during my time at H.I.S. and previously taught in Cologne, Germany.
Having worked with the PYP for a number of years I have been able to follow the progress of students who began in our younger classes at the age of 4 or 5 and have now reached the final year of the programme. Students grow in confidence in their own abilities, both academic and social, and are prepared with experiences and strategies that can be applied to the challenges ahead. This international education provides students with the academic and personal development to succeed in an ever-changing world that demands more than academic achievement. I believe the PYP can prepare the students of today to be responsible, internationally minded adults of tomorrow.
For more information please contact me at Allyn.Raw@hischool.de or visit the IB public website at www.ibo.org.
Allyn Raw
