Overview of the PYP
The official start of primary school, our PYP is a natural progression from the Early Years. Drawing on the skills and concepts learned in the Early Years, our PYP curriculum guides students through a transformative framework designed to nurture compassionate, knowledgeable, and inquisitive learners.
Combining an inquiry-based learning ethos with essential interpersonal skills, the PYP equips students with the skills and values necessary to thrive in a complex, interconnected world.
What is PYP?
The PYP spans Grades 1 to 5, following directly on from the Early Years, and leading into the Middle Years Programme . Students follow a curriculum based in the International Baccalaureate, and enriched by the British National Curriculum.
Rooted in transdisciplinary learning, the PYP integrates subjects around meaningful central themes. It fosters the development of the whole child, academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. Every element of the learning experience, from the environment to the teachings, nurtures curiosity and respect.
Key Components of the PYP at AIA
Our PYP is informed by a few key components that make up our holistic curriculum. Each element is crucial to the success of our learners, transitioning them out of the Early Years and preparing them for the Middle Years Programme .
The PYP curriculum at AIA is built around six globally significant themes that enable students to make meaningful connections across disciplines:
- 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
These themes encourage students to explore local and global contexts, fostering deeper understanding and real-world application of their learning.
Inquiry is central to the PYP at AIA, empowering students to ask questions, investigate, and think critically. This approach makes learning engaging, meaningful, and relevant, inspiring students to become lifelong learners.
At AIA, we emphasise the development of the IB Learner Profile, encouraging students to embody attributes such as being inquirers, communicators, thinkers, and principled individuals. This framework shapes students into well-rounded, globally minded individuals.
The PYP at AIA builds essential skills, including research, communication, collaboration, self-management, and critical thinking. These skills prepare students for success in their academic and personal journeys.
At AIA, students are active participants in their learning journey. The PYP fosters student agency by giving them voice, choice, and ownership, building independence, confidence, and a sense of responsibility.
At AIA, conceptual learning in the PYP is at the heart of our inquiry-driven approach, empowering students to explore big ideas that transcend subjects. Through the specified concepts of form, function, causation, change, connection, perspective, and responsibility, our learners are guided to think deeply, ask meaningful questions, and connect their learning to the world around them.
Benefits of the PYP at AIA
At AIA, we strive to create a balanced education, combining the rigor of the British National Curriculum within the globally respected framework of the International Baccalaureate. Through a transdisciplinary approach, with strong themes of collaboration and critical thinking, our PYP students develop a strong sense of responsibility and empathy, understanding how local and global issues are interconnected.
Our students learn to value different perspectives, cultures, and beliefs through the development of international-mindedness, and daily interaction with students and teachers from all over the world. Reflection and action are integral components of the PYP, inspiring students to apply their learning to real-world challenges and make meaningful contributions to their communitities.
The PYP in Action at AIA
In education, action is key to embedding learning, and the PYP comes alive through our interactive classrooms, collaborative projects, and experiential learning.
Students in the PYP engage in real-world inquiries, culminating in the Grade 5 PYP Exhibition. This is a showcase of our students' learning journeys', where they take action on global issues and present their findings to the school community.