Primary Years Programme
At Coromandel Valley Primary School the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme encompasses students from Reception to Year 6. This culminates with an Exhibition at the end of Year 6 which provides an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the Learner Profile and the Approaches to Learning.
The PYP is structured around the learner, learning and teaching, and the learning community. It emphasises that everyone involved has agency - voice, choice and ownership.
Learning in the PYP is based on an ongoing process of inquiry, action and reflection. Through the approaches to teaching and approaches to learning, the PYP student experiences an education that is significant, relevant, challenging and engaging.[i]
The Inquiry process moves students from their current level of understanding to a new and deeper level of understanding through both teacher and student-initiated questions. This can mean exploring, wondering and questioning, making predictions and acting purposefully to see what happens, taking and defending a position and solving problems in a variety of ways. An explicit expectation of the PYP is that successful inquiry will lead to responsible action, initiated by the student as a result of the learning process. Students engage in six units of Inquiry each year. These units cover each of the transdisciplinary themes:
- Who we are -An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
- Where we are in place and time- An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
- How we express ourselves -An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
- How the world works- An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
- How we organize ourselves -An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
- Sharing the planet- An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
Remembrance Day.
Students inquire into, and learn about, these globally significant issues in the context of units of inquiry, each of which addresses a central idea relevant to a particular transdisciplinary theme. Lines of inquiry are identified by students and staff in order to explore the scope of the central idea for each unit.
All PYP schools construct a programme of inquiry, reflecting the unique aspects of their learning community, from its geography to the needs and experience of its members. [ii]
[i]Excerpt from PYP Update, May 2017
[ii]Excerpt from PYP Update, May 2017