THE PYP PROGRAMME

The PYP is flexible enough to accommodate the demands of most national or local curriculums and is a framework guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subjects areas, as well as transdisciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry.

The six subject areas identified within the IB Primary Years Programme:

Language; English, French, Hindi

Social Studies

Mathematics

Arts; Visual and Performing

At TISB, we will continue to teach ICT as a stand alone subject and integrate tasks within the curriculum. Additionally, to ensure discipline rigour is not lost, we will have stand alone Inquiry units of English and Mathematics.

The six transdisciplinary themes that guide units of inquiry in each school year are:

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

Each theme is addressed each year by all students (Students aged 3 to 5 engage with four of the themes each year.) In addition all PYP students have the opportunity to learn more than one language from the age of seven These transdisciplinary themes help develop a programme of inquiry in which important ideas (identified by the school) are investigated, requiring a high level of involvement from the students These inquiries are substantial and engaging, usually lasting for 7-8 weeks.

All students will come to realize that a unit of inquiry involves them in in-depth exploration of an important ideas, and that the teacher will collect evidence of how well they understand that idea They will expect to be able to work in a variety of ways, on their own and in groups, to allow them to learn to their best advantage

At TISB, concept-based inquiry has been a cornerstone of effective teaching and learning for over the last 3 years and implementing the PYP will help us take our work forward with the concept-based approach to teaching and help our students understand big ideas and foster deeper connections between different areas of knowledge

Value of Inquiry

When learning conceptually students can transfer knowledge, skills, dispositions and understanding to new contexts and through different disciplines, their learning is deepened and fortified. Through the programme of inquiry at TISB, your child will be given opportunities to do so through inquiry driven units which are transdisciplinary, meaning that units are not explored through a singular discipline but multiple ones. The central ideas in these units of inquiry may be learned through the arts and sciences or through personal health and social studies to enrich the experience of learning in a meaningful way for our students.

PYP Exhibition

The Exhibition is an important part of the PYP for all students In the final year of the programme in Grade 5, students undertake a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real life issues or problems As the culminating experience of the PYP, the Exhibition offers students an exciting opportunity to demonstrate independence and responsibility for their own learning.