Curriculum
International School Almere – Primary is offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) curriculum.
What is the Primary Years Programme?
The PYP is a curriculum framework for young learners aged 3–12. Like all International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes, the IB learner profile permeates all facets of school life in the PYP.
The PYP is based on the recognition of a child’s natural curiosity, creativity and ability to reflect. It generates a stimulating, challenging learning environment to nurture the whole child and foster a lifelong love of learning for all. The PYP is transdisciplinary, meaning students learn across subject areas while inquiring into big ideas.
Does the PYP have a specific set of standards?
The IB standards offer rigorous guidelines that allow for school and classroom practices to align with the IB educational philosophy and values. The PYP is a framework for schools and their approach to learning and teaching. Students explore significant concepts through units of inquiry.
The six transdisciplinary themes that guide units of inquiry in each school year (Students aged 3 to 6 engage in four themes per 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
Units of inquiry authentically interweave ideas and skills from the relevant subject areas:
• language
• social studies
• mathematics
• arts
• science
• personal, social and physical education
This approach encourages students to make their own connections between what they know and how it relates to the world around them.
The school outlines its specific knowledge content and academic curriculum within the framework of the PYP including:
• Knowledge content organized by the transdisciplinary themes.
• Approaches to learning skills aimed to help students become independent, self-motivated learners.
• Action initiated by learners that is authentic, meaningful, mindful, responsible and responsive of their learning and the world they live in
If you are interested in finding out more about the IB’s PYP program, please go to the website www.ibo.org and follow the link.
At International School Almere – Primary, we use innovative approaches to enhance students’ learning experiences in both Maths and Literacy.
Through our Maths Programme, Numicon, our students engage in a hands-on method of learning math using colourful shapes that represent numbers. This visual and tactile approach helps students understand mathematical concepts more deeply, laying a strong foundation for skills like arithmetic, problem-solving, and logical reasoning. Numicon makes maths learning fun and accessible for all students.
In Literacy, we use the Talk for Writing programme to inspire creativity and improve writing skills. By first imitating and understanding stories, our students build confidence in speaking and storytelling. This foundation helps them to innovate and write independently with greater fluency and imagination.