PYP

At BLIS, we’re proud to offer the globally acclaimed International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP), a transformative educational framework designed to ignite curiosity, foster inquiry, and nurture holistic development in our students.

The PYP at BLIS is more than just a curriculum; it’s a philosophy that shapes every aspect of our teaching and learning environment. Grounded in inquiry-based learning, our PYP curriculum encourages students to explore, question, and discover the world around them. Through engaging, hands-on activities and meaningful experiences, we empower our students to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and lifelong learners.

The key pillars of our PYP programme include:

• Transdisciplinary Learning: We break down traditional subject boundaries, allowing students to explore themes and concepts that span across various disciplines. This approach fosters connections between different areas of knowledge and promotes a deeper understanding of the world.
• Inquiry-Based Education: We believe that learning is most effective when driven by curiosity. Our students learn to ask questions, conduct research, and seek answers, cultivating their natural sense of wonder and fostering a love for learning.
• Developing Global Citizens: The PYP at BLIS instils in students a sense of global awareness and responsibility. Through diverse perspectives, service-learning initiatives, and intercultural understanding, we empower our students to become compassionate, principled, and socially conscious individuals.
• Assessment for Learning: Assessment is not merely a measure of knowledge acquisition; it’s a tool for growth. We employ varied assessment strategies that focus on student progress, understanding, and reflection, ensuring that learning is a continuous, personalised journey.

IB Learner Profile

The IB learner profile is a set of attributes that express the values inherent of IB learners and international education.   The learner profile is a set of ideals that inspires, motivates and focuses students and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose.

IB learners strive to be:

• Inquirers We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

• Knowledgeable We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

• Thinkers We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

• Communicators We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

• Principled We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

• Open-minded We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

• Caring We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us

• Risk-takers We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

• Balanced We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
• Reflective We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

PYP Transdisciplinary Themes:

The six PYP transdisciplinary themes are overarching themes that allow students to explore and make connections across various subject areas. At BLIS, these themes form the backbone of our curriculum:

• Who We Are: Exploring the nature of ourselves, our beliefs, and values.
• Where We Are in Place and Time: Investigating our personal histories and the discoveries and explorations of humankind.
• How We Express Ourselves: Exploring ways we express ideas, feelings, beliefs, and cultures.
• How the World Works: Investigating the natural world and its laws; the interaction between people and the environment.
• How We Organise Ourselves: Exploring societal structures and systems.
• Sharing the Planet: Investigating rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources.

Key Concepts:

Key concepts are essential ideas that transcend individual disciplines and stimulate critical thinking. At BLIS, we emphasise these concepts throughout our teaching:

• Form: What is it like? (The structure and nature of things)
• Function: How does it work? (The purpose and usefulness of things)
• Causation: Why is it like it is? (The relationship between cause and effect)
• Change: How is it changing? (The transformation and evolution of things)
• Connection: How is it connected to other things? (The relationships and interdependence)
• Perspective: What are the points of view? (The different ways of seeing things)
• Responsibility: What is our responsibility? (The ethical considerations and impact of our actions)

ATL Skills (Approaches to Learning):

Approaches to Learning are the skills that help students become self-regulated learners. At BLIS, we foster these ATL skills:

• Thinking Skills: Critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving.
• Social Skills: Collaboration, communication, and conflict resolution.
• Self-Management Skills: Organisation, time management, and perseverance.
• Research Skills: Information literacy, data analysis, and inquiry skills.
• Communication Skills: Listening, speaking, reading, writing, and media literacy.

At BLIS, integrating these components into our PYP curriculum nurtures well-rounded, globally minded students who embrace diversity, think critically, and approach learning with enthusiasm and confidence.