What is an IB PYP School? 

Regardless of location, size, or make-up, an IB PYP school strives to develop an internationally minded person. The mission of the IBO: 

To develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people.

To create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. 

To work with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.

To encourage students worldwide to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
 

The IB PYP curriculum incorporates 5 essential elements: 

1.CONCEPTS—there are eight fundamental concepts; expressed as key questions, to propel the process of inquiry. These universal concepts drive the research units—called UNITS OF INQUIRY, but they also have relevance within and across all subject areas (Transdisciplinary).

The eight fundamental concepts are 

Form: What is it like? 
Function: How does it work? 
Causation: Why is it like it is?
Change: How is it changing? 
Connection: How is it connected to other things? 
Perspective: What are the points of view? 
Reflection: How do we know? 

SKILLS–There are 5 sets of Transdisciplinary skills acquired in the process of structured inquiry. 

These are: 

– Thinking 
– Communication 
– Social
– Research
– Self-Management 

ATTITUDES–The PYP promotes attitudes that we want our  students to feel, value, and demonstrate. 

ACTION- In Idrak Lyceum students are encouraged to reflect, to make informed choices and to take action that will help their peers, school staff, and the wider community. This is how our students demonstrate a deeper sense of learning, by applying their knowledge to service and positive action.

KNOWLEDGE—Rather than provide a fixed syllabus or curriculum, the PYP has identified themes, or areas of knowledge, which are used to organize the 6 Units of Inquiry, taught from early childhood through grade 4. These Units of Inquiry provide the framework (as opposed to a text book curriculum) for a wide variety of resources to be explored in order to accomplish the objectives within each Unit of Inquiry

The Written Curriculum – The most significant and distinctive feature of the IB Primary Years Programme is the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes are about issues that have meaning for, and are important to, all of us. The programme offers a balance between learning about or through the subject areas, and learning beyond them. The six themes of global significance create a transdisciplinary framework that allows students to “step up” beyond the confines of learning within subject areas. The transdisciplinary nature of the curriculum enables students to experience how subject knowledge and understanding work together in the real world, while also experiencing individual components as well. Classes from Preschool to grade 4, students are actively involved in six units of inquiry each per year, each one being approximately six weeks in length.

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 Time and Place -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 Organise 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