The Primary Years Programme Curriculum

Strothoff International School offers a concept-driven, inquiry-based learning environment where all students have the opportunity to build upon their prior experiences and knowledge. The curriculum for children aged 3-12 at Strothoff International School is aligned with the International Baccalaureate philosophy and incorporates these five essential elements: Concepts, Skills, Attitudes, Action & Knowledge.

Concepts

There are 8 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. These concepts are transdisciplinary, meaning they can be applied across all subjects and most importantly to real life.
The 8 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?
Responsibility: What is our responsibility?
Reflection: How do we know?

Skills

There are 5 sets of transdisciplinary skills that students should acquire in the process of structured and student-led inquiry.
These are:

Thinking
Communication
Social
Research
Self-Management

Attitudes

There are 12 attitudes we promote and want our students to feel, value and demonstrate.
These are:

Appreciation
Commitment
Confidence
Creativity
Curiosity
Empathy
Enthusiasm
Independence
Integrity
Tolerance

Action

Our 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 5. 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.

: Primary Years

Where are the subjects?

There are 6 subject-specific areas taught in the PYP through a transdisciplinary approach. These subjects include Mathematics, Language (both German and English), Science, Social Studies, Personal Social and Physical Education and the Arts (including drama, music and visual arts).
It is most common for the learning objectives of each subject-specific area to be taught through one of the six Units of Inquiry.
The five essential elements transcend subject-specific boundaries and illuminate for students the bonds between these areas.
The subject area of Information Communication Technology (ICT) at Strothoff International School is viewed as essential to preparing students for continued education in the 21st century, therefore students in the PYP have weekly lessons and regular access to technology to facilitate their research and inquires.