Primary Years Programme

The Primary Years Programme is the first of four IB programmes of education. It provides the Academy with a curriculum framework of essential elements — the knowledge, concepts, skills, learning dispositions, and action that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future. At GEMS World Academy - Dubai, we have used these five elements to construct a curriculum that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant for learners in the 3–12 age range. 

Essential elements in the PYP

The five essential elements of the PYP are:

• Dispositions are a set of attributes for the Learner Profile to nurture active, compassionate and lifelong learners. The Learner Profile attributes are; Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced and Reflective. 
• Concepts are the powerful ideas that have relevance within the individual subject areas. These overarching ideas transcend individual subjects and link the programme, enabling students to explore and re-explore them to gain an in-depth, coherent understanding. 
• Skills are taught, as we know that in order to be lifelong learners, we must equip students with the necessary skills for learning. The skills emphasised within the programme include; thinking skills, social skills, communication skills, self-management skills and research skills. 
• Knowledge is the significant and relevant content that we believe students should explore and know. This element has six discrete subject areas including; Mathematics, Language (English & Arabic), Social Studies, Science, PSPE (Physical, Social and Personal Education) and the Arts. Each of these subject areas then further outlines the overall expectations at each age range. These six subjects are then encompassed by six ‘trans-disciplinary themes’ that are considered essential to international education. These themes are covered each year, in every grade level (with the exception of Pre-K to KG2 where they can elect to cover four per year) through integrated units of inquiry. These include; Who We Are, How We Express Ourselves, Where We Are in Place and Time, How the World Works, How We Organise Ourselves and Sharing the Planet. 
• Action is the final essential element, and it is the demonstration of deeper learning through responsible behaviour. Action is how students show that they have combined the other four essential elements together in their own lives, and completed something with the skills, knowledge, concepts and attitudes they have learned.

The PYP curriculum framework emphasises the central principle of ‘Agency’ that is found throughout the three pillars of the curriculum: the learner, learning and teaching and the learning community. Everyone connected to the Academy's community (including students, parents and teachers) has voice, choice and ownership to impact learning and teaching. The PYP aims to develop students’ academic, social and emotional wellbeing, focusing on international-mindedness and strong personal values. It nurtures independent learning skills, encouraging every student to take responsibility for their learning.

The PYP is committed to structured, purposeful inquiry that engages students actively in their own learning. The programme supports students’ efforts to construct meaning from the world around them by; drawing on their prior knowledge, providing provocation through new experiences, and providing opportunities for reflection and consolidation. This approach respects students’ developing ideas about how the world works. It encourages them to question, consider, and refine their understanding of the social and natural world while developing the attributes of the Learner Profile.

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

• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies
• Arts
• Physical, Social and Personal Education

Why do we use Transdisciplinary Learning?

Transdisciplinary Learning is the integration of knowledge, skills, understandings and dispositions across subject areas and contexts. It allows students to make meaningful real-world connections that transcend traditional classroom or subject boundaries. It is the difference between memorising isolated and distinct facts for short-term purposes versus using facts along with concepts to create transferable understandings across time, place and cultures.

What are the six Transdisciplinary Themes?

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; and what it means to be human.

Where we are in place and time:

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; and 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; and 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 organisations; 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.

The Primary Years Programme is the first of four IB programmes of education. It provides the Academy with a curriculum framework of essential elements — the knowledge, concepts, skills, learning dispositions, and action that young students need to equip them for successful lives, both now and in the future. At GEMS World Academy - Dubai, we have used these five elements to construct a curriculum that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant for learners in the 3–12 age range. 

• IB World Schools (the only schools authorised to offer IB programmes) are subject to a strict accreditation process monitored by the IB, ensuring that academies provide a high-quality education
• IB teaching methods and curriculums are research- based and draw from the best educational practices from systems around the world
• IB teachers are required to participate in many professional development opportunities to continually promote their awareness of current educational practices and new thinking
• IB students develop a sense of the world around them and their responsibility to it. (See “What is an IB Education?”)
• IB programmes are recognised internationally and ease the educational transitions of mobile students so that their education is not adversely affected if their families relocate

All PYP teachers receive professional development in IB’s approaches to teaching and learning from certified IB workshop leaders. This is a requirement for IB World Schools implementing the PYP.

• Visit the IB website at www.ibo.org
• Attend our GWA events and parent meetings
• Speak with the PYP coordinator
• Speak with your child’s PYP Form Tutor