Primary School Programme Overview

Primary School Programme Overview

PRIMARY SCHOOL PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

We pride ourselves in delivering a bespoke curriculum framework by a team of outstanding, international teachers here at EIS Meadows. In line with our school motto of being happy, safe and successful, this forms the precursor to an exciting, inquiry-led, conceptually rich curriculum framework; the PYP (Primary Years Programme).

PYP

Students aged 3 to 12 at Emirates International School Meadows (EISM) Primary School follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP).

The PYP offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding. It is a student-centered approach to education which reflects the best of educational research, thought leadership and experience derived from IB World Schools. 

PYP students use their initiative to take responsibility and ownership of their learning.  By learning through inquiry and reflecting on their own learning, PYP students develop knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and the attributes of the IB Learner profile to make a difference in their own lives, their communities, and beyond.

PYP learners know how to take ownership of their learning, collaborating with teachers to deepen understanding and increase their confidence and self-motivation. Through actively engaging in integrated ongoing assessment they become effective, self-regulated learners who can act on constructive feedback. Guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, students broaden their learning by developing their conceptual understandings, strengthening their knowledge and skills across, between and beyond subject areas.

The PYP:

• Encourages students to develop independence and to take responsibility for their own learning
• Supports students’ effort to gain understanding of the world and to function effectively within it
• Helps students to establish personal values as a foundation on which international mindedness will flourish
• Addresses students’ academic needs and their social and emotional well-being

PYP subjects and strands:

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

The most significant and distinctive feature of the IB Primary Years Programme are the six transdisciplinary themes. These themes provide IB World Schools with the opportunity to incorporate local and global issues into the curriculum and effectively allow students to think beyond the confines of learning within subject areas. The six transdisciplinary themes are:

Who we are - An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; person, 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 place and time -  An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationship 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.

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 of the relationships within. and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

How we organize 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

At EIS Meadows, we are confident that the rigor of the PYP will prepare our students as life-long learners who are internationally minded global citizens. This will enable the seamless transition into the MYP (Middle Years Programme). Should you require more information, please our PYP Coordinator and Curriculum Lead, Mrs Sumayya Shariff on shariffs@eischools.ae