Hout Bay International School

Our curriculum in the Primary School is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant for students in the 3.5-12 age range, (Early Years 1 – PYP 6). The Primary Years Programme (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is defined by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry-based learning.ESSENTIAL ELEMENTSThe PYP provides a curriculum framework of 5 essential elements:

• Knowledge – content in math, language, social studies, science and the arts
• Concepts – important ideas that have universal significance regardless of time or place within and across disciplines. Concepts are presented in the forms of questions that drive   the inquiry.
• Skills – specific capabilities in thinking, social interactions, communication, self-management, and research
• Attitudes – dispositions, values, beliefs and feelings towards learning
• Action – Making changes to and in the world.

ASSESSMENT

Essentially, there are three types of assessment in the  Primary Years Programme (PYP), each of which has a specific function. Pre-assessment occurs at the beginning of the teaching and learning process in order to establish what the students already know. Formative assessment is embedded in the teaching and learning process and therefore occurs in the daily routine of a classroom. It aims to support students to become better learners and helps teachers to plan the next stage of learning. Summative assessment occurs at the end of the teaching and learning process and provides students with opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned in a new context. It aims to give teachers, students and parents clear, evidence-based insight into students’ understanding at a particular moment in time.

EXHIBITION

Students who are in their final year of the programme (PYP6) are expected to carry out an extended, collaborative inquiry project. The exhibition represents a significant event in the life of both the school and student, synthesising the essential elements of the programme and sharing them with the whole school community. It is a culminating experience marking the transition from the Primary Years Programme (PYP) to the Middle Years Programme (MYP) in the High School.