Primary Years Programme News

• Regional Statistics and Newly Authorized PYP Schools in North America

As of November 2004, there are a total of 181 PYP schools worldwide, with a regional breakdown as follows:

IB North America: 49
IB Latin American: 26
IB Asia Pacific: 48
IB Africa, Europe and the Middle East: 58

Congratulations to the following schools who have been authorized as of July 2004:

Académie François-Labelle, Repentigny, Québec, Canada
Atlanta International School, Atlanta, Georgia
Branksome Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
École St-Thérèse-de-l’Enfant-Jesus, Saint-Antoine, Québec, Canada
St. Clement Catholic Elementary School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
St. Edmund Catholic Elementary School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Strathcona Tweedsmuir, Okotoks, Alberta, Canada

• Opportunities for Participating in Curriculum Development

One of the unique and important features of the Primary Years Programme curriculum development process is the inclusion of PYP practitioners.  Schools are reminded to recommend teachers who are interested in contributing their expertise to the PYP curriculum development process.  PYP coordinators should use the Teacher Recommendation Form, which can be found on IBIS and in the PYP Coordinator’s Handbook.  In addition, a curriculum vitae should be submitted for each teacher with a brief description of his or her PYP experience.

• Additional Language Learning and Teaching Questionnaire

Forty-seven schools (34%) responded to the additional-language learning and teaching questionnaire, made available to PYP coordinators through PYP IBNET at the end of 2003.  The results indicated that PYP schools are providing additional-language learning in a variety of ways.  The data indicates that there seems to be little uniformity with regards to the age, the amount of time allocated or the frequency of additional-language instruction.  Many thanks to those who participated in the survey.  The feedback that we receive from schools serves to inform future curriculum development and the development of teacher support materials.

• PYP Coordinators and the Online Curriculum Center

PYP coordinators have a vital role in the implementation and sustainability of the Primary Years Programme in their school community.  One tool that IBO has developed to assist in this endeavor is the Online Curriculum Center (OCC). 
The OCC is a password-protected web site designed to help support IB teachers in the three programmes in the three official languages.   Resources include discussion forums and the PYP e-library, which provides access to the latest versions of PYP curriculum documents produced by the IBO.  All documents may be downloaded and printed for use throughout the school.  If coordinators have difficulty accessing the OCC or introducing colleagues to the various resources that are provided, they may email online@ibo.org.

• PYP Frequently Asked Questions

How many units of inquiry do we have to teach?

Six units of inquiry are to be covered in depth each year, each within a three to six week timeframe.  Each unit must be documented on a PYP planner and the units may NOT run simultaneously.  Discretion concerning some overlap at the beginning and end of the units may be used by authorized schools only. Exceptions to these requirements are:

· To provide the opportunity for the presentation of the PYP exhibition in the final year of the programme (see PYP Exhibition Guidelines)
· In the planning of the school’s PYP programme of inquiry for 3-5 year old (see The PYP in the Early Childhood Years [3-5 years]).

• Does every school have to do the PYP exhibition?

In the final year of the PYP programme, there are five units of inquiry and the exhibition.  All authorized PYP schools are expected to present a PYP exhibition.  Candidate schools are not expected to present an exhibition, although they may choose to do so.  Monitoring of a school’s engagement with the exhibition will take place during the normal process of IBO evaluation visits.  Evidence of completed exhibitions should be made available to members of an IBO visiting team.  Schools should therefore keep appropriate records of the exhibitions.  Schools interested in sharing their experiences of an exhibition may e-mail the PYP department at IBCA (pyp@ibo.org) for further information. [ return to top ]