International Baccalaureate
Primary Years Programme

ISM was proud to become a full IB PYP school on both campuses in 2007 after a five year implementation programme and a careful authorization process undertaken by the IBO. As International School Moshi was the first International Baccalaureate Diploma school in Africa, it is fitting that we join the many international schools worldwide now adopting the Primary Years programme.

The PYP provides guidelines for what children should learn, how they learn, and how they should be assessed. At the centre of the PYP is a commitment to structured inquiry. The children participate more in problem solving, asking questions, actively seeing explanations and forming hypotheses and generalizations original to them.

Another important aspect of the PYP is the time that teachers must spend together planning lessons and generally discussing the organizing themes that guide children and the teachers through an exploration of the units of inquiry. At the centre of the PYP curriculum are five essential elements: Knowledge, Concepts, Skills, Attitudes and Action. The aim of the programme is to help students acquire an understanding of the six trans-disciplinary themes through these five elements. Though there is no external assessment of student work by IBO the PYP stresses a variety of assessment tools that the teacher use through out the year including students being reflective on their own work and their peers.

A PYP school develops students who are:

Inquirers,
Thinkers,
Communicators,
Risk-takers,
Knowledgeable,
Principled,
Caring,
Open-minded,
Well-balanced, and
Reflective.

As well, the PYP seeks to identify a body of significant knowledge for all students in all cultures in six principal domains: Languages, Science and technology, Mathematics, Social studies, Arts, and Personal, Social and Physical education.

Primary Years Curriculum