The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programs of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programs encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
In light of the IB’s mission, Robinson felt that it aligned with its own mission and guiding principles, therefore, decided to implement the programs.
What is the PYP?
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) is a leading curriculum framework for international education. Designed for schools with students aged 3-12, the PYP focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.
The PYP serves as a flexible curriculum framework for our school. Incorporating the five essential elements (knowledge, concept, skill, attitude and action) we construct a rigorous and challenging primary education curriculum that is transdisciplinary, engaging, relevant and significant.
Nurturing independent learning skills and encouraging every student to take responsibility for their learning, the PYP develops students’ academic, social, and emotional wellbeing, while simultaneously focusing on international- mindedness and the development of strong personal values.
The character traits of the learner profile are developed through group projects, field trips, Hawk assemblies, hands-on activities, and other inquiry-based assigments.
Encouraging in-depth, collaborative inquiry, PYP students carry out an extended, in-depth, collaborative project known as the PYP exhibition in 6th grade. Students work collaboratively on real life issues or problems they then present their projects to the school and wider community. The exhibition represents a unique and significant opportunity for students to showcase the attributes of the IB learner profile developed throughout their engagement with the program.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP) is an educational framework that encourages students aged 11 to 16 to make practical connections between their studies and the real world. At a time when students are establishing their identity and building self-esteem, the MYP is uniquely designed to offer a well- rounded education and help students achieve success in school and in life. The five –year program is offered at Robinson in a four-year abbreviated format.
The MYP framework is an inquiry- based, concept-driven curriculum that ensures breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups (language acquisition, language and literature, individuals and societies, sciences, mathematics, arts, physical and health education, and design).
Addressing the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students holistically, the MYP prepares them to take principled action by participating in services within the community and requiring study of at least two languages (language of instruction and additional language of choice) to support the understanding of their own cultures and those of others. MYP students also engage with big ideas, rather than simply memorizing facts in order to prepare for exams. As a result, they develop learning skills that they can rely on throughout the course of their independent, purpose-driven lives.
The MYP personal project is a student- centered and age-appropriate practical exploration in which students consolidate their learning throughout the program. This long-term project (approximately 9 months) is designed as an independent learning experience of approximately 25 hours. The personal project formally assesses students’ ATL skills, encourages students to practice and strengthen them, to connect classroom learning engagements with personal experience, and to develop their own interests for lifelong learning.
The personal project is composed of three elements: the process journal where students record all their work, the product / outcome they create and the final report they make that explains what they have done and learned. Students are evaluated according to the assessment criteria specific to the personal project, which follow the four personal project objectives.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced program of education with final examinations that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, or grades 11th and 12th, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being of students. The program has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.
The DP curriculum is made up of the DP core and six subject groups. Made up of the three required components, the DP core aims to broaden students’ educational experience and challenge them to apply their knowledge and skills. The three core elements are:
The six subject groups and courses offered at Robinson are:
Besides the original purpose of assessment, in DP, criteria-based assessment is also used to prepare the students for the examinations at the end of the program. The students’ progress is assessed also through:
