International Primary Curriculum

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is now in use in more than 500 schools in 50 countries. Based on the most explicit learning standards that cover subject, personal and — uniquely — international understanding, the IPC provides teachers and schools with more than 70 Units of Work around which to build a dynamic and exciting thematic curriculum for children aged 3-12.

The International Primary Curriculum sets out to do much more than help teachers teach. It sets out to make sure that children learn.

So it is based on a set of explicitly defined learning goals or standards for every subject of the curriculum, for personal development and, uniquely, for the development of ‘international-mindedness’.

The learning goals are defined for three distinct stages or ‘mileposts’ in children’s education:

· Milepost 1 learning goals are for children aged 7 years old;

· Milepost 2 for children aged 9 years old;

· Milepost 3 for children aged12 years old.

The learning goals are clearly identified in terms of the development of knowledge, skills and understanding. Identifying clearly the difference between these three types of goals helps teachers to be aware of:

· the different ways children learn

· the different ways each needs to be taught and the different ways each needs to be assessed.

What are the Units of Work?

· The units of work are the ‘action component’ of the IPC. The units of work provide the support teachers need to bring the IPC to life in the classroom.

· Units of work are based on themes that appeal to children such as, Chocolate; Rainforests; Mission to Mars and Beyond; Toys.

· Units of work are multidisciplinary. Each unit is built on learning goals and activities covering two or more subjects.

· Units of work are rigorous. Activities are highly focused; each individual activity is related to specific learning targets, even more detailed versions of the learning goals. Subjects are delivered to children coherently.

· Units of work provide activities especially written to respond to children’s learning styles and multiple intelligences.

The activities in each unit of work develop children’s personal skills. Of vital importance, they also develop children’s international perspective through specific and focused work which helps children think about relevant issues.

Through the units of work, children engage in exciting work, achieve the appropriate learning targets and learn that themes can be best studied from multiple perspectives. At the same time children come to see how individual subjects of the curriculum are different from all of the others.

There are now 70 units of work available.

Personal Development

As the world becomes more global, as the single career gives way to a lifelong portfolio of different occupations and as the need for different and revised knowledge, skills and understandings increases children need classrooms which make positive attempts to help them become lifelong learners, resilient, adaptable, thoughtful and cooperative.

The IPC provides learning goals for each of these qualities. More importantly, all of the activities throughout the units and the structure of the units themselves are written so that children develop these qualities as they work. Opportunities abound for individual, small group and large group work, for individual research and individual and collaborative decision-making.

International-mindedness

International schools have much to offer their children and students. What makes them so excitingly different from other schools is their potential to help children develop their international understanding or international mindedness. This is their real ‘added value’.

The IPC is the first primary curriculum to include the rigorous development of international understanding as an integral part of all that it does. The IPC contains specific learning goals for each stage of primary education. Each unit contains activities that focus on international issues. Each unit contains specific activities which require children to think about their study from an international perspective.

At last, schools and teachers have real, practical, classroom-based support which helps to develop children’s international understanding.

Maths and the IPC

The IPC provides learning goals for every subject of the primary curriculum. However IPC units do not provide specific opportunities for children to learn mathematics but they give children the chance to put some of their maths into practice.

ISG Jubail teachers use their existing resources to teach the maths learning goals.

Language Arts and the IPC

The IPC approach to language arts is twofold, both technical and developmental.

First, the learning goals identify the technical aspects of language development  such as phonics, handwriting and spelling.  The IPC does not provide a program of work for these aspects of language arts. ISG Jubail teachers use existing resources to teach these goals.

Secondly, the learning goals also identify the developmental aspects of language arts.  These relate to the children’s ability to use their speaking, listening and writing as a means of communication and their reading as a means of research and pleasure. The units of work are full of opportunities for children to practice each of these.  When carrying out their work, children read to find out information, write a range of stories, poems and non-fiction in a variety of styles and use speaking and listening to work in groups and as ways of reporting on the work they have done.

Working with Parents

IPC believes that working with parents is not an option.  It is essential.  Children whose parents are helped to be interested in their work do better than children whose parents are uninterested or who are not allowed to be interested.

So each unit of the IPC lets parents know:

· the title of the unit

· What their children will be learning

· Some of the things they will be doing

· A few ways in which they can help their children as they work through the unit

For further information please visit the website:

www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com

All extracts are taken from the IPC background information manual.