Lower School
Grades 1 - 5
We believe that a good start in school is crucial to a child's development; whether children grow to love learning or approach their lives with confidence and openness towards other cultures is in large part the result of their experiences during the early school years.
As our students progress through our International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) from grades 1 to 5, they develop increasing independence and a greater sense of responsibility. Emphasis is placed on taking action and demonstrating agency in regards to their learning, which is outlined in more detail in our Lower School Comprehensive Guide. To ensure to that students are ready to learn it is important that they have all the necessary supplies listed in the Lower School Supply List.
“Our goal in delivering the PYP is to develop internationally-minded students with the knowledge and skills needed to continue learning into the Middle Years Programme (MYP) or to fit seamlessly into another country’s education system.”
– Leanne Hagen, Lower School Principal
The students’ understanding of the world around them and of their role to play as citizens of the world is nurtured over the course of their Lower School experiences, culminating in the Grade 5 Exhibition, in which students independently conduct investigations, present findings, and take action in connection with a globally significant issue.
Lower School students, staff and the general school community aim to consistently exemplify ISB’s Core Values of Community, Integrity, Respect and Responsibility, with the goal of helping our students develop into confident and caring citizens of the world.
In the Lower School we focus on the development of the whole child both within the classroom and the wider world, and offer a framework that meets the whole child’s needs: academic, social, physical, emotional and cultural.
Structured inquiry is the vehicle for learning, and we use an inquiry-based approach where our teaching methods build upon individual understandings, knowledge and interests. In developing critical thinking skills students inquire into how to learn and how to delve deeper.
The Units of Inquiry make up our Programme of Inquiry. These units are developed under the IB’s Transdisciplinary Themes, making learning for understanding more effective. Each Unit of Inquiry allows the students to explore Key Concepts. More information can be found in ISB's Programme of Inquiry.
Our curriculum also encompasses the development of Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills which transcend the individual subject areas. These include thinking, communication, social, research and self-management skills.
Effective action is voluntary and involves the students in exercising their own initiatives and taking on responsibilities. Students in the Lower School are continually encouraged to take meaningful action related to their learning and in this way develop their role as a global citizen.