The Primary Years Programme model indicates the emphasis on the development of the Learner Profile, building up to International-Mindedness. This journey is made through the transdisciplinary approach exploring 6 broad themes while encouraging students to show agency in their learning, and empowering them to take action. It culminates in the PYP Exhibition, shared and celebrated in Year 6.
The Key Elements of the PYP consist of:
- The IB Learner Profile
- Transdisciplinary Themes
- Key (Specified) Concepts
- Approaches to Learning
- Action
These key elements of the PYP are included in the school’s Programme of Inquiry (POI) to ensure coverage and progression vertically and horizontally across the school. These key elements are explicitly planned for and taught across units of inquiry.
The Learner Profile
What do we want students to be?
The IB aims to to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. The Learner Profile is a set of ideals, represented by 10 attributes, to define the type of learner we hope to develop at Quarry Bay School, in order to enable our students to become responsible members of local, national and global communities.
The International Baccalaureate Organization aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. The Learner Profile is a set of ideals to define the type of learner we hope to develop at Quarry Bay School.
| Attribute | Description |
| Inquirer | We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning for life. |
| Knowledgeable | We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance. |
| Thinker | We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions. |
| Communicator | We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups. |
| Principled | We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences. |
| Open-minded | We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience. |
| Caring | We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us. |
| Balanced | We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live. |
| Risk-taker | We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change. |
| Reflective | We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experiences. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development. |
Transdisciplinary Themes
What do we want students to know?
At Quarry Bay School, our curriculum framework is grounded in six transdisciplinary themes of global significance. These themes are carefully selected to ensure that our curriculum remains relevant, engaging, significant and challenging. By engaging with these transdisciplinary themes, our students are able to explore the world from multiple perspectives, making connections across subject areas. This holistic approach prepares them to become globally-minded, well-rounded individuals, equipped to address the complex challenges of the modern world.
| Theme | Descriptor |
| Who We Are | An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships, including families, friends, communities and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human. |
| Where We Are in Place and Time | An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between, and the interconnectedness of, individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives. |
| How We Express Ourselves | An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic. |
| How the World Works | An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment. |
| How We Organise Ourselves | An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organisations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment. |
| Sharing the Planet | An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution. |
What more do we want students to know?
The PYP identifies a body of significant knowledge for all students in all cultures in seven principal subject areas: language; social studies; mathematics, science; the arts; technology; and personal, social and physical education.
A PYP school is expected to provide for the teaching of an additional language other than the school’s language of instruction in order to support the international perspective of the curriculum. The additional language offered at Quarry Bay School is Chinese.
Key (Specified) Concepts
What do we want students to understand?
Conceptual understanding is key to an IB education. It creates opportunities for learners to make connections, and transfer and apply skills, knowledge, and understanding across, between and beyond subjects. Concepts are abstract ideas, fundamental in making generalisations to deepen understanding.
At Quarry Bay School, we use the seven specified concepts, expressed as key questions, to propel the process of inquiry. This also helps students to understand the transferable nature of these concepts.
| Concept | Key question |
| Form | What is it like? |
| Function | How does it work? |
| Causation | Why is it like it is? |
| Change | How is it changing? |
| Connection | How is it connected to other things? |
| Perspective | What are the points of view? |
| Responsibility | What are our obligations? |
In addition to specified concepts, within the units of inquiry, students inquire into Related (Additional) Concepts. These concepts are designed to focus on learning within the specific transdisciplinary themes.
Eg. Within the theme How We Express Ourselves, learners might explore the additional concepts of inspiration and creativity.
Approaches to Learning
What do we want students to be able to do?
The PYP approach to learning is the explicit teaching of transdisciplinary skills through all the units of inquiry. These come under five key categories: thinking, communication, social, research and self-management skills, along with specific sub-skills to help unpack each category.
At Quarry Bay School students are taught to understand the specific requirement for each skill so that they can transfer that knowledge and understanding where necessary.
| Category | Sub-skill |
| Thinking skills | Critical thinking; creative thinking; transfer; reflection and metacognition |
| Research skills | Information literacy; media literacy; ethical use of media |
| Communication skills | Exchanging information; literacy; technology |
| Social skills | Developing positive interpersonal and collaboration skills; developing social-emotional intelligence |
| Self-management skills | Organisation; states of mind |
Action
How do we want students to act?
Authentic action is meaningful and deeply connected to agency, the learner profile and international-mindedness. It is student-initiated and can be individual and collective. Action can happen at any time; it can be short or long-term, revisited or ongoing, and is supported by the learning community. There are 5 ways to take action.
At Quarry Bay School students are encouraged to take action in any capacity.
| Type | Example |
| Participation | Being actively involved in the learning community and showing commitment to contributing as individuals and as members of a group. |
| Advocacy | Taking action individually or collectively to publicly support positive social, environmental or political change. |
| Social justice | Taking action for positive change relating to human rights, equality and equity. Being concerned with the advantages and disadvantages within society, and with social well-being and justice for all. |
| Social Entrepreneurship | Supporting positive social change through responding to the needs of local, national and global communities; applying prior knowledge and skills to identify and address challenges and opportunities in innovative, resourceful and sustainable ways. |
| Lifestyle choices | Making positive lifestyle changes in response to learning. |
Action through the Year 6 Exhibition
In Year 6 at Quarry Bay School, students participate in a culminating project, the PYP Exhibition. The Exhibition represents a significant event in the life of a Quarry Bay student. It is an opportunity for students to synthesise the essential elements of the PYP, exhibit the attributes of the learner profile they have developed during their time at the school and share their learning with the whole school community.
For the Exhibition, students are required to engage in a collaborative, transdisciplinary inquiry process that involves them in identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems. The exhibition unit takes place within the transdisciplinary theme of Who We Are. The children focus on who they are as individuals; their personal passions and strengths and how these can be used in a positive way. The exhibition embodies our school mission statement ‘Empowering Learners to Make a Difference’.