Our IB Advantage
Primary Years Programme
The PYP at GNS encourages a positive attitude to learning by engaging students in meaningful, in-depth inquiries.
Students develop an awareness of the process of learning so that they become life-long learners, going beyond traditional subjects into real issues, emphasized through the attributes of the IB Learner Profile.
At GNS, the IB PYP:
At GNS, the IB PYP:
- addresses students’ academic, social and emotional well-being
- provides a learner-centred framework
- encourages students to develop independence and to take responsibility for their own learning
- supports students’ efforts to gain understanding of the world and to function comfortably within it
- helps students establish personal values as a foundation upon which international-mindedness will develop and flourish
- provides students with opportunities to work both collaboratively and independently
- encourages international-mindedness through deep inquiry into both local and global perspectives
“Transdisciplinary education is learning that has relevance across subject areas and that reaches beyond the boundaries of the subject areas to connect to what is real in the world.”
PYP pedagogy is embedded in best practices for teaching, and follows an inquiry-based, concept-driven and transdisciplinary approach to learning.
The curriculum is shaped by five essential elements that guide and inform practice: knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action, and—using six internationally-defined transdisciplinary themes—learners explore globally relevant concepts through the Programme of Inquiry. PYP education extends beyond the intellectual to include not only socially responsible attitudes, but also thoughtful and appropriate action. This approach to learning provides PYP students with an opportunity to engage in the Action Cycle: choose, act, reflect.
List of 6 items.
-
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 organize ourselves
An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; 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.
Glenlyon Norfolk School
Junior School (JK to Grade 5)
Middle (Grade 6 to 8) and Senior (Grade 9 to 12) Schools
We wish to acknowledge and respect the Straits Salish Peoples on whose traditional territory we gather. Specifically, we recognize the Lekwungen Peoples known today as the Songhees Nation and the Esquimalt Nation, whose historical relationships with the land where we live, work, play and learn continue to this day.
