International Primary Curriculum at Nadeen 2023-2024 by Ms Sarah Scanlon & Mr Gerard Arthur
The International Centre for Academics defines learning as ‘’the process of extending and consolidating our neuronal connections as we acquire knowledge, develop skills and deepen our understandings.’’ Next year, we are privileged to be transitioning to the International Primary Curriculum or IPC. The IPC curriculum is designed to develop the student’s knowledge, skills and understanding. A parent information session will be shared in the new academic year but as the coordinators of this area, we wanted to give a brief overview of this new curriculum. Our current Creative Curriculum Studies (CCS) programme will transition to IPC. The core values of CCS will remain but be further enhanced by moving to IPC. This curriculum will allow further scope to develop cross-curricular learning and further link in with specialist subjects such as Physical Education and Music.
‘’Through the IPC, which supports teachers and leaders, learners are encouraged to be informed, globally competent, future-ready, socially conscious and motivated to positively contribute within a local and/or global context.’’ We feel this strongly supports our students in developing their 21st-century skills. This curriculum will be underpinned by the principles of High Performance Learning as mentioned in a previous article by Miss Stephanie, Miss Kate and Miss Agnes. Miss Roz, who has taught the IPC curriculum in her previous school stated the following:
“Having taught IPC for a number of years, one of my favourite things about the IPC is how it celebrates developing personal traits as individuals. It is rigorous, fun, and meaningful. It provides students with a transferrable toolkit of skills and knowledge as well as opportunities to follow their own lines of inquiry. They can apply transferable skills in any aspect of their lives. It is a different curriculum because of its emphasis on developing students as internationally-minded, ‘global citizens’. As International learning goals are a large and unique part of the curriculum, students perform at a higher level of understanding of national, international, and intercultural perspectives.”
– Miss Roz
The philosophy of IPC is that ‘’pedagogy and process are all aimed at improving learning for all’’. There are seven foundations which underpin the IPC curriculum. Through these seven foundations, personal learning goals are set and skills, knowledge and understanding are all developed. Parents will get further opportunities to see their children’s progress on a half-termly basis next year. Through the IPC curriculum our ‘’Exit Points’’ will be structured in different ways in order to showcase the children’s learning from that half-term. IPC enables teachers to assess their students effectively and also for students to self and peer-assess using rubrics with a language they understand.
Each primary school year group has already or will be finishing their year with an exit point.
Ali Mohammed, and Leila from 2HC, shared their first experiences of an Exit Point.
“I was so happy because my Mum came to the exit point and I had so much fun showing her all the things I have learnt, playing fractions bingo and navigating the BeeBots.”
– Ali Mohammed, 2HC
“I enjoyed the Exit Point because I loved showing my Mum all the things I have been learning. I was also proud to show her some of my published work.”
– Leila, 2HC
This positive feedback from our students only further drives the excitement as we move forward with IPC. We are looking forward to introducing this new curriculum to Nadeen and the wider school community in August 2023. “The whole art of teaching is only the art of awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for the purpose of satisfying it afterwards.” – Anatole France, a French poet.
