IB Mission Statement:

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organisation works with schools, governments and international organisations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Throughout the curriculum, students are guided by the inquiry cycle. The nature of a cycle is flexible and never ending, a process of which one may move forward, backward and in all directions. The cycle provides opportunities for students to navigate their learning in a personally significant manner.

1. Inquiry

The search for meaning is fundamental to what it is to be human.
Curiosity, asking questions and making sense of the world activates higher-order thinking on many levels. Inquiry focuses on understanding concepts and making connections that enhance learning.

At ISD we strive for our students to be active inquirers, learners who are engaged in educational material and experiences. Throughout the curriculum, students are guided by the inquiry cycle.
The nature of a cycle is flexible and never ending, a process of which one may move forward, backward and in all directions. The cycle provides opportunities for students to navigate their learning in a personally significant manner.

2. Student Centred

Placing learners at the heart of the learning process shifts the focus and ownership of education from the teacher to student. It provides choice, agency and self-efficacy.

A student-centred approach allows learners to retain far more knowledge. At ISD learning begins with reflecting on prior knowledge. Teachers gently guide, encourage and inspire students to build upon what they already know, making connections and developing questions for exploration.

Through experiences and interactions, students naturally develop intricate, multi-layered perceptions and understandings. When students are agents of their own learning, they become responsible for and take ownership of the learning processes.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
–Benjamin Franklin

3. Skills for the Future

In an ever changing world, the future is unpredictable.
We do not know what kind of world our students will grow up in. At ISD, we prepare our learners for the unknown by creating learning experiences with meaningful and authentic contexts.

This provides students the opportunities to develop a toolkit of skills to draw upon throughout life. We encourage the development of a well rounded learner with character, someone who:

• engages and is eager to learn
• thinks for themselves
• is capable of collaboration
• responds to real-life situations and challenges with optimism
• exhibits confidence, responsibility and all traits of the IB Learner Profile
• continually reflects
• is internationally-minded

4. Global Contexts

The IBPYP curriculum framework is guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance.

The themes have been created with scope and significance regardless of age and geography and are a commonality amongst IB schools worldwide; allowing learners to understand what it is to be internationally-minded.

Internationally-minded students are open to others and to the world; they are cognizant of humans’ deep interconnectedness. They recognise their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet to help create a better a more peaceful world.

Learners at ISD regularly connect their learning to engage with local and global opportunities. The school atmosphere fosters the allegiance of its students to their cultural heritage and promotes respect and tolerance between all cultures. All community members are encouraged to consider themselves as global citizens and to reflect on how their personal actions can influence others both locally and globally.

The organisation launched the Middle Years Programme in 1994 and the Primary Years Programme in 1997. These programmes encourage a broad range of skills: critical thinking, multiple perspectives with inter- and trans-disciplinarity frameworks.

In 2012, the Career-related Programme (CP) was introduced to run parallel and in conjunction with the Diploma Programme. To provide more choice, this new programme offered strong academic content with vocational or technical programmes.

All IB programmes share an international vision focused on global peace and understanding. There are now more than one million IB students aged 3-19 in over 150 countries worldwide.

IB Students:

• Learn how to learn and take ownership of their learning process
• Are encouraged to inquiry, ask questions and think independently
• Develop strong social and emotional characteristics, are internationally minded, respect and appreciate all cultures and languages
• Are confident communicators who work collaboratively with others
• Are responsible citizens who take Action to better the world
• Are motivated lifelong autonomous learners
• Transition well to different types of schools and curricula

IB World Schools:

• Are subject to strict accreditation and rigorous evaluation processes
• Follow research-based best teaching practices
• Provide internationally recognised standards
• Meet or exceed local curricular standards
• Provide ongoing professional development to ensure all educators are creative and innovative in practice
• collaborate and provide shared learning experience with the global community and other IB schools

IB Graduates:

• Benefit from universities and colleges developing recognition policies making it clear how IB students gain places on their courses
• Attend all types of third level education including highest ranking universities around the world
• Are highly likely to complete undergraduate degrees and pursue graduate work
• Are prepared for college level coursework, are able to cope with demanding workloads and are likely to be engaged in various aspects of university life
• Provide ongoing professional development to ensure all educators are creative and innovative in practice
• Have an established global network with fellow IB alumni.

PYP themes:

• Who we are
• Where we are in place and time
• How we express ourselves
• How the world works
• How we organise ourselves
• Sharing the planet

The PYP focuses on the holistic development of a child: academic, social, physical and emotional. Students learn how to think for themselves and take responsibility for their own learning through an inquiry approach. Students acquire the necessary tools to co-construct knowledge. They focus on acquisition as well as the development of skills necessary to lead successful lives.

The PYP community is committed to developing the attributes of the IB Learner Profile among its members. As a community of life-long learners and inquirers, every member is expected to take Action to positively impact local and/or global communities.

Personal development permeates the entire curriculum and therefore is taught within the contexts of the Units of Inquiry as well as through teaching and learning experiences in other areas.

The development of physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social health are important features of the curriculum. In addition, personal development is underpinned by the IB Learner Profile, which describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.

Understanding one’s identity shapes a person’s self-worth and affects their approach to learning as well as their interactions and attitudes towards others. An understanding of one’s own identity shapes one’s concept of self-worth and affects his or her approach to learning and how he or she interacts with others.

An understanding of and appreciation for other cultures shapes international-mindedness. At ISD we nurture independent thinking skills, which aim to help students develop self confidence and passion for learning. Interpersonal relationships are fundamental in all developmental aspects and we emphasise the importance of productive and healthy relationships.

Language development at ISD is the shared responsibility of all teachers, students and parents.

We believe language is directly connected to identity and empowers students to understand, interpret and respond to ideas, attitudes and feelings. The development of language skills gives students the capacity to solve problems, think critically, work collaboratively and act creatively.

At ISD all classrooms are multilingual. The language of instruction is English and all teachers communicate through and model this language. Students who are native speakers of English continue to develop their language skills through an academic context. Students who are non-native speakers of English are assessed and provided English language support as needed.
Support is provided in class by the teachers, as well as through sessions with a specialised language teacher.

As an IB school, ISD offers additional language learning. Multilingualism is considered a key advantage in a global world. ISD offers Spanish tuition with a native Spanish teacher. Classes are differentiated and content is tailored to suit native and non-native Spanish speakers. In addition, students’ mother tongues are highly valued and differentiated instruction promotes the use of native languages in everyday engagements.