About Our Primary School
The experiences that ISS International School offer our students go far beyond the classroom, and our Extra Curricular Activities (ECAs) programme allows students to try new experiences across the fields of arts, sports, sciences and creativity. Our focus on each student’s well-being is embedded in our Pastoral Programme which ensures that every student is given the social and emotional support they require to fulfil their potential.
Early Years
Children in Kindergarten (K1 and K2) are aged four to six years old and this mixed-age grade level. Kindergarten learning at ISS International School follows the IB PYP curriculum framework which incorporates current research and best practices in early childhood education. Children participate in an inquiry-based programme that responds to their academic and developmental needs.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) is one of the 4 programmes of the IB and is designed for children between the ages of 4 and 12. The programme focuses on developing the whole child, affecting hearts as well as minds and addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic welfare. The PYP is based on research about best teaching practices from all over the world and provides a relevant and engaging educational programme. The PYP offers a trans-disciplinary approach, which draws individual disciplines together into a coherent whole while preserving the essence of each subject.
At the heart of the PYP philosophy is a commitment to inquiry as the ideal vehicle for learning. Teachers and students are guided by a series of basic questions as they design curricular units for exploration and study. Throughout the units of study, each student will:
- Develop a deep understanding of important concepts
- Conduct research into knowledge that has local and global significance
- Acquire and practice a range of essential skills
- Develop positive attitudes towards learning, the environment, and other people
- Have the opportunity to be involved in responsible action and social service
The Programme of Inquiry (POI) is an outline of all of the Units of Inquiry that each grade level completes throughout the school year. Units of Inquiry are planned at each grade level and are often integrated with specialist subject teachers.
For more information about the PYP, visit the IB PYP website.
The IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP)
The PYP offers the framework for learning in Primary School at ISS International School.
Subjects offered for each Grade:
K1
Arts
Language
Mathematics
Personal; Social and Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
K2
Arts
Language
Mathematics
Personal; Social and Physical Education
Science
Social Studies
G1
Literacy – English
Mandarin
Mathematics
Performing Arts
Physical Education
Visual Arts
G2
Literacy – English
Mandarin
Mathematics
Performing Arts
Physical Education
Visual Arts
G3
Literacy – English
Mandarin
Mathematics
Performing Arts
Physical Education
Visual Arts
G4
Literacy – English
Mandarin
Mathematics
Performing Arts
Physical Education
Visual Arts
G5
Literacy – English
Mandarin
Mathematics
Performing Arts
Physical Education
Visual Arts
EAL Support
Learning Environment
We believe that children are naturally curious and full of wonder, with an innate ability to question and pursue their learning and research. At ISS International School, our educational values and image of the child are communicated and supported by carefully planned learning environments.
- Physical Space: The physical learning environment is designed to support learning objectives, as well as the unique needs of young children. The arrangement of objects and activities encourages children to make choices, manipulate, create and represent their ideas and understanding. Displays serve as a continual reminder of children’s learning and points of engagement to support inquiries.
- Organisation: Our classroom time remains flexible within a balanced academic programme while continuing to respond to the emerging needs and interests of students. Each day, children play a role in proposing activities. We show respect for children’s learning by not interrupting their sustained involvement in projects when it is not mandatory for a transition to occur.
- Connecting to Nature: Experiences with the natural world encourage children to use all of their senses to explore and discover. As children work with natural materials, they learn about their role using the physical properties of their world. Our programme supports engagement with nature inside and outside of the classroom.
Our inquiry-based learning environment encourages children to develop these capacities and participate actively in exploring and problem-solving. Our teachers view children as competent partners in the learning experience and understand that each child has a unique pattern of growth and development.
Relationships and Interactions
Our safe and nurturing atmosphere encourages children to build confidence and take risks. We believe that children feel most safe, secure and supported when their sense of shared ownership and belonging is emphasised. Children learn about themselves and the world and construct their own identities within the context of their families and communities. Connections to home and family are viewed as integral to learning and are a visible part of curriculum planning and the environment. Children work together as a learning group, fostering their competencies and making collaborative discoveries.
Play
Play is essential for young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development. Through play, children express, combine, and extend what they know about the world around them, incorporating their knowledge and skills. Children regularly participate in various kinds of play, which can be either child-led or teacher-initiated.
Learning Support
In keeping with our mission, vision and values, ISS aims to help each student to reach his or her potential by maintaining an inclusive, nurturing, enriching and empowering learning culture. Once we determine student eligibility for our Learning Support program and confirm that we have sufficient staff and resources to support the student, a student plan is created including learning strengths, challenges, accommodations, goals, teaching strategies, and level of adjustment. Our ISS Learning Support Team, familiar with learning profiles and strategies for differentiated instruction, supports students in our inclusive environment.
Determination of Learning Support
Students with current psycho-educational reports are assigned a case manager. If a student presenting learning needs has not been formally assessed, we follow our Learning Support Referral Process. Eligible students are placed on one of four Levels of Adjustment, reflecting the amount and type of support needed: Levels of Adjustment.
To participate in inclusive classrooms, Level 1 students require in-class differentiated support in a specific area of learning above that which is provided to all students. Level 2 students require accommodations across one or more areas of learning. Level 3 students require significant accommodations or modifications across more than one area of learning. Level 4 students require significant modifications in multiple areas of learning and support of a shadow teacher.
Please refer to this link for information on our Learning Support guidelines.
