The Primary Years Programme (PYP) nurtures and develops students in kindergarten through sixth grade as caring, creative and active participants in a lifelong journey of learning. The framework centers on students’ academic, social and emotional well-being, while focusing on international-mindedness and strong personal values. Students gain independent learning skills, and they are encouraged to take responsibility for their learning.

The programme incorporates local and global issues into the curriculum, asking students to look at six related, transdisciplinary themes and to consider the links between them. They include:

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


PYP Exhibition at the York Academy

Exhibition is a collaborative, intensive research project that is unique to the International Baccalaureate curriculum and serves as the culminating project of the Primary Years Programme. It is one of the many projects that makes York Academy stand out. 

In January, students select research topics that matter to them, create their own central ideas and develop lines of inquiry. For weeks, they take responsibility of their learning through in-depth inquiry and research. Some of the topics include homelessness, depression, cancer, war, pollution, bullying, and anxiety. The students work in small groups and meet multiple times per week with volunteer mentors from the York Academy staff. This culminating experience provides an opportunity for our students to exhibit the attributes of the IB Learner Profile, which are a focus during the PYP years. Their presentations are always impressive and inspiring.

Click here to read an article about Exhibition by Our York Media.