Learning in Primary at OIA

What is the PYP?

A framework for curious, connected and meaningful learning

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the International Baccalaureate framework for children aged 4 to 11. It is designed to help young learners grow in curiosity, confidence and understanding by connecting subject learning with inquiry, reflection and real-world meaning. Rather than seeing children as passive receivers of knowledge, the PYP sees them as active participants in learning. At OIA Primary, this fits naturally with the kind of learning we value: warm, purposeful and thoughtfully challenging. It gives children strong foundations in language, literacy and numeracy, while also helping them develop independence, collaboration and a sense of responsibility in the world around them.

How students learn in the Primary years

Curiosity, connection and inquiry

In Primary, learning begins with curiosity. Young children learn best when they feel safe, known and actively involved. At OIA Primary, they learn through doing, talking, exploring and reflecting.

In the Early Years, a carefully prepared environment supports choice, interaction and growing independence. As children move through Primary, learning becomes more structured. They deepen their thinking, grow in independence and take increasing responsibility for their learning.

Transdisciplinary inquiry and subject learning

Building strong foundations in connected ways

A distinctive feature of the Primary Years Programme (PYP) is that learning is not only organised as separate subjects. Students also learn between, across and beyond subject boundaries through units of inquiry shaped by big ideas and meaningful questions. This helps students build understanding that is connected, purposeful and relevant.

Concepts, voice and agency

Developing understanding and ownership

Students are encouraged to think about big ideas such as change, systems, perspective and responsibility in age-appropriate ways. They are also guided to make choices, reflect on their learning and take increasing responsibility.

In Primary, agency does not mean learning without structure. 

It means students gradually developing voice, ownership and confidence within a clear and supportive environment. The PYP sees students as active participants in learning, not passive recipients of it.

Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning

Growing as learners and as people

The IB learner profile helps make visible the kind of people we want students to become: inquirers, thinkers, communicators, principled, caring and reflective learners. Alongside this, Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills are developed through everyday classroom practice, including communication, research, social, self-management and thinking skills.

In practice, this may look like students learning how to ask questions, work together, manage materials, explain their thinking, use feedback and reflect on what helps them learn.

Action and the PYP Exhibition

Learning that leads somewhere

In the PYP, learning is not only about understanding. It is also about action. Students are encouraged to see that their ideas, choices and learning can make a difference in their classroom, community and beyond. Responsible action is a core part of the PYP.
In the final year of Primary, students take part in the PYP Exhibition: a culminating inquiry in which they explore, document and share their understanding of an issue or opportunity that matters to them.

Partnership with parents

Learning made visible

In the Primary years, the connection between home and school matters greatly. Parents are important partners in a child’s learning journey, and regular communication helps us support each child as a learner and as a person.

Learning celebrations, in which students share their learning with parents, and experiences such as the PYP Exhibition help make learning visible. Together with shared language around growth and mindset, these moments strengthen the connection between school and home. We also keep parents informed through regular updates, progress sharing and ongoing conversations about each child’s wider development.

How the PYP works