The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is the first official stage of the IB Continuum. Building on the foundations established during the early years, it encourages children to become active participants in their own learning through inquiry, conceptual understanding and meaningful real-world experiences.
Learning is organised through transdisciplinary Units of Inquiry that help students explore significant ideas, make connections across subjects and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. Alongside academic learning, students progressively develop the IB Approaches to Learning (ATL), strengthening their ability to think critically and creatively, communicate effectively, collaborate with others and become increasingly independent learners.
This first stage is a time of curiosity, discovery and growth. Every child arrives with unique interests, ideas and questions, and we believe these are the starting point for meaningful learning. We believe education is a partnership between school and families. By working together, we create the conditions for every child to flourish and enjoy the journey of learning. I hope this page provides a helpful introduction to how the PYP is brought to life at St PETER’S SCHOOL, and I look forward to welcoming you to our community.
At St PETER’S SCHOOL, the PYP is delivered across two stages: Foundation Years (Foundation 3 to Foundation 5) and Primary (Years 1 to 5). Throughout both stages, students explore the six transdisciplinary themes through a carefully planned Programme of Inquiry, while progressively developing the Approaches to Learning (ATL), conceptual understanding and learner agency.
The programme culminates in Year 5 with the PYP Exhibition, a collaborative inquiry project that enables students to bring together everything they have learned throughout the programme before continuing their journey into the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP).
| Year Group | Year of birth | Class of |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation 3 | 2023 | 2041 |
| Foundation 4 | 2022 | 2040 |
| Foundation 5 | 2021 | 2039 |
| Year 1 | 2020 | 2038 |
| Year 2 | 2019 | 2037 |
| Year 3 | 2018 | 2036 |
| Year 4 | 2017 | 2035 |
| Year 5 | 2016 | 2034 |
At St PETER’S SCHOOL, students are placed in year groups according to their year of birth, using 31st December as the cut-off date. This means all children born in the same calendar year join the same year group.
This system ensures students learn alongside peers of the same age, although it may differ from other education systems, such as the British curriculum, which usually uses a 31st August cut-off date.
