The IB Primary Years Programme & Australian Curriculum

The learning programme at Canberra Grammar School has been designed to engage students in learning that is relevant, challenging and significant. As an International Baccalaureate School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) our philosophy and approach is based upon the teaching and learning principles of guided inquiry, development of globally significant conceptual understandings, collaborative learning, differentiation and assessment for learning.  Through the PYP framework we incorporate the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework requirements.

Guided inquiry enables our students to integrate information across traditional subject areas and apply the accumulation of their knowledge in a cohesive and effective way. What matters is not the regurgitation of facts rather the development of our students’ capability to take what they have learnt and to apply this learning to new situations. Engaging in guided inquiry involves students and teachers in a collaborative process of identifying questions about a topic that they then work towards answering before communicating, reflecting and acting upon newly acquired understandings and skills.

Learning through inquiry complements the rigorous approach we adopt to the development of students’ Literacy and Numeracy skills; it strengthens the purpose and application of the development of these foundational capabilities. While building foundation skills through inquiry our students participate in blocks of learning time that are dedicated specifically to the explicit and scaffolded teaching of Literacy and Numeracy.

The CGS Primary School is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme accredited school.