Primary Years Programme

An International Baccalaureate® World School that meets all the requirements of the Swedish national curriculum.

Our Bilingual IB Programme is an authorized International Baccalaureate World School since 2009. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) at our school caters for pupils aged between 5 and 11. The Bilingual IB Programme is based on the IB framework in combination with the Swedish National Curriculum (Lgr22). These classes are taught both  in English and Swedish, providing an invaluable opportunity for pupils to learn in a  bilingual context.

Our Early Year class for students aged 5-6 is a mixed class, with about 18 students and two  teachers. One of the teachers uses English as language of instruction with the pupils and the other teacher uses Swedish.  That way our Early Years students get a good basis for both languages to succeed in our programmes.

The Bilingual IB Programme is located at Luntmakargatan 101. 

Teaching and learning in the PYP

Being  an  IB  world  school  means  that  it  is  our  aim  to  educate  for  life.  Our ambition  is  to  create  internationally  minded  and  knowledgeable  citizens. We know that our students get a good start  for  higher  education,  whether  it  be  a  Swedish  gymnasium,  the  IB Diploma  program  or  a  college/high  school  somewhere  else  in  the  world. Many come back to visit providing us with  positive  feedback  regarding  the  success of our goals. 

The  PYP  programme focuses  on the overall development  of  the  child  as  an  inquirer  in  the  classroom,  and  in  the  world  at  large.  The  programme  includes  six  specified  subjects  -  language,  maths,  science,  social studies,  arts,  personal,  social  and  physical  education  –  and  emphasises  interdisciplinary skills and independent inquiry. 

PYP focuses on a range of areas related to pupils’ overall development, including:  academic, social and emotional well-being; independence and the ability to take responsibility for their own learning; understanding the world and to function comfortably as part of it; establishing personal values centred around a global outlook  and consideration for others. 
 

Student agency in the heart of the PYP

The PYP comprises of three pillars: The Learner, Learning and Teaching and the Learning Community. Student agency, which ensures that the studens have a voice, choice and take ownership of their learning, is the centre of the new enhanced PYP.

The essential elements of the PYP:

The PYP has compiled the  essential elements which are used in the classroom  to aim towards a balance in the program of study. These are:  

  • 1.Knowledge
  • 2.Concepts
  • 3.Skills 
  • 4.Action  
Each  essential  element  contributes  to  the social and cognitive development of a  child.  These essential elements create the foundation of the PYP and set it apart from other thematic approaches to learning.  

1.Knowledge -
What do we want the students to know?

As  PYP  is  a  transdisciplinary  program  most  subjects  are  taught  in  our  units  of  inquiry.  A  school  year  at  Vasa  International  always  consists  of  six  units  of  inquiry. These units are based upon a central idea, which the teacher and the students explore for  a  number  of  weeks,  usually  4-6.  Both  students  and  parents  need  to  be  actively  working  with  the  central  idea  during  the  current  unit.  Doing  so  helps  the  students deepen their understanding and inquire deeper into the unit at hand. 

Sample Unit of Inquiry (UOI)  
Transdisciplinary theme:​ How we express ourselves  
Title of unit of inquiry:​ The impact of advertising  
Central idea:​ Advertising influences how we think and the  choices we make  
Lines of inquiry:
The purpose of advertising
- The types, styles and locations of advertisements
- The devices used to make advertising effective and to influence our choices

The PYP transdisciplinary themes: 
●    Who we are
●    Where we are in place and time
●    How we express ourselves
●    How we organize ourselves
●    How the world works
●    Sharing the planet

All science and social studies education will be taught inside the framework of the  units and often many other subjects will be part of them as well. If some of the subject specific  goals  and  skills  do  not  fit  under  the  unit  work,  they  will  be  taught  as  stand  alone topics. 

2. Concepts​ - What do we want the students to understand?

The  teacher  and  students  will  look  at  the  inquiry  at  hand  through  different  conceptual lenses, to give the students chances to make connections over the subject boundaries.  

The PYP Key concepts: 
Form 
Function 
Responsibility  
Causation 
Connection 
Change 
Perspective 

3. Approaches to Learning (Skills) ​- What do we want the students to be able to do?

It  is  important  for  the  student  to  not  only  learn  certain  skills,  but  also  to  understand  them  and  to  be  able  to  connect  skills  in  different  subject  areas  to  each other. When  studying a certain unit of inquiry, the teacher identifies which skills will  be necessary for the students to develop and understand. The students will also have time  to  reflect  over  the  skills  and to what extent they think the skills were applied in  that certain unit of inquiry.

The PYP Transdisciplinary Skills: 
Thinking Skills 
Social Skills 
Communication Skills  
Self-management Skills  
Research Skills  

4. Action ​- How do we want the students to act?

The PYP believes that successful inquiry will lead to responsible student action. As an IB school, it is Vasa International’s obligation to make sure that there is opportunity for  action  within  the  unit  of  inquiry.  The  teacher will guide the students in choosing  action, and acting and reflecting over their action in order to make a difference in the world.  

The PYP Exhibition 
The ‘Exhibition’ is important part of the PYP. In the final year of the programme, students undertake  a  collaborative,  interdisciplinary  inquiry  process  that  requires  them  to identify,  investigate  and  propose  solutions  to  real-life  issues  or  problems.They  then present their findings to the community.   As  the  culminating  experience  of  the  PYP, the  Exhibition  offers  students  an  exciting  opportunity  to  demonstrate  independence and  responsibility  for  their  own  learning and it is also a way to celebrate their transition from the PYP to the MYP. 

The PYP Exhibition
The PYP Exhibition

Calendar

Important dates for the Academic
Year 2023/2024

Fall Term 2023

Term starts: Thursday, August 17
Half-term break, (Höstlov): week 44
Last day of term: December 15

Spring Term 2024

Term starts: Tuesday, January 9
Half-term break, (Sportlov): week 9
Easter break: week 14
PYP Exhibition: 

School closed:
Ascension Day+Bridge Day: 
May 9-10
National Day+ Bridge Day: June 6-7

Closing ceremony:
Friday, June  14