Singapore Sling

Helloooo - my favourite topic ;-) I hope the below doesn't confuse you but will help you in your decision in what is most suitable to your family. The National Curriculum of England and Wales is just that: A National curriculum and focuses on the British context. The PYP/MYP/IB was developed to scaffold internationally mindedness and is also the only curriculum in the world developed to specifically strengthen the identity of the TCK/expatkid. Like others said your decision depends on whether you are British/intend to live on the UK/your child will attend school in the UK at some stage. That said, the entire Brit Cur is under review due to shortcomings and the Department of Education officially admits that the National Curriculum of England and Wales is substandard (their words): http://www.education.gov.uk/inthenews/inthenews/a0073149/national-curriculum-review-launched These are fundamentally two very different programmes and I do not agree with schools that offer a combination of the Brit Cur and the IB. They differ in approach, teaching style, content and a host more and each section scaffolds on the next. In short even though the core of both are social learning theory and constructivist classrooms, Brit Cur students are consumers of educational content and their understanding of the content is measured through examinations. IB (PYP) students through an inquiry based approach are producers of knowledge which they showcase through Summative Assessments. On Primary level to help the OP: UK Cur: Topic driven programme. Timetable runs over one week. Teacher driven. Fragmented studies e.g. one year they will [b'>study[/b'>the Romans, another year the Greeks - all in isolation. PYP: Concept driven programme. Timetable runs over two weeks. Student driven. Holistic and comparative investigations e.g students [b'>investigate [/b'>Ancient Civilizations in one unit of inquiry through a comparative approach. They not only investigate the differences and similarities between the various ancient civilizations but also compare those to modern lifestyles. UK Cur: More suitable to visual and auditory learners and less suitable to kinesthetic learners. Kinesthetic learners sometimes end up on learning support programmes since they cannot cope with the heavy focus on textbooks and writing, meanwhile they simply need a more holistic learning environment also involving the kinesthetic. UK Cur thus more focused on a person seeing and listening. Trend to involve tutors in later years. PYP: Suitable to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Focused on embodied, emplaced experiences through recognizing the child as a person with an active body and therefore frequent fieldtrips and a big emphasis on research and project work. More on the PYP: All project work takes place in the classroom and the 6 unit of inquiries per year culminate in a Summative Assessment at the conclusion of each unit (6 Summative Assessments/Projects per year). The Summative Assessments can take many different forms presented individually, in pairs or in groups. A project could entail one poster or a small model, or might be more substantive. Let's say Year 3 investigated "weather" with the central idea that "Weather varies worldwide and affects us all". For their Summative Assessment they work in pairs and present themselves as Travel Agents. They select a climate such as Arctic or Arid. If they choose Arctic, they then together decide which country to present to travellers (the parents, other year groups) They can present their work in the form of posters, brochures, pamphlets, photo-stories, comic strips, cartoons, digital narratives etc (Choice up to the students). An A3 size figure cut out from sturdy paper is given an identity and dressed in fabrics and material suitable to the culture and weather of the country presented. The pair of students set up a table with all sorts of artifacts of their choice and also dress to represent the chosen climate etc etc etc Visitors such as parents interact with all the students, ask them questions, give feedback on a comment sheet, might even be involved in a game and more - all dependent on the pair and what ideas they came up with and realised. Throughout the PYP years the students will investigate 6 transdisciplinary ideas of global significance but everytime within a different context. The 6 ideas are: 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. I will use Who we are as an example to explain the curriculum and syllabus: [b'>"Who we are"[/b'> throughout the primary years focuses on an exploration of the nature of the self; of our beliefs and values; of personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; of our families, friends, communities and cultures; of our rights and responsibilities; of what it means to be human. Each school develop themes suitable to their environment: [b'>Year 1: Our clothes.[/b'> Central Idea: How I look says something about who I am. An Inquiry into: Different modes of clothing; The messages people send with their appearance. Explored through: art, design, music and movement. [b'>Year 2: Healthy Minds and Bodies. [/b'>Central Idea: Growing people need certain things to stay healthy. An Inquiry into: What healthy means; Making healthy choices. Explored through: PSE, social science [b'>Year 3: We are the World[/b'>. Central Idea: Peoples of different continents are shaped by their beliefs, customs and culture. An Inquiry Into: Continents of the world, The beliefs, values and customs of the Middle East. Similarities and differences between the cultures of Asia and another chosen continent. Influences that shape our cultures. Explored through: PSE, social science [b'>Year 4: Who we are at xxxx School.[/b'> Central Idea: Our school is a diverse group of people from around the world. An Inquiry Into: Who we are at xxxc School, Where we are from, How we can represent the xxxx School community visually Explored through: Language Arts, Social Studies. [b'>Year 5: Dubai/UAE.[/b'> Central Idea: Communities are a product of their residents. An Inquiry Into: How an area has been shaped by the people who have lived in it; How the presence of different groups of people has influenced the development of Dubai/UAE. Explored through social studies/history. [b'>Year 6: What do you Think?[/b'> An inquiry into Comparative religion, Local studies. Central Idea: What we put into our bodies and minds affects how we develop. An inquiry Into: diet, health and beliefs. Explored through Science, PSE.