IB World School - Newington Primary School

Newington Primary School became an Authorised IB World School offering the PYP in 2018.

The Mission of the IB states:

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right. Our mission - International Baccalaureate® (ibo.org)

The PYP believes in learning that is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant. Learning takes place through a transdisciplinary model combining the following essential elements:

KNOWLEDGE - Six transdisciplinary themes:

Who we are

How we organise ourselves

How the world works

Where we are in place and time

Sharing the planet

How we express ourselves

An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organisations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.

An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnectedness of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.

An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.

An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.

KEY CONCEPTS broaden the depth of student understanding:

Form	The understanding that everything has a form with recognisable features that can be observed, identified, described and categorised.
Function	The understanding that everything has a purpose, a role or a way of behaving that can be investigated.
Causation	The understanding that things do not just happen, that there are causal relationships at work, and that actions have consequences.
Change	The understanding that change is the process of movement from one state to another. It is universal and inevitable.
Connection	The understanding that we live in a world of interacting systems in which the actions of any individual element affect others.
Perspective	The understanding that knowledge is moderated by perspectives; different perspectives lead to different interpretations, understandings and findings; perspectives may be individual, group, cultural or disciplinary.
Responsibility	The understanding that people make choices based on their understandings, and the actions they take as a result do make a difference.

ATTRIBUTES of The Learner Profile:

Communicators Thinkers Balanced Courageous

Inquirers Knowledgable OPEN MINDED Principled

Thinkers Reflective

APPROACHES TO LEARNING are the skills students need to succeed in their learning:

Thinking skills	Critical thinking encourages students to analyse, evaluate and form decisions. Creative thinking encourages students to generate novel ideas and consider new perspectives. The transfer of their thinking skills encourages application of knowledge and skills to many different contexts. Reflection of learning and experiences deepen metacognition.
Research skills	Information-Literacy teaches students to formulate and plan, gather and record, synthesise and interpret, and evaluate and communicate ideas. Media Literacy fosters students to think critically when consuming and processing information online. To consider online perspectives and create media. Ethical use encourages students to interact with media safely, ethically and to be aware of source reliability.
Communication skills	Exchanging information supports students to develop their listening, interpreting and speaking skills. Literacy teaches students to read and write for a variety of purposes. ICT skills are developed through awareness of media representation and making informed choices.
Social skills	Building intrapersonal skills to develop self-control and emotional intelligence. Building interpersonal skills to develop social intelligence, respecting and supporting others, and resolving conflict.
Self-management skills	Through organisation skills, students manage-self, develop time management and goal setting skills. Through states of mind, students build mindfulness, perseverance, emotional management, self-motivation and resilience.

ACTION is the element in which students demonstrate agency and make decisions based on their learning. It can be seen in many forms;

a change in attitude
a consideration or plan for action in the future
a demonstration of responsibility, or of respect for self, others and the environment
a commitment to leading or participating in a youth advocacy group
an engagement in school decision-making or an expression of support in community, local and global decision-making.

In their final year of the PYP, students engage in an Exhibition to consolidate their 7 years of learning. They have the opportunity to demonstrate how they have developed and applied their knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and learner profile attributes through a personal inquiry. They explore, document and share their understanding of an issue or opportunity of personal significance. All exhibitions are student-initiated, designed and collaborative, with the teacher acting as facilitator, mentor and guide. You can find the most recent Exhibition under ‘Grade 6 Exhibition’.

All the elements above culminate alongside both the Victorian Curriculum and PYP Curriculum to form our whole school Programme of Inquiry.