Key Stage 1 & 2 (Ages 5-11)

What is the International Primary Curriculum (IPC)?

The IPC is a philosophy and approach to learning that honours how children learn best in a specific age group.  It is an approach which is aimed at improving children's learning.

As one of the fastest-growing curriculum choices in the world today, it is used in schools in over 90 different countries. It is a comprehensive curriculum for 5 -11 year olds, made up of over 130 exciting, engaging and globally relevant thematic units of work with specific learning goals for subject, personal and international learning. 

Each IPC unit is designed around one core purpose: improving children’s learning. World class writers have created a range of cross-curricular units based on globally relevant themes that excite children and teachers alike. They are designed to nurture children’s personal qualities and develop international mindedness, and at the heart of these units are the IPC Learning Goals.

Mileposts and Learning Goals 

The IPC Learning Goals are the foundation of the IPC. The IPC Learning Goals define what children are expected to know, what they should be able to do, and the understandings they will develop in their academic, personal and international learning.  

The IPC Learning Goals are defined in each age phase:  

• Milepost 1, Year 2 (ages 5-7 years) 
• Milepost 2, Year 3 & 4 (ages 7-9 years)  
• Milepost 3, Year 5 & 6 (ages 9-12 years) 

These learning goals guide learning and teaching and help to focus assessment. We believe that the IPC Learning Goals are equal to or exceed those of any curriculum in the world. 

There are three types of Learning Goals:  

1. Subject (Academic) Learning Goals
2. Personal Learning Goals
3. International Learning Goals

Subject (Academic) Learning Goals

The IPC Subject Learning goals are the foundation on which the IPC was built. The subject goals cover the knowledge, skills and understanding that children should learn in Science, History, Geography, ICT, Technology, Music, Art, PE, Society and International. 

These subjects are built into the different thematic units of work, where they work independently yet interdependently with each other so that children can talk about their learning through multiple perspectives. 

Personal Learning Goals

The personal goals refer to those individual qualities and dispositions we believe children will find essential in the 21st century. There are eight IPC personal goals: enquiry, resilience, morality, communication, thoughtfulness, co-operation, respect and adaptability. 

Opportunities to experience and practice these very specific dispositions are built into the learning tasks within each unit of work.

International Learning Goals

The IPC is unique in defining learning goals that help young children begin the move towards an increasingly sophisticated national, international, global and intercultural perspective. Each IPC unit has embedded within it, learning-focused activities that help children gain an increasing sense of themselves, their community and the world around them, whilst developing the capacity to take action and make a difference.

Thematic Units  

Our units are organised around a theme, which helps children to see how subjects are independent and dependent enabling them to see the big picture of their leaning, make connections through and across different subject and talk about a theme from multiple perspectives.

The Themes are;

Art, Geography, History, ICT, Language arts, Mathematics, Science, PE, Technology, Music, Society, International

The IPC Process of Learning

There is a distinct learning process with every IPC unit, providing a structured approach to make sure that children’s learning experiences are as stimulating and rigorous as possible.

What does IPC look like?

Parent Involvement 

The IPC actively encourages parent involvement and parents will be invited into their child’s class room or relevant learning space to join in with the entry and exit points. 

The IPC provides parent guides with how best to ask your child about their learning:

• Helping your child understand their place in the world
• Ten things to say to your child that will make all the difference
• Your child will be learning three different things throughout their years at school

Key Contacts

Hannah Naowasuk, Deputy Head of Primary

Suzi McHale, Head of Year 1.

Laura Evenson, Head of Year 2

Gemma Cottam, Head of Year 3

Jonathan Way, Head of Year 4

James Syner, Head of Year 5

Phil Howard, Head of Year 6