It followed the introduction of the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP) – established respectively in 1994 and 1968.

The PYP is taught to students aged 3-12.

As of 3 September 2019, there are 1,782 schools offering the PYP, in 109 different countries worldwide.

Learn about the PYP curriculum and becoming authorized to implement the PYP.

Origin of the PYP

The PYP was developed through the vision and effort, sustained over ten years, of the former International Schools Curriculum Project (ISCP).

Their goal was to produce a common curriculum, for students in the 3-12 age range, which would provide continuity of learning within each school and ensure that the curriculum developed international-mindedness on the part of learners.

Since being introduced by the IB, the PYP continues to meet these initial aims of providing a curriculum that brings international-mindedness to the school community.

These 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.

These themes are selected for their relevance to the real world. They are described as transdisciplinary because they focus on issues that go across subject areas.

The transdisciplinary themes help teachers to develop a programme of inquiry. Teachers work together to develop investigations into important ideas, which require a substantial and high level of involvement on the part of students.

Through the PYP curriculum framework, schools ensure that students examine each theme.

Read about the PYP curriculum framework.

PYP in an early years setting

The PYP is designed to be responsive to young children’s ways of knowing. It provides schools with a thoughtfully designed way to give 3-to-5-year-olds stimulating, supportive interactions with their teachers and the effective use of curricula.

Watch this video to see more about early learning in the PYP.

As a flexible curriculum framework, the PYP is able to accommodate the demands of most national or local curriculums.

Curriculum content can be taught very successfully through the programme’s inquiry and concept driven approach to learning. Schools that are required to meet national standards can do so through the PYP.

Find further information on how the IB’s programmes have been used as national or district curricula, or alongside them.

The PYP in practice

Hear from students and teachers at Sreenidhi International School, Hyderabad, about how taking on the PYP transformed their learning community.

This can happen in different ways, depending on the context of the school. For example, students might be learning in:

• a programme with one dominant language of instruction, which may be the student’s mother tongue or an additional language
• a bilingual programme where, most often, one of the languages of instruction is the student’s mother tongue
• a programme that offers support for students who are new to the language(s) of instruction, as well as additional mother-tongue support.

The PYP acknowledges that development of mother-tongue language is crucial for both cognitive development and maintaining cultural identity.

Teaching languages in the PYP

Language is involved in all learning and is an essential vehicle for inquiry and the construction of meaning. It provides an intellectual framework to support conceptual development and critical thinking.

All PYP teachers have a responsibility to address the language needs of their students in the language of instruction. When teachers plan learning experiences that enable students to develop language within meaningful and enjoyable contexts, students are able to make connections, apply their learning, and transfer their conceptual understanding to new situations.

In many schools, students are learning in a language other than their mother tongue. This means that schools pay close attention to students’ language needs and abilities to ensure they participate fully in the programme and are able to reach their full potential.

Further guidance for PYP teachers

Learn more about language development in a PYP workshop for teachers.

PYP students are well prepared for the next stage of education, including participation in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). The MYP is taught to 11-16 year olds.

Going from PYP to MYP

The PYP prepares students for the MYP through its concept-driven, transdisciplinary approach. PYP students spend most of their time with one classroom teacher, exploring the connections between academic subjects.

In the MYP, students begin the study of distinct disciplines; however, the PYP’s transdisciplinary themes–along with the programme’s strong commitment to collaborative teaching– provides a strong foundation for interdisciplinary study in the MYP. Both programmes reflect the depth, breadth and balance that characterizes the IB continuum of international education.

As students move from primary to middle level education, they benefit from the IB’s consistent educational philosophy. The MYP shares the PYP’s commitment to learning through inquiry and continues to develop attributes of the IB learner profile. Careful alignment between the programmes helps students flourish personally and academically as they enter the world of early adolescence.

Learn more about the MYP and how to implement the programme at your school.