IB Programme

Primary Years Programme

International Baccalaureate

Inquiry-Centred Learning

The IB Primary Years Programme at DISV places student inquiry at the heart of every lesson. From Early Years through Grade 5, children develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to become lifelong learners who understand and shape the world.

Six Transdisciplinary Themes

The PYP curriculum is organised around six transdisciplinary themes that connect learning across subject areas and to the real world. These themes provide the framework for collaborative units of inquiry that are developed with student voice and choice at their core:

  • Who We Are — an inquiry into the nature of the self, beliefs, values, and human relationships
  • Where We Are in Place and Time — an inquiry into orientation in place and time, personal histories, and civilisations
  • How We Express Ourselves — an inquiry into ways in which ideas are expressed, creativity, and cultural reflection
  • How the World Works — an inquiry into the natural world, scientific principles, and the impact of human activity
  • How We Organise Ourselves — an inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems, communities, and institutions
  • Sharing the Planet — an inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources

PYP Exhibition

The culminating event of the PYP is the Exhibition, undertaken by students in Grade 5. This student-led inquiry project brings together everything learned across the programme — students identify a real-world issue that matters to them, investigate it in depth, and present their findings to the school community. The Exhibition is a powerful demonstration of student agency, collaboration, and the IB Learner Profile in action.

The Learner Profile in Action

The IB Learner Profile describes ten attributes that guide everything we do at DISV: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. These are not just words on a wall — they are values that students, teachers, and families live and demonstrate every day, shaping a school culture of respect, curiosity, and compassion.