WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY CURRICULUM?

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is a comprehensive and thematic curriculum framework designed for primary school students aged 5 to 11 years old. It offers a holistic approach to learning that integrates multiple subjects, encourages inquiry-based learning, and promotes the development of key skills, knowledge, and understanding across various disciplines.

At SDPA, the IPC covers a broad range of subjects, including, science, geography, history, art, international understanding, design technology and innovation, music and health and wellbeing.

INTENT

The IPC, at Stoke Damerel Primary Academy, aims to develop students' international-mindedness by incorporating global themes, diverse cultural perspectives, and opportunities for connecting with students from other countries. It encourages students to explore similarities and differences between their own culture and those of others; ensuring students develop both academic knowledge and the skills necessary to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

Through the IPC, children - including the most disadvantaged pupils, the most able pupils and pupils with SEND - receive the same challenge within the same broad curriculum, through clear differentiation and enrichment opportunities.

Owing to the IPC’s planned progression of learning, children’s long-term memory is developed, to ensure they remember golden nuggets of information for each subject and developing subject specific skills.

IMPLEMENTATION

The IPC follows a sequence of mapped out objectives, which ensures full coverage of the Key Stage One and Two National Curriculum (2014) statutory requirements. 

Lessons are taught in a logical progression, systematically and explicitly enough for all pupils to acquire and build on their knowledge, skills and understanding. Lessons follow a recognisable sequence:

• an immersive entry point;
• a knowledge harvest;
• an introduction to the sequence of learning tasks, through the introduction of the big picture, including the unit outcome;
• sharing a knowledge organizer, of the units lead subject and associated vocabulary; 
• undertaking a range of learning tasks, across a number of subjects;
• taking part in an exit point celebratory activity;
• completing an exit point quiz, directly linked to the knowledge organizer- shared at the start of the unit. 

Throughout each IPC unit, teachers employ a wide range of assessment for learning strategies to support and challenge all learners and check pupils’ understanding. Teachers use this knowledge of their learners to help pupils embed and use knowledge fluently.

IMPACT

Children have a developing a sense of international identity and heritage, as well as fostering a tolerance and respect for the cultures and peoples represented in the past.

Well-constructed and well-taught lessons have led to achieving good results in each of the aforementioned subject area (recorded on the OTrack assessment analysis system).

All pupils present their understanding, findings, interpretations and opinions well through speaking, writing, computing and a variety of artistic media. 

All learning built towards clearly defined exit points, which they talk knowledgably about.

As the child moves through the school, they can recall key knowledge (Golden Nuggets of information), and have developed key skills which they apply their next sequence of learning.

PUPIL COMMENTS

“I enjoy having debates about important topics and learning about things that I normally would not find out about”.

“IPC extends my thinking about the world”.

“The learning in IPC is engaging – all of it, not just the entry points and exit points, but all of it!”

“I like how you can join in on everything [different subjects] and there is always a part [role] that you can take, even if you are not confident”.

“The tasks are always enjoyable for everyone – even if you find the subject hard”.

“I like when you learn different stuff”.

“Rather than you just doing it [a task], teachers are really good at teaching you step by step.  That is why you can achieve it”. 

“Teachers don’t make it [learning] boring for you, they make it really fun”.

“The exit point activities are great.  There is always a fun way to end the unit.  We build up to it, so that it is something that is achievable even if you thought it was challenging at the start”.

“You have to have to work with a teammate a lot of the time - it is brilliant to be able to work with your friends to get the job done”. 

“It is really good for all ages of children at our school because you have lots of fun in the lessons, so it doesn’t feel like working at all”.

“It is really sad that all schools do not do IPC - they miss out on so much fun!”

“In my head I do not think of it as an IPC ‘lesson’ – I think of it as, ’Oh, we are doing that really fun learning again today’, because you get to do all of these brilliant experiments and activities, where you do lots of subjects together, like art, science, music… all the things I like”.

“A lot of the time, you use the whole of the school grounds to do your lessons:  we get out and about”.

“The entry and exit points are really fun because you get parents to come in and see what you have done and how hard you have been working to achieve your goal”.