PYP in the ELC

More than 15 years ago, St Andrew’s School was one of the first in South Australia to adopt and be approved to run the IB Programme. IB refers to the International Baccalaureate Programme and PYP refers to the Primary Years Programme component of the IB. More recently, the PYP received a bit of a makeover to be even more inclusive and relevant to the Early Years.

The IB PYP Programme caters to children from 3 years of age and complements our ELC philosophy which is inspired by Reggio Emilia, inquiry and play based learning. As our Early Years children are constantly inquiring, questioning, researching and exploring the world around them, the IB provides a perfect ‘umbrella’ for their learning.

“Underpinning all that we do at St Andrew’s ELC is our ‘image of the child’ as being capable and competent, curious and full of wonder with rights and responsibilities…. We encourage children to perceive themselves as researchers. We challenge thinking, scaffold children to see things from different perspectives and build on their previous understandings.”

- St Andrew’s ELC Shared Philosophy

In this latter half of 2022, following some shared discussion with Kath Murdoch, the ELC team have trialled a new way of implementing our Programme of Inquiry. In order to authentically follow our children’s interests and pay respect to their experiences outside of the ELC, we are running our inquiry units concurrently. That way, educators and children can explore the relevant lines of inquiry as they organically emerge, dipping in and out of each unit.

Along with other essential elements, the central idea for each unit guides our ELC educators in planning for the inquiry and is ’an understanding’ that children will have opportunities to explore….

100 languages: We can share our ideas, thoughts and feelings in many different ways.

Belonging: Being part of a community helps me to connect with others

Our Environment: We are connected to our environment and we can help to protect it

Play: People can learn about the world through play

The entire ELC Programme of Inquiry is on display throughout several places within each ELC setting. Please talk with your child’s educators if you would like further information about how this informs our planning for your child.

Alicia Flowers
Assistant Director of Early Learning