Education mātauranga
To achieve an international education we work together to embrace and develop attributes of the IB learner profile.
The profile combines knowledge, skills, and creative and critical thought to educate.
International Baccalaureate
IB Programme
Selwyn House School has been authorised since 2008 to deliver the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Pre-school to Year 8.
The focus from Early Childhood to Year 8 is on the total growth of the developing child, encompassing intellectual, social, physical, emotional, spiritual and cultural needs. The International Baccalaureate (IB) PYP is an international programme covering all subject areas.
The programme is grounded in a deeply held belief about the nature and future of international education and a firm desire to develop students who are international in their outlook.
The IB offers a high-quality curriculum model, which encourages international mindedness and a positive attitude towards learning. Selwyn House School is committed to structured, purposeful inquiry, based on themes of global significance
Global Outlook
High Quality Education
An international education is dynamic and responds to ever-changing global needs.
Through an exploration of concepts such as conflict resolution, communication and understanding relationships, cultural identity, history and responsibility (both environmental and human) we want to develop in our students an understanding that they can make a difference to their world, at both a local and global level.
The IB offers a continuum of high quality education that encourages international-mindedness and a positive attitude to learning. The IB programmes are accessible to students in over 140 countries through the close cooperation with the worldwide community of IB World Schools.
At the heart of the programme’s philosophy is a commitment to structured, purposeful inquiry as the vehicle for learning.
Six Transdisiplinary Themes
Celebrating the PYP
Teachers and students use the six transdisciplinary themes and key questions to structure their unit of inquiry across all subject areas. The essential elements provide the basis of a primary education that is challenging, significant, relevant, and engaging.
It is within the context of each theme that students explore related central ideas, connect and apply prior knowledge to new situations, and deepen their existing knowledge. These themes engage the learning community in rich dialogues and ongoing collaboration to build an understanding of themselves, their wider community and the world.
Students develop their communication, critical thinking, research, social, self-assessment and
self‑management skills.
We provide students at every year level with opportunities to reflect upon, choose and act on issues of importance and relevance to them. In doing so, we develop in our students an understanding that they can make a difference to their world, both locally and globally.
Six Transdisiplinary Themes
Celebrating the PYP
Community, respect, and empathy are strong elements of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Across all year levels, units of inquiry are celebrated. These moments of reflection are important for both the student and their families. In both Year 7 and 8 girls are engaged in major projects that draw on and extend PYP knowledge, concepts and approached to learning they have developed throughout their schooling so far.
In Year 7, students participate in a robust and interesting learning experience where each girl devises a question that is of interest to them and conducts an original scientific inquiry around it, or designs and constructs a technological product to meet a need that they have identified.
In Year 8, Exhibition is the culminating experience of a child’s journey through the PYP. This passion project is a year-long inquiry where girls explore something they are deeply passionate about, developing their skills and taking action using them to make a positive difference in their world. Experts mentor girls to support them in this venture. The growth seen in the girls as they work through this process is always impressive, and the sense of accomplishment in taking a concept from original thought through to completed project is invaluable.
Transdisciplinary Themes
Programme of Inquiry
The programme of inquiry is based on six trans-disciplinary themes of global significance that provide a framework for exploration and study:
The programme of inquiry is based on six trans-disciplinary themes of global significance that provide a framework for exploration and study:
- Who we are
- Where we are in time and place
- How the world works
- How we express ourselves
- How we organize ourselves
- Sharing the planet
For more information please view the Primary Years Programme
Teachers and students use key questions to structure their units of inquiry
Through planning, teaching, and assessment, the five essential elements of curriculum come together meaningfully. Through the PYP, the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum in English, Mathematics, and Science can be addressed whilst still maintaining the IB philosophy and learning.
Learning
Education & Curriculum
Small class sizes allow for individualised attention, fostering a nurturing environment that supports both personal and academic growth. Selwyn House School is the only all girls primary school in the South Island offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP). We prioritise the development of leadership skills, resilience, and global citizenship through its programme.