The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Private schools offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students 3 to 12

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The International Baccalaureate (IB) was initially created for students aged 16 to 19. It was intended to provide a well-rounded, high quality, advanced course of study that delivers the basics of high school education while challenging students to apply their knowledge and skills through collaboration, discussion, and communication.

Based on the strength of the IB program, it was then expanded to cover the primary and middle school years. The Primary Years Program (PYP) was created for students between the ages of 3 and 12. The PYP sometimes is presented as a foundational program for students intending to progress to the IB Middle Years Program and, ultimately, intending to earn an IB secondary school diploma. Certainly, that's true, but the program isn't limited to simply that role. Schools choose to offer the PYP because of the strength and reputation of the academic program, as well as the values that are incorporated within the curriculum. Families choose to enroll in the PYP because it offers an attractive alternative to the provincial curricula, including:

• strong core academics
• a bilingual requirement
• a values-based approach
• a broader range and depth of instruction
• a global lens 

As with the later grades, the curriculum is organized around six interdisciplinary themes, all developing students' understanding of who they are, their place and time, and how their life intersects with the lives of others, both locally and beyond. The core curriculum—language, math, science, physical education, arts, and social studies—is taught through the lens of those cross-curricular themes.

Accreditation

Accreditation is granted through the International Baccalaureate in Geneva, Switzerland. The term "International Baccalaureate" is used generically, and can refer to the organization, the degree, or the degree programs. Prior to 2007 the main accrediting body was known formally as the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), though since then is known as, simply, the International Baccalaureate. 

Schools intending to offer an IB program undertake a 3-4 year authorization/accreditation process, with timelines depending on when a school begins its formal academic year. Every school accredited to offer any of the four core IB programs is known as an IB World School. Any school that is engaged in the process of accreditation is known as an IB Candidate School. 

All accredited schools take part in an ongoing process of review and development. In some cases that process is supported and/or facilitated by sub-regional organizations, one example being the International Baccalaureate Schools of Ontario (IBSO). However, accreditation is only available through the central accrediting body. 

Schools that offer IB programs for all age groups, beginning with the primary years and culminating in the secondary diploma, refer to themselves as IB Continuum Schools. Schools typically develop the IB continuum over time, adding programs as the school grows, and in response to the needs of the student population. 

Find schools with the IB Primary Years Program below.