Primary School


International premium Primary School Programme Curriculum, Ho Chi Minh City

Key Features of the PYP at AIS Vietnam 

The world-class primary years curricula implemented throughout each primary subject, provides a well-structured and dynamic learning experience for the 5 to 10-year-olds attending school at our inviting campus in the heart of Ho Chi Minh. 

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World-class Team


A highly-qualified, international team of motivated teachers encourage a primary school learning environment filled with energy, enthusiasm, and creativity. The expertise and dedication of staff helps to create a positive atmosphere, where all students can thrive and can achieve their very best as independent learners. 

Each homeroom has an overseas-qualified teacher experienced in teaching primary education, and a local qualified Vietnamese teacher, in alignment with the international educational ethos of a rich, multicultural environment. 

AIS has an enquiry-based approach to learning and the curriculum in Years 1-6 is developed around the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), supplemented with elements of the Cambridge International Primary Programme (CIPP) curriculum. 

Key Features of the Primary Years Programme 


The Learner Profile 

The Learner profile outlines our aim for all students enrolled onto the Primary Years course of study. Faculty aim to educate unique, internationally-minded individuals, who possess the following qualities: Inquirers – Their natural curiosity has been nurtured. They have acquired the skills necessary to conduct purposeful, constructive research and they actively enjoy learning. This love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives. 

Thinkers – They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to make sound decisions and solve complex problems. 

Communicators – They receive and express ideas and information confidently in more than one language, including the language of mathematical symbols. 

Risk-Takers – They approach unfamiliar situations without anxiety and have the confidence and independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas, and strategies. They are courageous and articulate in defending values in which they believe. 

Knowledgeable – They have spent time in our schools, exploring themes which have global relevance and importance. In so doing, they have acquired a critical mass of significant knowledge. 

Principled – They have a sound grasp of the principles of moral reasoning. They have integrity, honesty and a sense of fairness and justice. 

Caring – They show sensitivity towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a sense of personal commitment to action and service. 

Open-minded – They respect the views, values and traditions of other individuals and cultures. They are accustomed to seeking and considering a range of points of view. 

Balanced – They understand the importance of physical and mental balance and personal wellbeing. 

Reflective – They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and analyse their personal strengths and weaknesses in a constructive manner. 

 

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Primary School Lessons


In the implementation of a robust Primary Years syllabus, educators strive for a balance in the search for understanding, the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills, the development of positive attitudes and the opportunity for positive action. All elements are of equally high importance to us at AIS. 

The body of significant and relevant subject matter that students within the Primary School system explore and know about is referred to as “knowledge”. This knowledge is represented through 6 subject areas: languages, social studies, science and technology, mathematics, arts, and personal, social, and physical education.  

 

Primary School Curriculum Booklet


For more details, please download the Primary School curriculum booklet below here.

Download Primary Handbook 

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A Guide on the Primary Years Programme

The PYP identifies the following disciplinary and cross-curricular skills acquired in the process of structured enquiry: 

  • Thinking skills: the acquisition of knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, dialectical thought, and metacognition. 
  • Research skills: formulating questions, observing, planning, collecting and recording data, organising, and interpreting data and presenting research findings. 
  • Communication skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and non-verbal communication. 
  • Self-management skills: gross and fine motor skills, spatial awareness, organisation, time management, safety, a healthy lifestyle, codes of behaviour and making informed choices. 
  • Social skills: accepting responsibility, respecting others, cooperating, resolving conflict, group decision making, and adopting a variety of group roles. 

Through the participation of the PYP, learners are encouraged to reflect, choose wisely and to act responsibly towards their peers, school staff and in the wider community. By showing respect to their community, students grow socially and personally. They develop skills such as cooperation, problem-solving, conflict resolution and creative and critical thinking. At the heart of the PYP’s philosophy, is a commitment to structured enquiry-based learning. Identified as an ideal vehicle for effective education, teachers and students are guided by six themes of global significance, explored across all aspects of school life. They are: 

  • Who we are 
  • Where we are in place and time 
  • How we express ourselves 
  • How the world works 
  • How we organise ourselves 
  • Sharing the planet 

Key concepts are expressed as questions: 

  • Form: what are its properties? 
  • Function: how does it work? 
  • Causation: why is it the way it is? 
  • Change: how is it becoming a different form? 
  • Connection: how is it related to other forms?  
  • Perspective: what are the different points of view? 
  • Responsibility: what are our duties? 
  • Reflection: how can we confirm what we believe we know? 

Assessment in the PYP identifies two important objectives: 

  1. To gain insight into what students know, understand, can demonstrate and what they value at different stages in the teaching and learning process.  
  2. To assess students’ result of enquiry, as well as the process of enquiry for each stage of development.  

The principal purposes of assessment in the PYP are to: 

  • Provide feedback to primary years students, parents, and teachers. 
  • Determine what the student know from their primary lessons and what they understand about the world. 
  • Inform educators on the development of each child and differentiate teaching and learning where necessary. 
  • Monitor student progress in the development of the IB learner profile attributes. 
  • Monitor the effectiveness of the program. 

Essentially, there are two types of assessment in the Primary Years Programme, each of which has a specific function: 

  1. A formative assessment is embedded in the teaching and learning process and therefore occurs in the daily routine of a classroom. Students constantly reflect on their learning and act on feedback. 
  2. A summative assessment occurs at the end of the teaching and learning process and provides students with opportunities to demonstrate what they have learned within a new context. It aims to give teachers, students and parents clear, evidence-based insight into students’ understanding of how to apply knowledge. To have an external benchmark in assessing the students, all students will undertake the Cambridge Checkpoint for English and Mathematics in Year 6. Children in Year 1 to Year 5 are also formally assessed. 
     

PYP Exhibition 


Year 6 students are expected to carry out an extended, collaborative enquiry project, known as the PYP Exhibition, under the guidance of their teachers. 

The Exhibition represents a significant event in the life of both the school and student, synthesising the essential elements learned in Primary Years subjects, and sharing them with the whole school community. It is an opportunity for students to demonstrate the attributes of the learner profile that have been developing throughout their engagement with the programme. It is a culminating experience, marking the transition from PYP to further steps in education. 

 

The vast majority of learning during Primary school lesson time takes place in the classroom with the class teacher and support teacher. 

However, specialist teachers of Music, P.E, Swimming, Vietnamese Language & Culture, Vietnamese National Curriculum and Chinese, work alongside class teachers to provide a broad and well-structured programme. 

Our Primary School campus benefit from excellent infrastructure and facilities at AIS to support their learning, including a double gymnasium, multi-purpose rooms, floodlit astro turf pitches, covered outdoor sports courts, swimming pools, splash pools, libraries, art rooms, science laboratories and computer rooms. 

Throughout the year, a variety of activities are organised in school to enrich the curriculum in Years 1-6. These form an integral part of school life and add that extra dimension to the children’s learning during their formative years. Activities vary from those involving entire year groups. such as day trips, as part of the unit on enquiry, to whole school events, such as International Day and the TET Fair. 

All Primary year groups are involved in an itinerary of field trips and educational visits to places of interest around Ho Chi Minh City, including art galleries, parks, places of interest and museums. These are usually tightly-integrated with the learning taking place in the classroom to support students’ understanding of a topic, or subject area. 
 

School Camp 


Camps form an integral part of the Primary Years curriculum for all students from Year 2. Visits usually take place during November of each year and provide many opportunities to enrich our curriculum. Camps are an enjoyable way for students in Key Stage 1 and 2 to enjoy independence while they develop their social skills.  
 

After School Activities 


From Year 1 onwards, students can take part in AIS’s Extra-curricular Activity Program (ECA). Each semester, various activities are offered to primary years participants in the areas of sport, visual and performing arts, music, languages and more. 

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Enquire Now


To find out more about AIS’s world-class Primary Years Programme, or to book a campus tour, complete the enquiry form and the Admissions Service will contact you with further information.