Middle Years Programme

The MYP focuses on the development of the student as an inquirer, both in school and in the world beyond. The MYP offers a transformative experience for students, teachers and whole school communities and delivers excellent outcomes by providing an education that is internationally-minded, engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.

Students in the MYP:

• Build confidence in managing their own learning
• Learn by doing, connecting the classroom to the larger world
• Outperform non-IB students in critical academic skills 
• Consistently have greater success in the IB Diploma Programme examinations
• Are engaged and motivated to excel
• Develop an understanding of global challenges and a commitment to act as responsible global citizens

The MYP aims to help students develop their personal understanding, their emerging sense of self and responsibility in their community.  Teaching and learning in the MYP is underpinned by the following concepts:

Teaching and learning in context

Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world that they have experienced.

Using global contexts, MYP students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet through developmentally appropriate explorations of:

• identities and relationships
• personal and cultural expression
• orientations in space and time
• scientific and technical innovation
• fairness and development
• globalization and sustainability
• Conceptual understanding

Concepts are big ideas that have relevance within specific disciplines and across subject areas. MYP students use concepts as a vehicle to inquire into issues and ideas of personal, local and global significance and examine knowledge holistically. The MYP prescribes sixteen key interdisciplinary concepts along with related concepts for each discipline. 

Approaches to learning

A unifying thread throughout all MYP subject groups are the approaches to learning (ATL), which provide the foundation for independent learning and encourage the application of their knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Developing and applying these social, thinking, research, communication and self-management skills helps students learn how to learn. 

Service as action, through community service 

Action and service have always been shared values of the IB community. Students take action when they apply what they are learning in the classroom and beyond. IB learners strive to be caring members of the community who demonstrate a commitment to service—making a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment. Service as action is an integral part of the programme, especially in the MYP community project.

Inclusion and learning diversity in MYP

As part of the MYP curriculum, schools address differentiation within the written, taught and assessed curriculum. 

STEM education in the MYP

The MYP curriculum focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) as an important perspective from which to consider integrated teaching and learning in concepts and skills related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.

They imply a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.

Each of the IB's programmes is committed to the development of students according to the IB learner profile.

The profile aims to develop learners who are:

• Inquirers: We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
• Knowledgeable: We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
• Thinkers: We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.
• Communicators: We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.
• Principled: We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.
• Open-minded: We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience
• Caring: We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.
• Risk-takers: We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.
• Balanced: We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.
• Reflective: We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.