Early Years in the PYP

"Children learn best when they are active participants, supported by responsive relationships, purposeful environments, meaningful experiences and opportunities to inquire, make choices and construct meaning."

Our understanding of the early learner

Young children are naturally curious, capable and active learners. They make sense of themselves and the world through exploration, play, relationships, questions, theories and reflection. Drawing on constructivist and social constructivist perspectives, our approach recognises that learning is both personal and social.

Within the PYP, we therefore see children as competent meaning-makers and contributors to their own learning. Through interactions with people, materials, places and ideas, they develop understandings about themselves, others and the world around them while building the foundations for international-mindedness.

Play is central to this approach. Children engage in both child-initiated and thoughtfully supported adult-initiated experiences, using play as a context for inquiry, communication, creativity, problem-solving and meaning-making. Our learning environments are intentionally designed to invite exploration, encourage agency and provide opportunities for children to revisit and deepen their thinking.

Through these experiences, children develop language, symbolic expression, social and emotional understanding, self-regulation and the ability to make connections. They learn to express ideas, listen to others, collaborate, reflect and take increasing ownership of their learning.

Developing lifelong learners

The development of the Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills and the IB Learner Profile attributes is an integral part of our Early Years experience. These dispositions help children develop not only what they know, but also how they approach learning and relationships.

At Anglo, our Early Years classrooms aim to be places where children feel safe, valued, curious and capable. Through high-quality learning and teaching, purposeful environments, play, relationships and inquiry, we nurture learners who are developing the agency, confidence and dispositions to continue learning and contributing throughout their lives.