Middle Years Programme (MYP)

Knowledge Organisers

Wilmington Academy is a Candidate School for the Middle Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorisation as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy - a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Wilmington Academy believes is important for our students.

Middle Years Programme (MYP)

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) provides the framework for the curriculum at Wilmington Academy throughout Years 7-9. The Middle Years Programme is designed to teach students to become independent, critical, and reflective learners, who can discover the links between subjects and the real world.

The programme:

  • encourages international-mindedness in IB students, starting with a foundation in their own language and culture;

  • promotes a positive attitude to learning by challenging students to solve problems, show creativity and resourcefulness, and participate actively in their communities;

  • reflects real life by providing a framework that allows students to see the connections among the subjects themselves, and between the subjects and real issues;

  • supports the development of communication skills to encourage enquiry, understanding and language acquisition, and to allow student reflection and expression;

  • emphasises, through the learner profile, the development of the whole student – physically, intellectually, emotionally and ethically.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile

The Middle Years Programme is designed to help students develop the characteristics of the IB Learner Profile as they progress through the curriculum and beyond.

The IB Learner Profile represents 10 attributes valued by IB World Schools:

  • Inquirers - They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

  • Knowledgeable - They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

  • Thinkers - They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognise and approach complex problems, and make reasoned, ethical decisions.

  • Communicators - They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

  • Principled - They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

  • Open-minded - They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories, and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

  • Caring - They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service, and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

  • Risk-takers - They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought, and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

  • Balanced - They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being for themselves and others.

  • Reflective - They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

Knowledge Organisers

A knowledge organiser (KO) sets out the important, useful and powerful knowledge on a topic on a single page (Kirby, 2015).

For students to succeed in a particular area, they must have a foundation of factual knowledge, understand those facts in the context of a conceptual framework and organise knowledge in order to facilitate retrieval and application (Bransford et al., 2000).

To develop long-life learners and to prepare students for the content demands of the new curriculum, knowledge organisers will be introduced in Year 7 from September. An Information Evening regarding knowledge organisers will be published at a later date.

Knowledge Organiser Presentation