Middle Years Programme

The Middle Years Programme will help your son or daughter to develop and hone what the IB refers to as “Approaches to Learning” skills in an effort to cultivate good habits of life-long learning and exploration.

10 reasons why the IB Middle Years Programme encourages you to become a creative, critical and reflective learner:

  1. Become a life-long learner.
  2. Learn by doing and experiencing.
  3. The MYP encourages critical thinking.
  4. Explore global challenges.
  5. Learn for understanding.
  6. Train yourself to organise and plan, persist and think positively.
  7. Subjects are not taught in isolation.
  8. It empowers you to develop your talents.
  9. It prepares you for future education.
  10. It encourages international-mindedness.

Based on IB research – www.ibo.org/research

IB-myp-10-reasons-poster

Three fundamental concepts underpin learning at the ISB:

Holistic learning: the MYP offers an approach to teaching and learning that embraces yet transcends the focus on traditional subjects. While insisting on thorough study of various disciplines, the MYP accentuates the interrelationship between them, so advancing a holistic view of learning.

Intercultural awareness: the MYP aims to foster understanding among young people. By encouraging students to consider multiple perspectives, we aim to foster tolerance and respect, which leads to empathy.

Communication: the MYP supports enquiry and understanding, and allows student reflection and expression. The ISB offers a strong languages programme as a means of teaching the students an appreciation for different cultures as well as other ways of thinking and expression.

MYP Curriculum Model

The student’s academic and social development is the focus of this programme.MYP-Curriculum-Model

The IB Learner Profile is the core of the MYP.

The six Global Contexts are the contexts through which the curriculum content interacts with the real world. Using these global contexts in planning and teaching helps students by providing relevance and meaning.

 

Identities and relationships
The focus questions are ‘Who am I?’ and ‘Who are we?’

Orientation in space and time
The focus question is ’What is the meaning of “where” and “when”?’

Personal and cultural expression
The focus question is ‘What is the nature and purpose of creative expression?’

Scientific and technical innovation
The focus question is ‘How do we understand the world in which we live?’

Globalization and sustainability
The focus question is ‘How is everything connected?’

Fairness and development
The focus question is ‘What are the consequences of our common humanity?’

MYP Subject Groups

All our MYP students study English and Dutch.

Language and literature (Language A) – for native speakers

  • English and Dutch.

ISB Secondary Language

Language acquisition (Language B) – for second language learners

  • English and Dutch. From MYP2, students have the opportunity to add a Language B course, either Spanish or French.

Humanities

  • History (MYP1-5), Geography (MYP1-5) and Economics (MYP5). From MYP5 students select 2 out of 3 humanities, choosing from Economics, History and Geography.

ISB Secondary LabSciences

  • Integrated science (MYP1-3), Biology, Chemistry and Physics (MYP4 & 5). From MYP5 students select 2 out of 3 sciences, choosing from Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Mathematics (MYP1-3)

  • MYP4 & 5 students can follow Standard or Extended Mathematics

Arts

  • Visual arts, Music, Drama (MYP1). From MYP4 students make a more specialised choice in the Arts by selecting Visual arts or Music.

Physical and health education

Design

  • Design will only be offered in MYP 1-3.

Core Elements

Service as Action
Action is learning by doing and experiencing. Service is part of Action and it is where our IB students strive to be caring members of the local and global community, by demonstrating a personal commitment to services that make a difference to the lives of others and the environment. Service as Action (SA) is a core element of the programme and is managed by the SA coordinator. In every year of the 5-year course, students will complete 3 projects: a mentor-class project, and two self-initiated projects. Throughout these projects students will learn by personal experience and their progress on the learning outcomes is recorded in ManageBac and will be logged by the SA Coordinator and supervisors. 
 
Personal Project
In the final year of the MYP programme (MYP5), your son or daughter will complete a year-long personal project. This project is a long-term research project focused upon a person or learning interest identified by the student. 
The personal project (PP) is a chance for the students to demonstrate and integrate all they have learned throughout their years in secondary school. 
It is an independent piece of work that is the culmination of the student’s sustained involvement with the six global contexts. It may be a documentary, an event or another form of expression. The topic is chosen in consultation with the personal project coordinator and your son or daughter will have their own advisor to support them through the process.