Primary School
Primary School Programme
INDEPENDENT LEARNERS
SBS’s primary programme is designed to make your child an inquirer, thirsty for knowledge and equipped with all the tools to grow that knowledge independently. As a Primary Years Programme (PYP) school, which precedes the International Baccalaureate curriculum of the secondary programme, we at SBS teach through a constructivist approach, which allows students to build deeper knowledge thanks to hands-on experiences and interactive activities.
INTERACTIVE CLASSROOM
SBS offers IB PYP from K1 – P5. We teach through a constructivist: process-based learning, interactive learning, information technology literacy and authentic assessment. Our primary programme is where all four pillars first come fully into play. Through process-based learning, your child is encouraged to reflect on learning experiences to create their own knowledge, one that is deeper and more broadly linked. To achieve this, many activities are interactive, or involve collaborative teams, with teachers as facilitators. As a result, children are deeply engaged and connected to the content.
Teaching pre-schoolers is therefore approached through themes, rather than subjects. For example, a cooking class could turn into an exploration of biology and basic mathematical awareness, while also developing essential socialization skills such as working with others and following instructions.
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
With self-evaluation and ongoing individual assessments, your child always knows where they stand, and how to keep getting ahead. This allows our students to meet both Thailand’s academic standards and prepare for the International Baccalaureate. Beyond the metrics, our four pillars also ensure your child develops critical and creative thinking, along with Information Technology (IT) fluency—all essential skills to nurture children who excel at leading, creating and learning.
DIGITAL FLUENCY FROM A YOUNG AGE
“My favorite class is the one where we get to use iPads!”
-Duangtawan Taddeo Majoli Magglioli 8
MAINTAINING STRONG TIES TO BOTH CULTURES
“I like having both Thai and international friends.”
-Prantawan Taddeo Majoli Magglioli, 10
LEADERSHIP AND COMMUNICATION SKILLS
“I like to read and I borrow a lot of books. The library has tons of them. I like the environment here. We can learn outdoors and join in extra-curricular programmes like RSU Wisdom Kids, which is a news programme we do in Thai and English with my classmates.”
-Atiwan Ourairat, 11
ACTIVITY-BASED LEARNING
“I like to make presentations in the computer room. I like to design PowerPoints and search for pictures. I also play tennis. I’m this year’s national champion for singles. And I’ve been the champ for doubles for two years now.”
-Kunanan Pantaratorn, 7
A LOVE OF KNOWLEDGE
“I like my homework. You have to do things. It’s fun. I’m a tennis champion, too. I won the Jumroen Cup for Under 8 Years. But I’m only five!”
-Dharma Pantaratorn, 5
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
IB PYP School
Satit Bilingual School of Rangsit University is an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School, Primary Years Programme (PYP).
IB World Schools share a common philosophy - a commitment to improve the teaching and learning of a diverse and inclusive community of students by delivering challenging, high quality programmes of international education that share a powerful vision.
For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is an educational programme managed by the International Baccalaureate (IB) for students aged 3 to 12. The subject areas of the PYP are language, social studies, mathematics, science and technology, arts, and personal, social and physical education. Assessment is carried out by teachers according to strategies provided by the IB, and with respect to guidelines to what the students should learn specified in the curriculum model.
Mission statement
The mission statement of the International Baccalaureate is as follows:
"The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the IB works with schools, governments, and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right."
Educational philosophy
The philosophy of the PYP is to make the students into "inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk takers, knowledgeable, principled, caring, open-minded, well-balanced, and reflective."
Inquirers: Students develop their natural curiosity.
Knowledgeable: Students explore concepts, ideas and issues that have both a local and global significance.
Thinkers: Students think critically to engage themselves in figuring out complex problems.
Communicators: Students express themselves and information through a variety of modes of communication.
Principled: Students act honestly and with a strong sense of fairness, justice, and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups, and communities.
Open-minded: Students appreciate their own cultures and personal histories and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities.
Caring: Students show respect and compassion towards the needs of others.
Risk-takers: Students approach unfamiliar situations with courage, as well as defend their beliefs.
Balanced: Students understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal well-being.
Reflective: Students give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience.
Transdisciplinary themes
In the IBPYP the written curriculum is arranged within six "transdisciplinary themes". While the themes are universal and applicable to all cultures, the expectation is that there are certain core values, skills and knowledge for international schools, students and educators. For example, the international school curriculum should have “global significance—for all students in all cultures."
Who we are: An inquiry into the nature of the self; beliefs and values; personal, physical, mental, social and spiritual health; human relationships including families, friends, communities, and cultures; rights and responsibilities; what it means to be human.
Where we are in place and time: An inquiry into orientation in place and time; personal histories; homes and journeys; the discoveries, explorations and migrations of humankind; the relationships between and the interconnections of individuals and civilizations, from local and global perspectives.
How we express ourselves: An inquiry into the ways in which we discover and express ideas, feelings, nature, culture, beliefs and values; the ways in which we reflect on, extend and enjoy our creativity; our appreciation of the aesthetic.
How the world works: An inquiry into the natural world and its laws; the interaction between the natural world (physical and biological) and human societies; how humans use their understanding of scientific principles; the impact of scientific and technological advances on society and on the environment.
How we organize ourselves: An inquiry into the interconnections of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.
Sharing the planet: An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
If you have more questions about PYP, please have a look at our Frequently Asked Questions about Primary Years Programme page
Language Support
We believe every child deserves to reach their potential and therefore provide a variety of support services to help students in need. SBS believes that being bilingual doubles your future opportunities in addition to promoting international mindedness. Each PYP classroom has a Thai and English speaking teacher.
ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (EAL)
Students whose first language is not English may be enrolled in our English as an additional Language (EAL) program. This program is tailored to the needs of the student supporting them both in and out of class to communicate their ideas and feelings.
THAI AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE (TAL)
Students whose first language is not Thai may be enrolled in our Thai as an additional Language (TAL) program. This program is tailored to the needs of the student supporting them both in and out of class to communicate their ideas and feelings.
iPad Integration
iPad INTEGRATION @SBS
Moving beyond enhancing teaching practices, enabling new learning activities, improving engagement, promoting participation, and various other proven “benefits”… information technology has become vital. Technology and internet access have become more important than ever in teaching and learning at SBS.
The PYP program is centered around inquiry, research, collaboration, and taking action. Students in this program...
… construct knowledge themselves to develop genuine understanding.
... are not supplied with “the right answer”.
… must come to their own conclusions and validate them.
… study based on real events and problems, which are meaningful.
… develop real-world problem solving skills to succeed throughout life.
… are considered successful by a their self-initiated actions, outside of the classroom.
The personal device (iPad) you supply for your child ensures he/she can participate fully and take an active role in learning.
Preparing students for thier future not our past.
MODERN LEARNERS
Connected classrooms allow learning to happen in hundreds of new ways. Our students aren’t just memorizing facts. They learn through an inquiry cycle that gets them to question, investigate, challenge, experiment, and reflect.
Technology plays a critical role in enquiry based learning, enabling students to research, react to, and affect real events in the world outside of the classroom.
Beyond this function which is necessary, mobile devices also allow students to learn more independently, collaborate, organize, communicate, and understand concepts deeply.
The leaders of tomorrow must be able to succeed in technological environments. 21st Century workers, business owners, entrepreneurs and visionaries will depend on quickly advancing technologies. SBS offers experience in a wide variety of technological tools and services which enable our students to learn actively in the classroom and learn independently from anywhere.
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS
DEVICE SUPPLY: You may purchase a new iPad or supply a used iPad for your child. Only iPad Air (Generation 5) models or newer are acceptable (for compatibility reasons). iPad Mini devices are accepted, but not recommended (due to difficulties in working within a smaller space and eye strain). Please note: The iPad supplied for classroom use is only to be used by your child for his/her school work. This device is not be used for entertainment by other family members. It should be treated like a paper activity book purchased for class, or any other classroom resource.
OWNERSHIP: The iPad supplied to each student remains owned by the (family of that) student. Although the device is not owned by SBS, we will manage the content on all student iPads. Once the student ends the program, the management and full ownership will be returned to the student.
REMOTE MANAGEMENT: For security and efficency, we reserve the right to manage the content on student iPads. These devices will be locked to host only content SBS provides. This will include preventing games and other unauthorized apps from being installed by students. SBS will provide books, apps, and other interactive learning content over Wi-Fi.
ACCESSORIES: Each student may be asked to provide the items listed below by the classroom teacher when needed. A protective case is required to safely transport the iPad to and from school. Headphones, earbuds, or EarPods will be used to listen to audio media. A stylus will be used for handwriting, drawing and optionally to interact with the UI.
GET ANSWERS: if you have any questions, you'll likely to find answers on this FAQ about iPad integration page. For support, please do not hesitate to send a message or a question to Ilia Vialykh at ilia.v@sbs.ac.th.
Primary School Parent's Handbook
For more information please read our parent hanbook below: