IB Programmes

Our IB Programmes at WISS

WISS follows a complete IB curriculum from Nursery to G12. Running the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP – as a Candidate School), and the Diploma Programme (DP), WISS provides an entire and unbroken IB curriculum model leading to the most sought after qualification for university entry in the world. WISS also provides a G13 facility for students who need an extra year of academic support before sitting their IB Diploma exams. WISS is an IB World School and as such it has been visited, inspected, and approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization. IB World Schools maintain their high quality through regular professional development of staff, effective delivery of cutting-edge teaching practice, and a rigorous approach to inquiry-based learning. Schools authorized by the IB must put students at the center of everything they do, treat learning holistically from multiple perspectives, emphasize strong communication skills, and promote intercultural awareness. The IB carries out regular evaluations to ensure schools provide a culture of learning in line with international philosophy and goals.

Overview of the IBO

The International Baccalaureate Organization is a non-profit educational organization that was established in 1968. It is governed by a 17-member Council of Foundation, and is funded by fees from IB world schools, with additional income from workshops and catalogue sales. Donors provide support for development projects that otherwise cannot be implemented from the organization’s budget.

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Primary Years Programme

Our Philosophy

The intention of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) is to support students’ efforts to construct meaning from the world around them by drawing on their prior knowledge, by providing provocation through new experiences, and by providing time and opportunity for reflection and consolidation. This constructivist approach respects the students’ developing ideas and understandings of the social and natural world; it continually stimulates students’ revision and refinement of their models of how the world works. It implies a pedagogy that is significantly, but not necessarily completely, dependent on students’ inquiry, where he planning incorporates a range of experiences that acknowledges the diversity of students’ prior knowledge. The PYP is designed for students aged 3 to 12. It provides a curriculum framework that encourages students to develop international mindedness through a transdisciplinary approach to teaching and learning.

Our Curriculum

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP):

• Prescribes a curriculum framework of essential elements—knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes, and action
• Promotes a particular set of attitudes—appreciation, commitment, confidence, cooperation, creativity, curiosity, empathy, enthusiasm, independence, integrity, respect and tolerance– that
• Establishes that the learning must be engaging, relevant, challenging and significant and must touch upon themes of global significance
• Provides opportunities for students to build meaning and refine understanding, principally through structured inquiry
• Is conceptually driven
• Is characterized by learning environments that are stimulating and provocative
• Provides a holistic approach to developing the whole child-social, emotional, physical development

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Middle Years Programme

Our Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) aspires to deliver to students a school experience that is motivated by a sense of wonder and powered by the joys inherent in discovery.  The MYP experience is driven by creative and critical thinking, outfitting students with the desire and skills to understand and impact their world. MYP students are well-rounded students, they respond to challenges with optimism and an open mind, they are confident in their own identities, make ethical decisions, join with others in celebrating our common humanity and are prepared to apply what they learn in real-world, complex and unpredictable situations.

Our Curriculum

• addresses students’ intellectual, social, emotional and physical well-being
• provides students opportunities to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need in order to manage complexity and take responsible action for the future
• ensures breadth and depth of understanding through study in eight subject groups
• requires the study of at least two languages (language of instruction and additional language of choice) to support students in understanding their own cultures and those of others
• empowers students to participate in service within the community
• helps to prepare students for further education, the workplace and a lifetime of learning

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Diploma Programme

Our Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (DP) is designed as an academically challenging and balanced programme of education with final examinations that prepares students, normally aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. The programme is normally taught over two years and has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities.

Our Curriculum

All Diploma Programme students participate in the three course requirements that make up the core of the DP Model: TOK, CAS and the extended essay. Reflection on all these activities is a principle that lies at the heart of the thinking behind the Diploma Programme.

Strongly committed to the principle of developing the whole person, the IB believes that this is best achieved by identifying and developing clearer and more explicit aims for and relationships between TOK, CAS and the extended essay. Specifically, the IB believes a coherent view of the core will:

• support the interconnectedness of learning
• support concurrency of learning
• support the IB continuum of education and the learner profile
• support a broader view of the subject disciplines.

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Career-related Programme

Our Philosophy

The International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (CP) is a framework of international education that incorporates the vision and educational principles of the IB into a unique programme specifically developed for students who wish to engage in career-related learning.

The CP’s flexible educational framework allows schools to meet the needs, backgrounds and contexts of students. CP students engage with a rigorous study programme that genuinely interests them while gaining transferable and lifelong skills.

Our Curriculum

Through the CP core, students develop personal qualities and professional skills, as well as intellectual habits required for lifelong learning. The CP core bridges the IB academic courses and the career-related study and provides students with a combination of academic and practical skills:

• Personal and professional skills is designed for students to develop attitudes, skills and strategies to be applied to personal and professional situations and contexts now and in the future.
• Service learning is the development and application of knowledge and skills towards meeting an identified and authentic community need.
• The reflective project is an in-depth body of work produced over an extended period of time and submitted towards the end of the CP. Through a reflective project students identify, analyse, critically discuss and evaluate an ethical issue arising from their career-related studies.
• Language development ensures that all students have access to and are exposed to a language programme that will assist and further their understanding of the wider world. The ability to communicate in more than one language is essential to the IB’s concept of an international education. Language development encourages students to improve their proficiency in a language other than their best language.

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Language Learning

Diverse Language Options

Language learning is very important at WISS. With a community of close to 50 nationalities and over 40 languages spoken, we endeavour to support not only new language learning but also the opportunity for students to maintain their mother tongues. Recognizing the significance of mother tongue language development, WISS continually explores opportunities to work with cultural and embassy groups to offer as many mother tongue programmes as possible.  Mother tongue is defined as the language you would speak as a ‘native’ of your home country, but of course we know that our families are multi-cultural and may have a less well-defined set of language needs. For more information on languages at WISS, or if you would like to try and set up a mother tongue language programme, please contact our Head of Modern Languages, Mirjam Berghuis at mberghuis@wiss.cn.

English Language

WISS offers a curriculum that takes into account each student’s individual needs. Each student will work through a step by step continuum of learning goals. Equality of access to the curriculum for all students, including those who learn English as an Additional Language (EAL), is ensured by both direct language support from specialist teachers and a whole school approach in the daily classroom. Additionally, we aim to ensure that all EAL pupils are able to:

• Use English confidently and competently
• Use English as a means of learning across the curriculum
• Where appropriate, make use of their knowledge of other languages

Our EAL specialist teachers have had extensive experience working with children learning English as an additional or second language. The EAL teachers work closely with the main classroom teachers to identify the particular learning needs of English Language Learners. Children are taught English both within the classroom and in small groups working with the EAL specialist who uses resources specifically geared to second language enhancement. Where English is not strong enough to access the curriculum, Chinese or another second language will be replaced by extra English until the level of proficiency increases.

Chinese Language

In this ever evolving and changing world, with so many people becoming globally mobile, the need for bilingualism is paramount. At WISS all students may study Chinese as an additional or native language. The language programme will be further enhanced through school assemblies, performances, presentations and field trips around Shanghai. Chinese is the only language other than English that is offered at every ability level from Nursery through to G12.German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, and others.

Other Mother Tongue Programmes

German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Japanese, and others.

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