Academics
The IB at UCC
Primary Years Programme
The Primary Years Programme is the first building block in the IB system, and introduces the concept of inquiry-based learning to our youngest students in Senior Kindergarten to Year 5.
— Dianne Jojic, Primary Years Programme Co-ordinator
— Dianne Jojic, Primary Years Programme Co-ordinator
List of 1 items.
-
Dianne Jojic
Primary Years Programme Co-ordinator, Senior Admission Counsellor
The Primary Years Programme
PYP students acquire the knowledge, concepts and skills of traditional subject areas while learning about local perspectives and global ideas.
The PYP recognizes young boys’ natural curiosity and channels it towards their own discoveries. As the first building block in the IB system, it whets boys’ thirst for knowledge and sets the stage for future success in the programme.
It focuses on the development of the whole child (his academic, social, physical, emotional and cultural needs), striving to prepare students to be world citizens and lifelong learners. At its heart is a commitment to “structured inquiry” as a vehicle for learning. Through inquiry, concept-based questions are used to explore curricular themes and to help students to make significant connections between their classroom and the real world.
School subjects are connected by six transdisciplinary themes that help students explore knowledge in the broadest sense of the word:
- Who we are
- Where we are in place and time
- How we express ourselves
- How the world works
- How we organize ourselves
- Sharing the planet
Studies have shown that PYP students often do better than their non-IB counterparts in areas such as reading, math and science.
The PYP concludes in Year 5 with the PYP Exhibition, in which small groups of boys tackle big problems and take action towards finding solutions.
The PYP in action
The PYP Exhibition
For the culmination of the PYP in Year 5, students work towards a final year-end project. They choose and research a cause, and complete an action towards affecting change. For example, they might delve into issues such as cyber-bullying, Arctic climate change or reducing food waste. After months of research and preparation, students showcase their knowledge to classmates, teachers and parents.
For the culmination of the PYP in Year 5, students work towards a final year-end project. They choose and research a cause, and complete an action towards affecting change. For example, they might delve into issues such as cyber-bullying, Arctic climate change or reducing food waste. After months of research and preparation, students showcase their knowledge to classmates, teachers and parents.
“It’s a celebratory day where all of the hard work comes together,” says UCC's PYP Co-ordinator Dianne Jojic of Exhibition Day, calling it “a celebration of learning.”
The UCC Difference
© 2025 Upper Canada College. All Rights Reserved.