International Primary Curriculum

International Primary Curriculum
Abbreviation	IPC
Parent organisation	International Curriculum Association
Website	www.internationalcurriculum.com

The International Primary Curriculum (IPC) is an independent programme of education for learners aged 5 to 11, cited by The SAGE Handbook of Research in International Education in 2015 as one of the three major international systems of education^[1] and one of two identified programmes specifically with international education objectives.^[2] The IPC forms part of a continuum of curricula, including the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC) and the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), and was identified as forming a key part of the rise in international education.^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]

History

The curriculum was developed in the late 1990s^[7] by a group of international school educators and the support of Shell Oil's international education division^[8] and was launched as a standalone international curriculum in 2000.

Curriculum design

From the IPC Curriculum Guide (2020), the design of the IPC cites 7 foundations that present the curriculum as a holistic programme of education for 5-11 year-olds, separated into three 'mileposts' (5–6 years old, 7–9 years old, and 10–11 years old). The 7 foundations are listed as:^[9]

Learner-focused Personal, International and Subject Learning Goals
A Progressive Pedagogy
A Process to Facilitate Learning for All
Globally Competent Learners
Knowledge, Skills and Understanding are taught, learned and assessed differently
Connected Learning
Assessment for Improving Learning

Thematic units of learning

The IPC is presented to schools through a number of thematic units of learning, which bring together the learning of multiple subjects associated with that theme over a 3, 6 or 9 week period. All the units follow the same Process to Facilitate Learning, which has the following stages:

Entry Point
Knowledge Harvest
Explaining the Theme
Research, Record and Reflect activities
Exit Point

Personal learning goals

The 8 Personal Learning Goals of the IPC are to become:

Adaptable
(a) Communicator
(a) Collaborator
Empathetic
Ethical
Resilient
Respectful
(a) Thinker^[10]

Subject learning goals

The subjects included in the IPC subject learning goals are:

Use in schools around the world

As of 2021, the IPC is used by over 1,000 international schools in over 90 countries.^[11]

References

^ Book: Hayden, M., Levy, J. & Thompson, J. (2015) The SAGE handbook of research in International Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015.
^ Book: Walker, G., Hayden, M. & Thompson, J. (2002) Criteria for curriculum continuity in international education. London: Routledge, 2002. Chapter 1: Drennen, H. Criteria for curriculum continuity in international education
^ Book: International Education and Schools: Moving Beyond the First 40 Years. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2013)
^ Journal: Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2013) UNESCO: International Institute for Educational Planning. International schools: growth and influence. Fundamentals of Educational Planning. Vol 92.
^ Journal: Bunnell, T. (2010) Journal of Curriculum Studies. Volume 42, Issue 4. The momentum behind the International Primary Curriculum in schools in England. Pages 471-486.
^ Book: Taking the IPC Forward - Engaging with the International Primary Curriculum. Ed. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2012)
^ Book: Hayden, M., Levy, J. & Thompson, J. (2015) The SAGE handbook of research in International Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015, p. 95.
^ Book: Taking the IPC Forward - Engaging with the International Primary Curriculum. Ed. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2012)
^ Resources: IPC Curriculum Guide. Fieldwork Education. (2020)
^ Resources: IPC Curriculum Guide. Fieldwork Education. (2020)
^ Crystal (2021-07-29). "About". Fieldwork Education. Retrieved 2021-07-29.

[1] Book: Hayden, M., Levy, J. & Thompson, J. (2015) The SAGE handbook of research in International Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015.

[2] Book: Walker, G., Hayden, M. & Thompson, J. (2002) Criteria for curriculum continuity in international education. London: Routledge, 2002. Chapter 1: Drennen, H. Criteria for curriculum continuity in international education

[3] Book: International Education and Schools: Moving Beyond the First 40 Years. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2013)

[4] Journal: Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2013) UNESCO: International Institute for Educational Planning. International schools: growth and influence. Fundamentals of Educational Planning. Vol 92.

[5] Journal: Bunnell, T. (2010) Journal of Curriculum Studies. Volume 42, Issue 4. The momentum behind the International Primary Curriculum in schools in England. Pages 471-486.

[6] Book: Taking the IPC Forward - Engaging with the International Primary Curriculum. Ed. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2012)

[7] Book: Hayden, M., Levy, J. & Thompson, J. (2015) The SAGE handbook of research in International Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2015, p. 95.

[8] Book: Taking the IPC Forward - Engaging with the International Primary Curriculum. Ed. Hayden, M., and Thompson, J. (2012)

[9] Resources: IPC Curriculum Guide. Fieldwork Education. (2020)

[10] Resources: IPC Curriculum Guide. Fieldwork Education. (2020)

[11] Crystal (2021-07-29). "About". Fieldwork Education. Retrieved 2021-07-29.

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