The Özel Bilkent Primary School is authorised and running the International Baccalaureate’s Primary Years Program (PYP). The school was accepted as a candidate school in January 2009 and developed a full complement of units of inquiry. The PYP authorization visit took place in November 2012 and represented a crucial landmark in the life of the school, as the school was accorded IB World School status after the visit.
The PYP Pedagogical Leadership Team, made up of key members of staff, has been leading the development of a program of inquiry for the past four years, with the guidance of an expert in this area. The program is now fully operational. A particular challenge has been integration of the state curriculum with the PYP curriculum but a fully developed set of scope and sequence documents has permitted this integration in a way which has seen a successful program of inquiry reflecting national objectives as well, in a harmonious and inclusive manner. Training is ongoing, comprising external consultants, internal and international workshops, visits to other IB schools both in Turkey and abroad, departmental planning, and so on.
The PYP has provided an exciting opportunity for collaboration in designing the curriculum, which is changing the shape of education in the school.
