At Verdala International School, learning is viewed as a dynamic, inquiry-driven journey shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and reflection. Our academic programme is grounded in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), which nurtures the whole child, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and ethically. We are committed to creating meaningful, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences that empower students to explore ideas, think deeply, and act with purpose in a changing world.

Definition of Learning

At VIS, learning involves developing the knowledge, skills and understandings through inquiry-based and transdisciplinary strategies which prepare our lifelong learners for their future challenges. Effective learning occurs in a positive and nurturing environment, fostering a reflective growth mindset. This develops best in a context where students apply problem-solving skills to think critically and creatively in order to collaborate and take responsibility for their own learning. We promote personal well-being through a holistic education that includes creativity, activity, academic rigour, and a service learning environment.

We provide meaningful learning experiences through an inclusive educational journey which develops transferable skills, resilience, and well-grounded and mindful individuals. We strive to offer varied pathways and opportunities to enable success for all.

At Verdala International School, learning is viewed as a dynamic, inquiry-driven journey shaped by curiosity, collaboration, and reflection. Our academic programme is grounded in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), which nurtures the whole child, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and ethically. We are committed to creating meaningful, inclusive, and engaging learning experiences that empower students to explore ideas, think deeply, and act with purpose in a changing world.

Primary Years Programme Overview

The PYP is a transdisciplinary, student-centered framework that promotes deep conceptual understanding, agency, and global engagement. It supports children in becoming independent, lifelong learners who contribute meaningfully to their communities. The programme integrates subject knowledge and skills into Units of Inquiry, which are relevant, engaging, challenging, and connected to real-life contexts. Learning through inquiry fosters curiosity and creativity and empowers students to take ownership of their learning. At VIS, our curriculum is guided by the IB Programme Standards and Practices, ensuring high-quality implementation, coherence, and alignment across the school. Teachers collaborate to design, deliver, and reflect on learning experiences using best practices and resources from the global IB learning community.

Units of Inquiry (UOIs)

At the core of the PYP curriculum are the UOIs, which provide a framework for structured, concept-driven, and student-centered exploration. Each year, students engage in six units of inquiry (four in Early Years), each linked to one of the PYP transdisciplinary themes: Who We Are, Where We Are in Place and Time, How We Express Ourselves, How the World Works, How We Organize Ourselves, and Sharing the Planet. These themes allow students to explore central ideas and lines of inquiry that connect learning across subject areas, build international-mindedness, and promote action.

Units are collaboratively planned by grade-level teams and specialists, ensuring a balanced development of knowledge, conceptual understanding, skills, attitudes, and agency. Inquiry cycles involve tuning in, finding out, sorting out, going further, making conclusions, and taking action. Student voice, choice, and ownership are central to the process, and learning engagements are designed to be engaging, challenging, relevant, and significant.