Issue 1: Spring 2009
The best of the International Primary Curriculum from around the globe
In this issue 3 Welcome all! 4 Thoughts from Martin What does it mean to be internationally-minded by Martin Skelton
5 An IPC unit in action We get our teeth into chocolate!
6 Making the IPC work for you Developing a mother tongue programme with the IPC by Pascale Hertay of the International School of the Hague
8 IPC News Reporting from around the IPC world
10 The Best of the IPC Some of what’s going on with the IPC around the world
12 The Interview Page Introducing you to John Holmes, recently retired Headteacher of Piasau School, Malaysia
14 What’s New from the IPC Lighting the flag for the latest IPC unit: the Olympics
15 Competition page For every school to enjoy
16 The surgery Answering anything you ever wanted to know about the IPC
18 Meet the team 19 Fieldwork Education 25 years old and looking good! Front: 1st and 12th graders at Hokkaido International School in Hiragishi, Japan enjoying learning together with the help of the IPC. The school is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Read more on page 9 about its 50 years of learning.
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Welcome all! Dear Colleagues, Welcome to the first edition of Eye On The World. Virtually every day we hear exciting, fun, and sometimes moving accounts of learning experiences linked to the IPC. For some time now, we have been looking for a way of sharing a selection of these moments with you. And here it is! Eye On The World is dedicated to celebrating the great learning, the great teaching and the great fun that the International Primary Curriculum provides for our children and for our teachers. There are now over 600 schools in 51 countries around the world working with the IPC and that number is growing by the day. That means that over 120,000 children are right now taking part in IPC Entry Points, Knowledge Harvests, international activities, rigorous learning and skill development; all of which is preparing them for the fast changing world of tomorrow. Here is our chance to share with you some of the many exciting activities and exceptional learning experiences that the IPC is inspiring. We hope you enjoy this celebration just as much as we have. With best wishes,
Janice Ireland, Anne Keeling and the IPC Team
P.S. If you have enjoyed a particularly special IPC moment and would like to share it with us all in the next issue of Eye On The World which will be published in June, simply send a photograph and short description to Janice Ireland at janice@greatlearning.com or Anne Keeling at anne@greatlearning.com
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Thoughts from Martin
What does it mean to be internationally-minded?
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artin Skelton is the co-founder and Managing Director of Fieldwork Education. Since he started the company 25 years ago, Martin has travelled throughout the world helping schools to improve learning and to develop internationalmindedness. Here Martin talks about what it means to be internationallyminded. In a global and interconnected world, it is often claimed that one of the dispositions children and students need is to be ‘internationally-minded’. (The IPC makes this point as strongly as anyone and was among the early promoters of internationalmindedness in formal curriculums.) It’s pretty clear why this claim is made. Future jobs are increasingly likely to be found away from one’s home country; companies that children and students will work for may well be driven by cultures other than the ‘home’ culture; whether for travel, work or at leisure we will all increasingly come across different cultures; and most of the world’s major problems are only going to be solved with international cooperation. It’s a compelling argument. But what is international-mindedness, and what does it mean for primary school children? At the simplest we might say it is about
being at ease with people from other cultures and with cultures different from our own. In fact, this might well do as a working definition. There are complexities, of course and much of the discussion focuses around the level at which we can describe someone as being ‘at ease’? Is it the ability or willingness to live alongside but not integrate? Is it only when we are able to fully integrate into another culture? Is it only when I can fully empathise with people from different cultures to mine?
In a global and interconnected world, it is often claimed that one of the dispositions children and students need is to be ‘internationally-minded’. There’s also the issue of how crucial language learning is to the development of internationalmindedness. Is it possible for me to ‘get’ cultures different from my own if I don’t speak the language which plays a large part in revealing that culture? And, if it is important, what level of language proficiency do I need to have? 4
Howard Gardner said that the process of human development is ‘a continuing decline in egocentricity.’ In other words, we develop from the tiny baby crying in the pram, to the ‘terrible twos’ when we clearly demonstrate our awareness of the ‘other’, through parallel play with children of our own age, to our first ‘real’ friendship and so on. Gardner’s developmental idea helps us to see that international-mindedness – dealing as it does with all of the differences within our own cultures magnified by the context of other cultures – is somewhere towards the end of the process of our declining egocentricity. It also helps us to see that most primary aged children can only be at the early stages of internationalmindedness although, importantly, they are on the pathway of a growing sense of the ‘other’ and a declining sense of their own egocentricity. It is this growth and decline that primary schools need to think about developing, to work from the differences between individual families and other groupings familiar to the child and using these experiences to help children come to terms with the broader and more profound differences and similarities between their culture and those of others who live in a quite different (but no worse) world than their own.
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An IPC unit in action
We get our teeth into chocolate!
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rguably the most popular IPC unit, Chocolate is being enjoyed by school children all over the world as you can see:
Boys of Piasau school, Malaysia melting chocolate
Great resource ideas
Getting their teeth into the chocolate unit at Albert Primary school, Wales
“Chocolate, what a great unit! And that’s not just because of all the chocolate that you get to eat! We were fortunate enough to be able to get some Cacao Pods so the children could see, touch and taste the real thing. For one of the History tasks we found out about how children had to work in the chocolate trade which opened our eyes to how some children used to live and be treated. A great learning focused unit, both for the children and the staff - did you know that dark chocolate is as good for you as green tea! Know which one I prefer!” Nic Rowe, Deputy Headteacher, Piasau school, Malaysia
“As part of the chocolate unit we took a trip to Starbucks to find out about different drinking chocolates and how they are made. The children had a great time having lots of different tasters and asked great questions about where Starbucks gets their chocolate products from and whether Starbucks supports Fairtrade. The people at Starbucks were impressed!” Ceri Hawkins, year 4 teacher, Albert Primary school, Wales
Piasau school recommends www.grenadachocolate.com/tour/ process1.html “A great website which gives you the virtual tour of the chocolate process. From this we made a great display called ‘The Chocolate Process’ which the children referred to throughout the unit.” Albert Primary school recommends www.mexicolor.com “It’s an excellent child-friendly website, easy to negotiate and has lots of interesting bits about the Aztecs which links to the Hernando Cortez story of the discovery of hot chocolate.”
Albert Primary school in Wales designing chocolate wrappers
Gors Primary in Wales visiting a chocolate factory
Recipe testing chocolate bars at Forest Lodge school in Leicester, England
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Making the IPC work for you Developing a mother tongue programme with the IPC
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ascale Hertay is Team Leader – curriculum coordination and daily operations at the International School of the Hague and has been Mother Tongue Coordinator for five years; a programme she established. Here she tells Eye On The World how she took it from 1 to 55 languages: IPC How did the Mother Tongue programme start at ISH? Pascale Hertay It started with me leading a French club once a week after school and it all developed from there. Around 55 different languages are spoken by the children at ISH, only about 17% of our students are native English speakers and the big question that we kept asking ourselves was: why should any of our children miss out on the benefits of developing their Mother Tongue? Every child should have the chance. That’s been our mission all along but it’s taken five years of development and we’re still working at it. IPC What are the benefits for children of learning their Mother Tongue, isn’t it best for them just to focus on learning English as a second language? PH There is significant evidence from research to show that bilingual learners are the best learners and a strong Mother Tongue supports the second language acquisition, or a strong Mother Tongue helps develop a strong second, third or fourth language. By learning two or more languages, children gain a greater understanding of how language works; comparing
and contrasting and developing the knowledge and skills to transfer across two languages (research by Jim Cummins, Collier, Baker, Ophelia Garcia) Not only that, but it is also very important for promoting cultural understanding and this not only impacts the children but benefits the parents and wider family unit too. Being able to speak in their Mother Tongue enables children to communicate directly with grandparents, aunts and uncles, to develop a natural curiosity for their mother country, and it promotes opportunities for parents to share discussions with their children about the customs and traditions of their culture.
I believe it is crucial to start in the Early Years or at least the earlier the better otherwise children never acquire enough skills to embed it. IPC So how do you teach Mother Tongue at ISH? Do you have to have language experts for 55 different languages? PH No, we don’t have specialists for every language; that’s almost impossible. The way we work our Mother Tongue programme is this: in addition to an after-school Mother Tongue programme, we allocate dedicated Mother Tongue time into the curriculum – not specialist time or IPC time; it’s purely focused on Mother Tongue. The children are grouped according to their language. 6
All the children from years 4, 5 and 6 are combined and then split into their Mother Tongue groups. The same for Years 2 and 3 as they can’t work so independently as the older children. And Reception and year 1 work together. If we have a teacher who can speak the language then obviously we pair them up with their particular Mother Tongue group. But the instruction for the lesson by the teacher is presented in English and then the children, in groups then work on the project between themselves using their Mother Tongue. Wherever we can we encourage parents who speak the Mother Tongue to participate too. They can help significantly with the details such as spelling and sentence formation and many are willing to support the programme. IPC So what sort of projects do they do? PH Well, we choose topics linked to special events happening in the school and we also use the language arts projects from some of our IPC units during this time. Our aim is to develop the vocabulary, the speaking, the reading and the writing skills which enables the transfer of knowledge from one language to another language. As the children are working on the skills of language arts – such as how to make a poster, how to write a letter, or how to create a menu – using English to do this, it’s simply a case of transferring these language arts skills from one language to another. These are activities that are particularly effective during Mother Tongue time. All the different Mother Tongue groups work on the same activities at the
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Left: Pascale Hertay Top: Parents of children from ISH supporting one of the many Mother Tongue groups Bottom: A Mother Tongue group at ISH working together
same time but in their respective Mother Tongue. IPC What age is it best to introduce a Mother Tongue programme? PH I believe it is crucial to start in the Early Years or at least the earlier the better otherwise children never acquire enough skills to embed it. So if they chose to start studying it at secondary level it is too late to learn it at a Mother Tongue level any more. Research shows that as fast as you learn a language you can lose it and it takes between 5 and 8 years (Cummins) to reach bilingual level. That’s why it is vital for the children to continually use Mother Tongue at home. To ensure all our parents understand this we have an information evening at the beginning of the school year to help them realise how crucial developing their Mother Tongue is. We encourage extensions of their IPC learning at home to be done in Mother Tongue. We also ask that when they return to their mother country for holidays, they buy books related to the IPC units they are working on in their Mother Tongue. This not only helps develop language transfer skills but also enables the children to see for themselves how different countries have different perspectives about the same subjects. IPC So any plans to develop the Mother Tongue programme further? PH Yes, of course. This is a long term vision for our school and every six months we review it to see what we
can do to improve the development of Mother Tongue for the children. Over the next two or three years we’re also aiming for all our teachers to incorporate Mother Tongue into their IPC unit time, during language arts work. For example, recently during our Rainforest unit, the children created their posters publicising the destruction of the rainforests in their Mother Tongue so there ended up being posters in many different languages. It showed how you can really integrate Mother Tongue into the learning.
There is significant evidence from research to show that bilingual learners are the best learners. IPC You seem to have done an incredible job supporting the use of so many languages amongst your children. What differences have you seen as a result of these efforts? PH Well I’ve seen some children who come into the school hardly speaking their Mother Tongue and now they’re almost fluent. It’s not just helping their other language skills but it’s really making a big difference with their cultural values too. And it’s making parents realise that they should be sharing their customs with their children to help their cultural identity too. As for our teachers, they are now taking ownership of Mother Tongue in the school and are beginning to empower the children to work 7
on certain projects in their Mother Tongue wherever the opportunity is appropriate. Language arts in particular, should not be in English; it should be an international language that all children, whatever their Mother Tongue should be able to enjoy.
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or further reading on Mother Tongue and bilingual education Pascale recommends:
Cummins: Bilingual Children’s Mother Tongue: Why is it important for Education? www.iteachilearn.com/ cummins/mother.htm Stephen Krashen: www.sdkrashen.com/main.php3 Website with a large number of books on bilingualism: www.multilingual-matters.com Pollock and Van Reken, (2001) Third Culture Kids And two books really good for parents and teachers: Cunningham-Andersson, (2008) Growing up with two languages, a practical guide Colin Baker, (2004) A parents’ and teachers’ guide to bilingualism For teachers: Gallagher, (2008) Equal rights to the curriculum – Many Languages, One message
IPC News
Reporting from around the IPC world Would you like to be an IPC reporter? Send us your story (in about 100 words) and an electronic photograph and we’ll try and include you in a forthcoming issue of Eye On The World. Email your news to Janice Ireland at janice@greatlearning.com or Anne Keeling at anne@greatlearning.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Hurricane Ike
The flexibility of IPC allows schools the opportunity to grab unexpected learning opportunities if and when they occur. This was the case for the British School of Houston when they were hit by Hurricane Ike last September. The children were able to incorporate their real-life experiences of the hurricane into their IPC unit. Here is what pupil Michaela Holmes wrote about her experience of Hurricane Ike: The hurricane was amazing, lots of people had building damage, luckily British School of Houston, our school, did not have too much. The hurricane was a great experience for many people but most are glad it is over. This is my story. I heard a big storm on Friday night and did not get to sleep until midnight because of the twigs
being thrown against the window and the trees falling down. In the morning there were branches and twigs everywhere and the neighbourhood spent a lot of time cleaning and sweeping the whole place and making it tidy again. Some people say it was fun having no power and others said it was unbearable not being able to watch T.V! Hurricane Ike was announced the biggest tropical storm Houston has ever had. School was off for eight days and it was like a holiday! I had to work during the hurricane and I followed the normal school timetable! My Mum and kumon books helped me and my Dad helped in P.E. [Physical Education]. My Dad was not at work because he worked for an oil company so he stayed home with us for a few days. 8
The hurricane was a special and exciting time but I know my Mum wouldn’t want to do it all again! By Michaela Holmes, Year 4, British School of Houston
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Welcome Lakeside International School
Every new school that joins the IPC family is really important to us and we love to find out about the interesting or unique things that make your school special. One such school is our latest school, Lakeside International School in Costa Rica which is located on a 74 hectare working aquaculture farm. Creator of the school and the whole
environmental focus of the school is Rob Willis. Here he describes the new school which opens this February: “Our farm is home to a myriad of shore and wading migratory bird species which we encourage to visit the farm to feed and for which we provide safe haven. Two sides of our farm are rimmed with tropical dry thorn forest,
providing habitat to dozens more species of birds, amphibians, reptiles and two troops of monkeys. Our focus is to share this attitude of stewardship for the environment and tolerance and respect for one another as we work to inspire children to become responsible, successful members of the global community.”
Hokkaido International School opened as Hokkaido American School in 1958 when the local US military school, Camp Crawford US Army Dependents School, closed. The school started with 12 children from five missionary families who were left without a school. The school moved to its new and present facility in Hiragishi in 1995, with an enrollment of approximately 120 students. The new campus also included a dormitory to house 20 students. In 2005 HIS added the International Primary Curriculum for its elementary students.
This year we celebrate our 50th anniversary with an enrollment of 200 students from over twenty countries, and a full and part time faculty of 25 from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Peru and Japan. While the school has grown, it continues its mission to provide international families with an education for their students that will prepare them for study at college and university as well as future stewardship of the ever-changing world.”
Celebrating 50 years at HIS in Japan
Happy birthday Hokkaido International School! Congratulations on your 50th birthday. Here, Headteacher Rick Branson talks about the celebrations: “Since the opening of the 2008-2009 school year, HIS has been celebrating its 50th anniversary with events that have included a Family Day, a Gala reception and a weekend of entertainment. These events have been all part of the celebration as well as the beginning fund raising activities for our 50th anniversary endowment fund.
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The best of the IPC
Some of what’s going on with the IPC around the world
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The IPC interview
We talk to John Holmes about his experiences in schools around the world
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eet John Holmes, recently retired Headteacher of Piasau School in Malaysia. Eye On The World talks to John about his life in teaching and his experiences with the IPC which go back to piloting the very first units. IPC Where was your first teaching post and what do you remember most about this position? John Holmes Like many newly qualified teachers in the UK I headed ‘down south’ and worked for two years in Barnet. The school was ‘short of males’ so I was given the responsibilities of science and boys games. Political correctness wasn’t an issue in those days. If you could kick a ball and grow cress there was always going to be an opening. IPC How many schools have you taught in? JH I’ve taught in 10 schools which include one spell in a British comprehensive school, one year in Nairobi, another year in Australia and nine years in Malaysia. For eight years I was the head of a great little school in Washington, Tyne and Wear and nine years as a head of Piasau School in Malaysia.
IPC Who has had the biggest influence on you in your teaching career?
opposite. It usually worked.
JH I have worked for two Headteachers that have influenced me on a daily basis. In Runcorn there was a head named Tom who taught me that it was OK to think out of the box as long as the children’s learning was the reason to leave the cardboard and bubble-wrap behind. He managed some wonderful work with the staff and children. He certainly made me a ‘brave’ thinker.
IPC What made you decide to teach internationally and what impact did your overseas experience have on you?
In Runcorn there was a head named Tom who taught me that it was OK to think out of the box as long as the children’s learning was the reason to leave the cardboard and bubble-wrap behind. I also worked for a head who was everything I felt a Headteacher shouldn’t be. Later, when I was a head myself and I found myself with a new task to complete I would try to work out what this particular head would have done – and then do the 12
JH In the mid 80’s I wanted to do something slightly different so I resigned from my position in the primary sector and went to work in a secondary school. I survived there for one year! In that year I had the responsibility of teaching Vietnamese children (known at the time as Boat Children). Working with these children and their families was such an eye opener. It was as if someone had tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Hey John – there’s a whole world of challenges out there”. From there I went on a commonwealth exchange programme to Kenya. This I saw as a fantastic and safe (I had a job to return to in the UK!) opportunity. My class of 53 Kenyan children will always be one of my greatest memories. That mixture of absolute poverty and eagerness to learn is deeply embedded in my mind. I was fortunate to go on a second exchange programme when I was the head of a school in Washington. This time I ended up in a school in the
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Left: John starting his well earned retirement Top: Piasau School, Malaysia Bottom: John with some pupils from Piasau School, Malaysia
unforgettably named Yackandandha. Another great year where I think I learnt more than the children who were in my care. IPC When were you introduced to the IPC and what was your first impression? JH When I started working for the Shell Company in their school at Miri on Borneo Island the Shell education department were already looking at how to make the curriculum more suitable for the children in their school by adding an international aspect to the English curriculum they were using. Consequently I was lucky enough to be involved with the IPC from the very first days when Fieldwork Education were given the task of looking at the curricula around the world. Our school in Miri piloted the very first IPC unit – we immediately wanted more. It ticked so many boxes.
are on board- and then go for it. The children’s learning will be the noticeable immediate winner – while in the background the staff are learning how to continually improve how they work with the IPC. It’s very exciting being a beginner – there is only one way to develop from there.
Our school in Miri piloted the very first IPC unit – we immediately wanted more. It ticked so many boxes. IPC Is there any advice you would offer to schools who have been working with the IPC for a year or two? JH Use the staff’s strengths to build on the progress made so far. Make links with other schools for mutual support.
IPC What piece of advice would you give to a school thinking about implementing the IPC?
IPC What do you consider to be the best moment of your teaching career?
JH Take some advice and have some training for all those involved. Make sure that a majority of the teachers
JH Difficult question. However, one great memory is the lesson the class were involved in learning about 13
momentum. We’d achieved all the basic stuff that I’d planned when I noticed that a group of children had shuffled their tables around to allow their marble to roll down the lines where the tables were now touching. We changed it into a whole class challenge – the marble had to touch all the tables in one continuous movement. Thirty minutes of unorganised chaos. Thirty minutes of tables being lifted by books and shelves. Thirty minutes of children fully engrossed in their task. I wasn’t really aware of the excited noise – however, the head was. She stuck her head round the door, stared in a kind of blank, unbelieving way and told me in her sternest voice that she wanted to see me and my planning at 2.45pm. My planning file was propping up one of the table legs. I had time to change it before home time! IPC If you were given an open ticket to fly anywhere where would you go and why? JH A return to Hanoi would be brilliant. A city that lives on the streets. Enjoy your retirement John!
What’s new from the IPC? Lighting the flag for the latest IPC unit: The Olympics
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he IPC Olympics units were launched in April 2008 and several schools immediately got stuck in, taking advantage of the link with the Olympics in Beijing. There are Olympics units for all three mileposts and early years: • Lets Get Moving for 3-5 year olds • On Your Marks, Get Set Olympics for 5-7 year olds • Going For Gold for 7-9 year olds • Swifter, Higher, Stronger, Together for 10-12 year olds This means that as an entire primary you can enjoy a whole-school Olympics Entry Point. Here is the Olympics unit in action around the world.
Everyone from Bransgore Primary school in England enjoy the IPC Olympics Entry Point.
Children from St. Josephs International School in Singapore experience the effect of friction and acceleration under the force of gravity while sledging down the slope. “What better way to experience cause and effect. A fun conclusion to science task 2” says Principal of Elementary, Louise Grant.
The opening ceremony of the IPC Olympics unit at International School of Iceland which was enjoyed as a whole school event from grades 1 to 7.
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Class 3KTR at St. Josephs International School in Singapore visited the High School Science Lab to learn about the function and action of the heart in humans as part of the IPC Going for Gold unit. Here the teacher demonstrates using a real heart.
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Competition Page!
Win £100 of gift certificates from Stanford Maps 1
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Part 2: Select one Home and Host Country activity that you have enjoyed as a class so far this year. In 100 words, write what was so fun, interesting or memorable about this activity. If you have a picture of this activity, please send it as well.
ere is something that you can enjoy as a whole class with the chance to win one of two £100 gift certificates from Stanford Maps.
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Stanford Maps is the world’s largest map and travel bookshop. You can find them at www.stanfords.co.uk and they will ship around the world. One prize will be awarded to entries from Early Years and Milepost 1 classes. Another prize will be awarded to entries from Milepost 2 and 3 classes.
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Here’s what you have to do: Part 1: Around the edge of this text are 51 flags which represent the 51 countries around the world that are working with the IPC. Can your name the country for each flag?
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You can email your competition entry to Janice at: Janice@greatlearning.com or post it to Janice Ireland, Eye On The World Competition Entry, International Primary Curriculum, 25 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LD
Simply complete a list indicating which country you think flag number 1 belongs to and so on until you have all 51 flags listed. Make sure you use the flag numbering that is identified here on this page when you send in your answers.
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The winners will be selected from those entries which name all 51 flags correctly and who complete the Host and Home Country description. All correct and complete entries will enter a draw which will take place on Friday May 8th 2009. Winners will be notified by email on Friday May 8th.
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Entries need to reach us no later than May 7th, 2009. Winners will be announced in the June issue of Eye On The World.
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Good luck to you all!
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The Surgery
Answering everything you ever wanted to know about the IPC
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anice Ireland is the IPC Membership Director and has all the answers to everything you could ever need to know about the IPC. She also understands it from a teacher and Headteacher point of view too, having worked with the IPC at the International School of the Hague for several years before changing roles and moving into the IPC office. The IPC Surgery is the place for you to ask Janice any question, however simple or complex, about the IPC. Just email your questions to janice@ greatlearning.com Question Is the IPC Matrix out in the cinema yet? Janice Answers We think you are confusing The Matrix starring Keanu Reeves with the IPC Matrices! The IPC Matrices are used to track the number of weeks and subjects covered within each unit – a great way to start planning and for subject balance and coverage across the school! Question Where can I get a copy of an IPC Matrix? Janice Answers They are available to IPC Membership schools. First you should log-in to the website, click on Learning File on the Main Menu then you’ll see the matrices for each Mile Post on the right hand side of the page.
Question Does the IPC produce units for 4 year olds? Janice Answers The IPC Early Years Programme is used for this age group and it can be adapted for younger children in Pre-School settings. Question How do the IPC Early Years Strands link to the English Foundation Stage Goals? Janice Answers The IPC has developed a cross-reference document for the IPC Early Years Strands and the Foundation Stage Goals. It was launched in March for our Membership schools and it has been uploaded onto the IPC website. Question How do I log onto the IPC website? Janice Answers Schools with IPC membership are given one main username and password; this is the ‘School Administrator Account.’ The holder of this account is able to set up all of their staff with individual accounts. If you don’t have your accounts set up yet please refer to the Headteachers Guidelines in the Members’ Lounge. The Members’ Lounge is a great place for all teachers to find good resources, share ideas with other teachers and make links with other schools around the world 16
so make sure you have a Members’ Lounge individual account set up for you. Question Is the A4L password and login different to the one we use for the IPC website? If so, how do I get one? Janice Answers Schools that have IPC Membership are able to access the A4L database with a different login username and password from the one they currently use to access the IPC website. This is sent out by our administration team. If you do not have one please contact the IPC office. Question Is the IPC Members’ Lounge a VIP airport lounge? Janice Answers We would love to offer a lounge to our users in airports, but at the moment our Lounge is only accessible through the IPC website! The Members’ Lounge is your onestop-shop to accessing your units, recommended resources, discussion forums and lots more. So why don’t you put your feet up, relax, log-in and meet our members! Question Where can schools purchase themed book packs for IPC units? Janice Answers There are several
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Janice Ireland, the font of all knowledge about the IPC.
publishers which have put packs together linked to IPC units: Madeleine Lindley offers a 10% discount to IPC schools and has a good selection of non-fiction books www.madeleinelindley.com The Kent Book company has a great range of high quality book packs linked to most IPC themes www.kbc.eu.com
Question I would love to have an ‘IPC Big Picture’ for my classroom wall, where can I buy one? Janice Answers The Big Picture is not actually a wall poster; it’s a section of each unit of work for teachers that provides them with subject-based background information to the issues contained within each unit.
Scholastics Publications is also able to supply high quality resources and will help to put themed packs together for IPC schools www.scholastic.co.uk
Question The school I teach in has asked me to identify areas in which the staff need further training – help! Where should I start?
Also, don’t forget to browse through the resources section of our Members’ Lounge for great ideas uploaded by our teachers and the IPC team!
Janice Answers You’re in luck; we can help you develop a great training programme for your school! We have a dedicated Professional Development Team who are only a call or email away and are ready to help with your training plan. Please contact pd@ internationalprimarycurriculum.com In addition you could take this opportunity to start using the IPC Accreditation Rubric with your staff and identify the areas in which you are Beginning, Developing and Mastering.
Question Whenever I contact the IPC about my school’s account I’m told I need to speak to ‘Steve or Lon’ – who are they? Janice Answers I think you are referring to Stevie and Lori! Stevie and Lori are the two ladies in the IPC office who are often the first point of contact for our schools. They are instrumental in setting up accounts on the IPC website and AFL database, answering day to day enquiries and putting a smile on everyone’s faces!
Question We are at the stage of introducing the IPC to our parents. Are there any fliers, booklets or posters of IPC for this? Janice Answers We have a PowerPoint presentation which can be used 17
with parents which offers a great opportunity to have a dialogue with them. Some schools personalise this using examples from the units of work the school has chosen which really helps to bring it to life for parents and to see the IPC in context. The IPC parent letters, sent home at the beginning of each unit, also helps to familiarise parents with what will be happening with each unit. These can be personalised and adapted to suit the school and are a great way to get parents involved. End of unit Exit Points or Open Events after or during a unit provide an opportunity to invite parents in to see the IPC in action and interact with their children in their learning process which the children always enjoy. Question My Headteacher has asked all the staff to write letters to parents every time we start a new unit. What should I include in my letter? Janice Answers To help you with this task the IPC has already written parent letters that are available in word format and easy to modify and adapt for your school. The letters contain essential information about the theme of each unit and the subject coverage. Parent’s letters can be found in every IPC Unit and in ‘Your Programmes’ on the IPC website.
Meet the IPC Team
Here and at Summer School
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e have a team of experts including several very experienced IPC practitioners who are available to help you with almost every part of the IPC. From IPC introduction to helping you select units, checking learning goal coverage, assisting with Assessment for Learning and helping you make the most of the Members’ Lounge, we’re here to give you support. Here’s your chance to put faces to names; meet the IPC membership team. Back row (L to R): Katie Fitch, Paula Moreton, Anne Keeling. Middle row (L to R): Janice Ireland, Soumaya Al-Roubaiey, Stevie Osbourne, Lori Jobling, Steven Mark. Bottom row (L to R): Angli Thind, Emily Bradshaw and baby Zoe, Laura Phillips.
The 2008 Summer School barbeque
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bsolutely everyone is welcome at the IPC Summer School. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve worked with the IPC (if at all) or how experienced you are as a teacher or leader, you will be warmly welcomed. Summer School is the big IPC event of the year and takes place
in the wonderful surroundings of the University of Greenwich; this year on Monday July 27th to Wednesday July 29th. Last year there were 140 delegates from 25 countries all over the world.
Here are just two comments from past delegates: “It was at the IPC conference that I met the headteacher of the Anglican International School in Jerusalem. We had a lot of common interests and the idea of a link between the two schools developed from there,” says Brendan Doherty, Headteacher, Pearl Hyde Community Primary in Coventry
Not only is there great learning and great teaching - from inspiring keynote speakers to practical and learning-focused courses, relevant for all – but there’s great fun too including the Summer School barbecue. Networking opportunities are exceptional. Many teachers arrive not knowing a sole and leave with new friends, colleagues and plans for linked learning experiences.
“It was a fun, exciting, important time with so many positive minds together. Even though it is in the first week of my summer holiday I want to do it again!” says Shahnaz Chowdhury, teacher, St. Matthew Academy, London
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Book your place right now. For more information go to the IPC website: internationalprimarycurriculum.com or call Laura Phillips at 020 7531 9696 or email laura@greatlearning.com
www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com
Fieldwork Education
25 years old and looking good!
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PC is just one of the members of the Fieldwork Education family which began 25 years ago by Martin Skelton and David Playfoot in their spare rooms. Martin and David’s goal 25 years ago was to share what they, as teachers and then as headteachers, had learnt about children’s learning. 25 years on, the company doesn’t look much like it did back then but the passion for children’s learning has remained and grown stronger. Alongside the IPC are a range of tools for schools from Fieldwork Education, all focused on learning. Here’s a quick snapshot of the additional ways in which we might be able to help you develop a truly learning-focused school:
Looking for Learning Toolkit Our new Looking for Learning Toolkit is a cost-effective, multi-media, self-help toolkit of resources about learning designed to enable schools to become driven by learning. It takes you step-by-step through the process of improving and increasing learning in your school as well as leading and managing a learning-focused school; helping you to focus on the learning rather than on the teaching that is going on in your classrooms.
School Start-Up On behalf of private owners and boards, we establish schools throughout the world, enabling them to benefit from the expertise we have accumulated as a result of starting, owning and operating our own schools in the United States and the Middle East. At present we are an Education Partner to The Sahara Group establishing the International School Aamby in India as well as working with a consortium in Seoul, South Korea and establishing ILA International School, a high school for Vietnamese students in Ho Chi Minh City.
School Management Since 1996, Fieldwork Education has been responsible for the education management of all the schools operated by the Shell Group of Companies. Currently there are 12 schools in 8 different countries. In addition, we manage a variety of international schools.
and middle leaders and both combine a blended learning approach including online learning, residential workshops, e-tutoring and school-based projects.
Assessment for Learning Toolkit The Assessment for Learning Toolkit is the same structured Assessment for Learning programme that is available to IPC member schools but with no links to the IPC. This enables all schools, regardless of their curriculum choice, to introduce and embed assessment for learning within their school. The Assessment for Learning Toolkit focuses on the learning progress of key skills in all foundation subjects plus international mindedness.
Learning-Focused Reviews
The International Leadership and Management Program The ILMP is a school-based practitioner programme designed to develop skilled, effective and inspiring school leaders throughout the world. The critically successfully ILMP was developed through our partnership with two highly respected organisations: the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). Two separate ILMP programmes support senior leaders 19
Our Learning-Focused Reviews are designed to support a school in its goal to achieve high learning standards and to provide assurance to school stakeholders that high quality learning is being provided. We have conducted over 40 LearningFocused Reviews of international, national and independent schools and work with schools around the world on their own self-evaluation and school improvement plans.
On Course for Learning On Course for Learning tailors professional development through learning-focused conferences, bespoke courses and individual consultancy to improve teachers’ skills exactly where it is needed. For more information on any of these tools go to www.fieldworkeducation.co.uk Fieldwork Education is part of the WCL Group.
INTERNATIONAL PRIMARY CURRICULUM 25 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6LD T: +44 (0)20 7531 9696 F: +44 (0)20 7531 1333 www.internationalprimarycurriculum.com From Fieldwork Education, part of the WCL Group Š WCL Group Limted. All rights reserved.