ᐅPRIMARY School Brussels, PYP | St. John's Primary School

Primary Years at St. John's

At St. John's we see each child as an individual and believe in the benefits of a well-rounded education. Our Primary School supports children as they progress through the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) and we encourage our learners to be curious, creative and caring. This inquiry-based approach to teaching and studying will set your child on the path to success, with a life-long love of learning and the skills necessary to achieve their full potential.

Why Choose Our Primary School?

At St John's we take a holistic approach to learning, instilling our students with the ability to think critically about what they see in the world around them, while guiding them towards success in both their academic ambitions and their extracurricular interests.

Our students benefit from an inquiry-based education, with in depth exploration of problem solving concepts and critical thinking skills through the IB PYP Units of inquiry, the IB Learner Profile and the Approaches to Learning skills.

Supported by small class sizes and outstanding pastoral care, pupils at St John's thrive in our nurturing and challenging environment, with hands-on learning experiences that will both broaden your child's view of the world and prepare them to become happy and successful global citizens.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP)

At St. John's our students follow the International Baccalaureate which is an internationally recognised curriculum, highly regarded by top universities around the world.

The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a framework designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12 years. It takes a well-rounded approach to the development of each child, focusing on the social, physical, emotional and cultural needs of learners, as well as their academic development.

Combining world-class research and best practices from a range of national systems, alongside a wealth of knowledge and experience from international schools, the PYP is a relevant and engaging educational programme which offers a comprehensive, inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning.

Subjects and Themes of the PYP

We support our learners with a well-rounded educational experience that includes single subject lessons such as art, music, drama, dance and PSPE, alongside rich curricular programmes such as Reader's Workshop, Writer's Workshop, and Math-in-Focus.

With a transdisciplinary approach to learning, at its heart, the PYP has six themes of global significance:

Who we are
Where we are in place and time
How we express ourselves
How the world works
How we organise ourselves
Sharing the planet

These themes are explored in depth (inquiries usually last for several weeks) and in different contexts during each year of the PYP. Subject areas include language, arts, maths, visual arts, drama, music, dance, and physical, social and personal education (PSPE).

We follow this programme at St. John's because we believe it provides an outstanding education for all our learners. Benefits of the programme include:

Developing the academic, social and emotional wellbeing of students.
Encouraging students to become independent and take responsibility for their own learning.
Supporting students in their efforts to understand the world and function comfortably within it.
Helping to establish personal values that support an international mindset.

Languages at our Primary School

Here at St. John's, our language programmes are designed to encourage multilingualism and ensure that our students stay connected with their language, culture and heritage. We place great importance on helping our students to acquire another language, so they can interact with a variety of people and see the world from the perspective of other cultures.

All students in EY4-grade 5 receive language acquisition lessons in French and/or English. Our Dual Language Programme is also available in Grades 1-5. In this programme, in which the goal is for students to become bilingual and biliterate, the language of instruction in classes is equally split between English and French.

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Our Primary School Teaching Team

Our Primary learners are welcomed into a warm, caring and diverse community, where all our students are valued as individuals, and we recognise their unique talents. Our highly trained and professional teaching team deliver the Primary Years Programme (PYP), which is a curricular framework designed to support every area of child development, while also instilling a lifelong passion for learning. Our dedicated team of expert practitioners nurture the children in their care to ensure that they reach their full academic potential, and thrive in their pursuit of extracurricular interests.

Primary School Facilities

Situated in the cosmopolitan and friendly town of Waterloo, our primary school provides an ideal learning environment for children to thrive. With spacious and bright classrooms, and modern, purpose-built facilities, we are proud to be able to support opportunities for our students in PSPE, art, music, dance and drama.

With extensive grounds which cater for a variety of sports, our campus may be large, but we are a warm and welcoming community and our students quickly feel at home here.

Children also benefit from Samsung smartboards, document cameras and smart screens in classrooms across the school, as well as a suite of VR headsets.

Discover how our inquiry-based approach to teaching and studying at Primary School can set your child on the path to success, with a lifelong love of learning and the skills necessary to achieve their full potential.

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