CURRICULUM
Our school is committed to the International Baccalaureate® Primary Years Programme (PYP) curriculum where learning is explored within the context of relevant and engaging experiences. We adjust our teaching approaches to meet the needs of all primary school students and offer them an appropriate level of challenge.
LITERACY
We have a balanced approach to language learning with experiences provided both within and outside the programme of inquiry. Students learn language by speaking and listening, viewing and presenting, and reading and writing. Teachers use a variety of strategies to model, guide and support students.
MATHEMATICS
At our international primary school in Switzerland we start with the belief that students should have a deep understanding of numbers, and should be able to see why mathematical problems work the way they do. It is not enough to tell them an answer is correct or otherwise - there needs to be a sense of the logic behind the question. We ground our primary school students in mental arithmetic, and teach different ways in which students can reach the answer to their question until they find a strategy which aligns with the way their mind works.
SCIENCE AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
Science is integrated and taught within the programme of inquiry. The knowledge component of science in the PYP is arranged into the following four Strands: Living Things, Earth and Space, Materials and Matter, and Forces and Energy.
MULTILINGUALISM
German lessons adapt during Primary School to match the stage of each child’s development. There is an emphasis on the practical use of language, local community connections and finding joy in learning. For children from non-English speaking backgrounds, we offer English as an Additional Language (EAL) with support from an EAL teacher in their classes and/or in the form of extra English lessons.
PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION (PSPE)
Wellbeing is linked to all aspects of a student’s experience and encompasses physical, emotional, cognitive, spiritual and social health and development. PE units of inquiry at ISZL are framed around cooperative learning, teaching games for understanding and sports education.
ARTS AND MUSIC
In Grades 2 and 3, students learn the recorder. This introduction to musical notation prepares them for learning an instrument of their choice in Grades 4 - 8.
Students in Grades 4 - 8 have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument as part of the music curriculum. Students choose from flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, french horn, violin, viola, cello, double bass, classical guitar and voice.
By learning a musical instrument or developing the singing voice, students have the opportunity to cultivate an appreciation of music and the Arts, providing an outlet for artistic, emotional and creative expression.
In addition to the ensembles and choirs, the Instrumental Music Team organises trips and concerts throughout the school year. These include Guitar Band, Wind Band, and String Orchestra trips to Chalet Bergheim, the school's chalet in Wengen; AMIS (Association of Music in International Schools) choir and band festivals, local performances in Baar Pflegezentrum, and seasonal and summer concert series.
As part of Drama in the primary school curriculum in Grade 5 students are encouraged to be part of the Primary School production. In the past, these have been musicals such as The Wizard of Oz, Scheherazade and Seussical the Musical.
Students from Grades 1 - 5 rotate art subjects every 6 - 8 weeks. Focusing on the strands of responding and creating, students work with the specialist art teacher to gain a deeper understanding of art from past to present and have an opportunity to work with artists in residence. Working in 2D and 3D, the primary students learn and develop new skills in all aspects of art, experiencing a variety of media.
OUTDOOR LEARNING
In Grades 2 - 5, students frequently engage with outdoor learning as an integral part of their learning experience. Students learn about, with and in nature as a way of establishing our interconnectedness with the natural world. We make the most of our position on the edge of the forest with walks and explorations as an extension of the classroom space.
