In the final year of the IB Primary Years Program, students conduct personal and group inquiries into an area of their own choosing. These student-initiated inquiries are the culmination of the student’s growth and learning during their time in the Junior School. The inquiries should be transdisciplinary in nature, crossing all subject areas and synthesising the essential elements of the PYP. The students share the process and conclusion of their inquiries at a final exhibition, to which the wider school community is invited.

This year, the Grade 5 students have taken their own personal interests and passions as a starting point. As an initial provocation, we viewed videos and discussed examples of different Passion Projects. These passion presentations helped the Grade 5 students begin to think about their own passions.

Over the following weeks, the students inquired into and reflected on their passions and interests, and thought about if and how those passions and interests shape them and how they connect to the wider world. The children thought about how, through their passion based exhibition, they could share their learning during their time in the Junior School, in the context of our school mission and vision statements.

Throughout the exhibition process so far, we have seen the students living the IB Learner Profile and demonstrate the essential elements of the PYP as they worked collaboratively in their inquiry groups to pull their work together and make their learning visible for others. Most importantly is the independence and focus with which the students have worked, and the support, encouragement and empathy they show to each other.

After much hard work, the Grade 5 students are excited and well prepared to share the knowledge, skills, attitudes and deep understandings that they have developed during their time here in the Junior School.

After the staging of the Exhibition, the students will once more to their exhibition inquiry groups for a final reflection on their learning journeys. They will frame their reflections in a metaphor. The metaphors will help the students to think deeply about their learning journey.

We look forward to welcoming you to our Gr 5 Exhibition on Wednesday 24 May – save this date in your diary!