International Baccalaureate

The Primary Years Program(PYPP) is a transdisciplinary curriculum model where teaching and learning is organized around six transdisciplinary themes which:

• have global significance for all students in all cultures
• offer students the opportunity to explore the commonalities of human experience
• incorporate knowledge, concepts and skills from the traditional subject areas
• offer learners genuine opportunities to connect to the world around them
• provide engaging, relevant, challenging and significant learning opportunities.

Purposeful, structured inquiry is the leading pedagogical approach of the PYP. This student-centered learning approach challenges students to engage with significant ideas and is characterized by students taking an active role in:

• exploring, wondering, questioning
• building on prior knowledge and making connections between previous understanding and current learning
• deciding on appropriate sources of information, evaluating and using it to extend prior knowledge
• collecting information from primary and secondary sources to support inquiries
• clarifying existing ideas and deepening understanding
• solving problems in a variety of ways.

The starting point is students’ current understanding and the goal is the active construction of meaning.

At Seisen, we use an inquiry process that is closely connected to the SOLO Taxonomy, which allows students to move from shallow thinking, where they are collecting information, to deeper processing where they are required to connect ideas and go further to think about these ideas in different ways.

Students learn best when their learning experiences have context and are connected to their lives and their experience of the world.

Using global contexts, MYP students develop an understanding of their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet through developmentally appropriate explorations of:

• identities and relationships
• personal and cultural expression
• orientations in space and time
• scientific and technical innovation
• fairness and development
• globalization and sustainability.

Seisen supports every student in identifying the academic pathway which is best for them. The right pathway enables students to reach their potential by engaging in an appropriate level of challenge.

Students have three options for their Grade 11 and 12 studies at Seisen. All options require a two year commitment. 

OPTION 1: Seisen High School Diploma and the IB Diploma

This option provides a broad range of opportunities for students to gain entry into tertiary institutions worldwide. When selecting DP courses, students should consider subject areas that they enjoy but they should also consider future university options and possible careers pathways.  

OPTION 2: Seisen High School Diploma and IB Courses 

This option provides courses that lead toward the fulfilment of the Seisen Diploma, combined with the acquisition of an IB Courses Transcript. Individual examinations are selected from subjects offered within the Diploma.  

OPTION 3: Seisen High School Diploma

This option provides courses that satisfy requirements for the Seisen High School Diploma accredited by CIS/NEASC. Students are required to complete CAS and the Seisen Research Essay as part of their studies. This option provides preparation for meeting the entry requirements for colleges and universities worldwide.