Why the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) Is the Best Choice for Children’s Education in Tokyo
This article is contributed by Malvern College Tokyo.
My wife and I have lived and worked internationally for some twenty-five years. When our two children toddled into their first Primary Years Programme (PYP) classroom at three years old, I was both a proud dad and a curious educator. Years later, I am still working in the programme and they have both graduated from the universities of their choice. I’ve personally taught every year level in the PYP, from three year olds to young adolescents. I have recently led the set-up of the PYP section of a new school in the Tokyo area. Through every lens—parent, teacher, head—I have reached the same conclusion: the PYP gave my children and can give any child a coherent, human, future-ready education that travels well and lasts for a lifetime.
What the PYP actually is (and why that matters)
At its core, the PYP is a transdisciplinary, inquiry-driven framework for ages 3–12. It helps pupils build conceptual understanding. Children do not just memorise facts to “pass” school. They learn to connect ideas across subjects and apply them in real life. It’s very deliberately student-centred: children ask questions, investigate, reflect, and act. The PYP is a systematic way to cultivate thinkers and doers. International Baccalaureate®+1
At the centre of the PYP is the child. The learner profile attributes (caring, principled, open-minded…); Approaches to Learning (ATL) skills (thinking, research, communication, self-management, social); and a school-wide Programme of Inquiry organised by six big themes such as How the world works and Sharing the planet. That architecture keeps learning meaningful, connected, and age-appropriate from Early Years to Upper Primary. International Baccalaureate®+1
How learning looks: inquiry with visible thinking and strong feedback
In practice, great PYP classrooms feel alive with questions. We use thinking routines (simple, repeatable prompts) to make children’s reasoning visible—so they can explain, challenge, and extend their ideas. It’s a best-practice approach widely used from early childhood to secondary and backed by decades of work at Harvard Project Zero. pz.harvard.edu+1
Assessment is continuous and varied—observations, conversations, performances of understanding, short tasks, and projects—so teachers and pupils always know the next step. The PYP emphasises feedback for learning (not just judgement), with pupils engaging in self- and peer-assessment as part of everyday routines. This aligns closely with international evidence on high-quality feedback improving learning when it is clear, timely, and actionable. International Baccalaureate®EEF
The PYP Exhibition and reporting that families can actually use
In the final year, pupils undertake the PYP Exhibition—a collaborative inquiry that synthesises skills, concepts, and dispositions. It’s assessed through the process and the final sharing, often with rubrics and multiple perspectives. Families see not only what children know, but how they plan, persevere, collaborate, and communicate. These are, of course, crucial attitudes and skills of twenty-first century and lifelong learning. International Baccalaureate®+1
Reporting, in a strong PYP school, blends regular formative feedback, student-led portfolio conferences, and clear written reports. The aim is to help pupils articulate what they learned, how they learned it, and where they’re going next—and to give parents practical visibility of growth. This is the PYP’s assessment purpose in a sentence: feedback that advances learning. International Baccalaureate®
Inclusion and languages: all learners, every day
As a teacher (and a dad), I’ve seen how the PYP’s stance on inclusion—removing barriers so every child can participate—changes classroom culture. Many IB schools draw on Universal Design for Learning (UDL): build options into tasks and materials upfront so pupils can access learning in different ways while aiming for shared, high expectations. International Baccalaureate®+1
In multilingual communities like Tokyo, language learning is not an afterthought. The PYP treats language as central to inquiry: we nurture the school’s language(s) of instruction and respect and harness home languages as assets, helping children connect ideas across languages and cultures. High-quality schools do not restrict children to a single language. Instead, they deliberately employ strategies such as translanguaging (the purposeful and flexible use of multiple languages in learning) to strengthen understanding, affirm identity, and develop the adaptive communication skills needed for a global life. Research shows that translanguaging enables learners to draw on their full linguistic repertoire to make meaning and deepen learning (García & Wei, 2014). This approach is also explicitly endorsed in IB guidance on language, which states that schools should “recognise and support the diverse language profiles of students and encourage the use of students’ home and family languages as valuable resources for learning” (International Baccalaureate, Language and Learning in IB Programmes, 2011).
Best practices we stand on
The modern PYP draws confidently from global research and frameworks. We align with the OECD Learning Compass 2030 (agency, knowledge, skills, values; students navigating towards individual and collective well-being) and develop global competence: the capacity to investigate the world, understand perspectives, communicate across difference, and take informed action. These aren’t extras; they’re built into transdisciplinary inquiry and action. OECD+1
We also take cues from UNESCO’s Education 2030 vision (SDG4) of inclusive, equitable, quality education—translated in the PYP into authentic tasks, meaningful inclusion, and a relentless focus on learning that matters. uis.unesco.org
Why the PYP is great for all children
Every child benefits from learning that is engaging, relevant, challenging, and significant (the PYP’s four tests of quality). Whether your child is a budding engineer, artist, athlete, or humanitarian, inquiry gives them room to form questions, test ideas, and learn from feedback. The result isn’t just higher attainment; it’s confidence, curiosity, and character. These are the learner profile attributes we all want to see grow. These are the kind of people who will constantly strive to contribute in meaningful ways to make the world a better place. International Baccalaureate®
As a parent, I watched our children become the kind of learners who own their progress. They could explain their thinking, collaborate with empathy, and set goals they actually pursued. I could not be more proud of my daughter and my son as they embark on their young adult lives. As a teacher, I saw those habits developed through every subject. As a head, I help to ensure that our whole school will cultivate them, from the way we plan inquiries to how we celebrate action.
Why the PYP especially suits globally mobile families
If your family might move countries, the PYP offers rare continuity. IB programmes run in thousands of schools across 160+ countries, with a common language for learning (the learner profile, ATLs, key concepts, transdisciplinary themes). That means children can re-enter a familiar approach even when the continent, culture, and language change—reducing learning loss and social shock. International Baccalaureate®+1
Historically, IB programmes grew to serve internationally mobile families and have since expanded into public and national systems worldwide. That breadth is a strength: your child meets peers who think differently, comes to value multiple perspectives, and learns to collaborate across cultures, hallmarks of true global competence. International Baccalaureate®International Baccalaureate®
What this looks like in our Tokyo context
Launching the PYP here has meant building a coherent Programme of Inquiry that reflects Tokyo’s culture and opportunities; science and design rooted in our city’s innovation ecosystem; languages alive in daily life; service and action that matter locally. We’ve aligned classroom practices with visible thinking, effective feedback, and inclusive design, so every pupil, new to English or already multilingual can thrive and show what they understand. pz.harvard.eduEEF
As we iterate, we lean on the IB’s global professional community, associations of IB World Schools and shared research, so our teachers aren’t reinventing wheels; they’re adapting proven ideas for our pupils and context. That is the quiet power of being part of a worldwide network. International Baccalaureate®
The PYP as the First Step in a Continuum
To be clear, the PYP is the first step in a continuum of IB education that carries pupils through the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and culminates in the world-respected IB Diploma Programme (DP). The DP is recognised by leading universities across the globe for its rigour, breadth, and focus on developing independent learners who can thrive in higher education and beyond. As the IB notes, “The IB continuum of international education, for students aged 3 to 19, is unique because of its academic and personal rigour, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development.” (International Baccalaureate, Programmes, 2023). The details of this continuum and how it supports students through adolescence into young adulthood deserve their own article. However, I make this note now to emphasise that the foundations of the PYP are intentionally designed to prepare children for success all the way through to the Diploma and beyond.
A final word to parents
The PYP does what any great educational programme should do: it grows capable, compassionate, self-directed learners who can navigate complexity and contribute to a better world. As a father, I’m grateful. As a teacher, I’m confident. As a headmaster in Tokyo, I’m excited, because I see, day after day, how this programme helps children flourish now and prepares them for whatever (and wherever) comes next.
Learning at Malvern College Tokyo
At Malvern College Tokyo, children experience the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) through inquiry, languages, and real-world learning in Tokyo—helping every child grow with confidence and curiosity.
References
- Transdisciplinary, inquiry-based framework
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). How the PYP Works. Retrieved from ibo.org. - Six Transdisciplinary Themes
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). How the PYP Works. Retrieved from ibo.org. - Essential Elements of the PYP
Kehoe-France International School (2022). IB Primary Years Programme Overview. Retrieved from PDF link. - The Learner Profile and student agency
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). What is the PYP? Retrieved from ibo.org. - Inquiry-driven, concept-based learning
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). Why Offer the PYP? Retrieved from ibo.org. - Benefits and outcomes
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). Why Offer the PYP? Retrieved from ibo.org. - Continuity for globally mobile families
- Relocate Magazine (2023). The International Baccalaureate: A Global Success Story. Retrieved from relocatemagazine.com.
- Doris International School (2024). Types of Curricula in International Schools: A Guide for Expat Parents. Retrieved from doris.school.
- Global network and continuum
Mosaic, Canadian International School (2024). The IB Advantage: How the IB Builds Inquirers, Leaders and Changemakers. Retrieved from mosaic.cis.edu.sg. - Translanguaging and language learning
- García, O., & Wei, L. (2014). Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education. Palgrave Macmillan.
- International Baccalaureate Organization (2011). Language and Learning in IB Programmes. Cardiff: IBO.
- The IB continuum and Diploma recognition
International Baccalaureate Organization (2023). Programmes: The IB Continuum of International Education. Retrieved from ibo.org.
