Middle School in BIS runs from age 11 in Grade 6 to age 13 in Grade 8. We are a fully authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) school and our written, taught and assessed curriculum follows the IB approach. The MYP is a truly international programme that helps students develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to be active and responsible global citizens in a changing and increasingly interrelated world. Students in the MYP develop as independent and lifelong learners. The interdisciplinary and inquiry-based nature of the programme encourages students to recognise relationships between school subjects and the world outside and combine relevant knowledge, and practical and social intelligence to solve problems.

Teachers organise the curriculum through Global Contexts (Identities and Relationships, Orientation in Space and Time, Personal and Cultural Expression, Scientific and Technical Innovation, Globalisation and Sustainability, and Fairness and Development), so that students learn how these contexts help to bring meaning and a ‘real world context’ to each subject area. Curriculum development is based on around concepts, or ‘big ideas’, that encourage students to demonstrate levels of thinking that reach beyond facts or topics. The exploration of concepts leads students to engagement with complex ideas and helps them develop skills in transferring and applying skills to new situations.

The core curriculum in MYP consists of 8 subject groups:

• Arts (both Visual Arts and Performing Arts)
• Design
• Individuals and Societies
• Language Acquisition (offered in French, Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian and English)
• Language and Literature (offered in English and Russian)
• Mathematics
• Physical and Health Education
• Sciences

Students are supported in developing skills that have relevance across the curriculum:

• Communication skills
• Social skills
• Self-management skills
• Research skills
• Thinking skills

The focus is on helping students to develop the self-knowledge and skills they need to enjoy a lifetime of learning. These skills empower students to succeed in meeting the challenging objectives of MYP subject groups and prepare them for further success in rigorous academic programmes.