Content
Primary school at Astana Garden International School is a space where children learn not "subject by subject," but through big ideas and questions connected to real life: family, society, nature, technology, and culture.
The Primary School (Grades 1-4) follows a curriculum built by integrating the standards of the International Baccalaureate's early childhood and primary education program (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme | IB PYP) with the content of the state compulsory standard for primary education, along with the school's distinctive components (AGIS components).
The Primary School (Grades 1-4) follows a curriculum built by integrating the standards of the International Baccalaureate's early childhood and primary education program (International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme | IB PYP) with the content of the state compulsory standard for primary education, along with the school's distinctive components (AGIS components).
Primary School IB PYP at AGIS
PYP is an International Baccalaureate program for students aged 3–12; it offers a transdisciplinary, inquiry-based, and student-centered framework for learning. At its core is inquiry-based learning, where knowledge, skills, and personal qualities are developed as a unified whole. Importantly, PYP does not treat "formal program exams" as a goal. A key role is given to feedback, monitoring of progress, self-assessment, and student reflection.
What Is IB PYP and What Value Does It Offer Children
In the primary grades, the school gives children a foundation in key subject areas (languages, mathematics, the arts, science, social studies, and physical and personal development) and builds learning around authentic student inquiry into "big ideas" of global significance. Throughout this process, the child is treated as an active participant (agent) in their own learning, with a gradual growth in independence and responsibility.
How Learning Is Organized in AGIS Primary School
Transdisciplinary Learning as the Core
of Primary School
of Primary School
The primary school program places special emphasis on the transdisciplinary method of learning, which allows children to see the world as a whole and to build and confidently apply thinking, communication, organizational, research, and social skills (ATL skills) needed for lifelong learning. The principles of transdisciplinarity align perfectly with the Project-Based Learning (PBL) approach. The essence of Project-Based Learning lies in the practical application of knowledge from different disciplines through work on a meaningful project, whose development and execution require both ATL skills and broad knowledge at the same time.
Two languages of instruction in primary school, with subjects taught in English included:
Starting in Grade 1, students receive 7 hours of English language instruction per week. For AGIS, English is not "an extra language lesson" but an environment: children learn to think, explain, and create in two languages, and gradually carry their language skills over into mathematics, inquiry, projects, and creative work. This gradual transition prepares children for instruction in English in Grades 5-8, and 100% English-medium instruction from Grade 9 onward.
- Kazakh
- Russian
- English + Russian
Starting in Grade 1, students receive 7 hours of English language instruction per week. For AGIS, English is not "an extra language lesson" but an environment: children learn to think, explain, and create in two languages, and gradually carry their language skills over into mathematics, inquiry, projects, and creative work. This gradual transition prepares children for instruction in English in Grades 5-8, and 100% English-medium instruction from Grade 9 onward.
Languages of Instruction in Primary School
AI Literacy in Primary School:
the Basics of Safe and Mindful Use
the Basics of Safe and Mindful Use
AI literacy is becoming a core competency today: it includes the ability to understand, critically evaluate, and safely use AI tools.
Primary school lays the foundation for a "digital and AI culture":
Primary school lays the foundation for a "digital and AI culture":
- the ability to recognize where technology can help a child, and where it's important to think independently;
- learning to ask questions;
- checking sources and discussing the ethical side of things (what counts as "honest" in schoolwork, how to protect personal data, why you can't blindly trust an answer).
In the IB system, ATL skills (Approaches to Learning) are a key component of the educational process and are integrated into all IB programs: PYP, MYP, and CP.
ATL skills — translated as "approaches to learning" skills — literally mean the ability to learn itself. ATL is a unified framework of 5 skill categories that form the foundation of a student's metacognitive development:
ATL skills are embedded in the academic program at every stage of a student's growth.
ATL skills — translated as "approaches to learning" skills — literally mean the ability to learn itself. ATL is a unified framework of 5 skill categories that form the foundation of a student's metacognitive development:
- Thinking skills
- Research skills
- Communication skills
- Social skills
- Self-management skills
ATL skills are embedded in the academic program at every stage of a student's growth.
ATL Skills
Начальная школа (PYP)
In Primary School, Grades 1 through 4, within the IB PYP program, ATL skills are developed every day — in lessons, in projects, and in extracurricular life.
Our students don't just follow instructions; they learn through action and experience. ATL skills help them ask questions, investigate, collaborate, plan, and reflect on their own progress.
Children set goals to develop their ATL skills and become increasingly independent learners, and most importantly, they understand how they learn and can apply these skills in any life situation. Students demonstrate mastery of all the ATL skills in Grade 4, at the culminating PYP Exhibition project.
Our students don't just follow instructions; they learn through action and experience. ATL skills help them ask questions, investigate, collaborate, plan, and reflect on their own progress.
Children set goals to develop their ATL skills and become increasingly independent learners, and most importantly, they understand how they learn and can apply these skills in any life situation. Students demonstrate mastery of all the ATL skills in Grade 4, at the culminating PYP Exhibition project.
Средняя школа (MYP)
- Research skills are built around the ability to ask well-formed research questions, work with sources, and maintain academic integrity.
- Thinking in IB MYP means the ability to critically evaluate information, form independent judgments, synthesize ideas, and find solutions.
- Communication and social skills come through in academic writing, presentations, and collaborative research projects.
In MYP, ATL skills become conscious and measurable, building the student's academic independence — without which success in the upper grades would not be possible.
In Middle School, Grades 5 through 9, within the IB MYP framework, ATL skills become more structured. Their development is planned by teachers for each individual subject. ATL skills are built into assignments and assessment criteria.
Старшая школа (CP)
- Учащиеся CP работают с реальными кейсами, анализируют риски и разрабатывают решения — от бизнес-сценариев до стратегий продвижения продуктов. В этом процессе они активно применяют коммуникативные навыки через написание писем, проведение интервью, подготовку отчетов и презентаций, а социальные навыки развивают через совместные проекты и взаимодействие с внешними организациями.
- Самоуправление также становится одним из ключевых элементов: учащиеся развивают способность к адаптации, психологическую устойчивость, а также умение отстаивать свои интересы и профессиональную позицию.
- Исследовательские навыки особенно значимы в рамках Рефлексивного проекта (Reflective Project), в рамках которого учащиеся анализируют этическую дилемму в выбранной сфере и формируют собственную аргументированную позицию.
В старших 10-11 классах в программы CP навыки ATL интегрируются с компонентом CP Core, который называется «Личные и профессиональные навыки» (Personal and Professional Skills PPS). Через этот компонент навыки ATL формируют у учеников осознанной готовности к профессиональному миру и будущей карьере.
What Families Gain by the End of Primary School
The outcome of primary school in the PYP framework is not just an academic foundation, but durable skills: the ability to ask questions, investigate, explain one's own ideas, work in a team, and see connections between subjects. The PYP's transdisciplinary framework uses six "transdisciplinary themes" as the organizing structure for the program of inquiry, bringing learning together "between and beyond subjects."
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