At Tsinghua International School (THIS) Primary School, the first weeks of learning started with a question: How does my brain learn?
In our first IPC unit: Brainwave, that question traveled from Grade 1 to Grade 5. It looked wonderfully different in every grade, but at the same time, wonderfully shows the magic of IPC. You might see six-year-olds making 3D glasses, eight-year-olds singing memory songs, or ten-year-olds reflecting on how stress affects their thinking. This is the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) in action: one big idea, explored with growing depth, joy, and independence.
Why did we choose to push IPC?
The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025 identifies the skills expected to rise by 2030: curiosity and lifelong learning, creative thinking, resilience, flexibility and agility, empathy and active listening, technological literacy, leadership and social influence, and motivational awareness. In an age when AI can generate answers in seconds, our children need more than just information. They need to ask better questions, work with others, adapt, create, and care. In IPC, these capabilities are not add-ons. They are built into the learning goals and unit design.
To keep pace with a rapidly changing educational landscape—and to move ahead of it, not simply react, THIS Primary chose IPC. As our IPC Lead, Mrs. Kelsey Barnes, explains, “Our previous English curriculum was heavily weighted toward reading and writing long books, leaving gaps in phonics, grammar, speaking, and listening. IPC offers a more holistic language experience. Instead of teaching reading, writing, science, and social studies as separate silos, it organizes learning around a central theme. Language skills grow inside the theme, in context, not in isolation.”
IPC in THIS Primary
IPC also aligns beautifully with our mission. THIS fosters creative critical thinkers who have roots in China and are prepared to lead in the global community.
Through IPC, students examine themes from scientific, geographic, historical, and international perspectives. They also learn to take action. For example, in the Weather and Climate unit, they research natural disasters and organize a fundraiser for relief; and in the Friendship unit, younger children might make posters or lead playground games.
The IPC’s International Learning Goals help learners develop international mindedness and global competency, while its eight Personal Learning Goals—adaptable, communicator, collaborator, empathetic, ethical, resilient, respectful, and thinker—shape the qualities responsible citizens will need.
First IPC Unit: “Brainwave”
Nowhere is this clearer than in Brainwave, the first IPC unit for THIS Grades 1–5. The theme stays constant, but the cognitive demand, emotional complexity, and expected independence spiral upward.
01 Grade 1
Grade 1 introduces the brain as the organ that helps us learn. Through play, touch, imagination, memory games, and simple breathing exercises, children name feelings and discover that knowledge plus skills equals understanding.
02 Grade 2
Grade 2 moves from concrete metaphors to scientific facts: neurons, neural connections, and how sleep, diet, and exercise affect learning. True/false brain cards and the Zones of Regulation help seven and eight-year-olds sort, recall, and understand emotions.
03 Grade 3
In Grade 3, the focus shifts from the brain to metacognition—learning how to learn. Students use mnemonic devices, songs, and “I messages” for conflict resolution. They take more ownership, deepen emotional regulation, and create personalized reference books.
04 Grade 4
Grade 4 introduces neuroeducation: neuroplasticity, how stress can “hijack” the brain, and mindfulness as a tool that physically changes the brain. Nine and ten-year-olds keep learning journals, use graphic organizers independently, and choose the most effective strategy for a situation.
05 Grade 5
By Grade 5, students apply metacognitive strategies independently. They explore reflexivity—becoming aware of personal biases—and prepare for secondary school by reflecting on strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Learning journals, mindfulness, and self-regulation strategies support them through puberty and transition.
This spiral design is the IPC at its best: same big idea, deeper thinking at every level. Students are not passive recipients. They are active participants in their own learning.
“From our past IPC experiences,” stated Mr. Simkins, Head of Primary, “feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Students love the hands-on learning, the deeper questions, and the connections between classroom work and field trips, where knowledge comes to life. Interactive workshops have helped families experience the joy, engagement, and curiosity of a holistic, multidisciplinary curriculum.”
In addition, Brainwave was never just learning about the brain. It blends perfectly with our THIS core values.
· It teaches children to take care of their emotions and stress: Wellbeing.
· It teaches them to honestly face their own learning and shortcomings: Integrity.
· In group games and discussions, they listen to each other: Collaboration.
· Understanding different emotions, perspectives, and biases: Respect.
· Using metacognition, goal setting, and a growth mindset to keep trying: Innovation.
· Sharing strategies with peers and even serving as "little teachers" for others: Leadership.
Looking Forward
The children's work from art class was turned into designs for pencil cases.
As IPC develops at THIS Primary, we look forward to seeing exit point projects grow—celebrations where students share achievements and demonstrate understanding and parents witnessing our children’s growth and be more engaged in their learning. Mr. Simkins proudly said, “We look forward to teachers deepening their expertise and embracing the creativity and collaboration the curriculum encourages. And most of all, we look forward to students benefiting from a holistic approach that connects subjects, strengthens critical thinking, and nurtures the whole child.”
THIS is growing to its 18th year, and now we are asking bigger questions: Who are we? What do we stand for? What impact do we want to have? This year’s school word, “Impact”, captures that spirit. Choosing IPC is how we answer—not with words, but with a rebuilt curriculum designed to shape the next generation. It refines what we teach and how we teach it, so our students are prepared not just for school, but for the world they will shape.
