The aim of the IB Primary Years Program (PYP)  is to develop internationally minded people who recognize their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet. International-mindedness is concept that captures a way of thinking, being and acting that is characterized by an openness to the world and a recognition of our deep interconnectedness to others. The program, therefore, provides students with opportunities for deep inquiry into a range of local and global issues and ideas.

The PYP fosters international-mindedness by helping students reflect on their own perspective, culture, and identities, and then on those of others. By learning to appreciate different beliefs, values, and experiences, and to think and collaborate across cultures and disciplines, learners gain the understanding to create a more peaceful and sustainable world.

The PYP further enhances the development of international-mindedness through multilingualism.  All students study Spanish because we believe that communicating in more than one language provides excellent opportunities to develop intercultural understanding and respect. It helps the students to appreciate that their own language, culture, and worldview is just one of many.

The 10 attributes reflect a holistic nature of education. They highlight the importance of nurturing dispositions such as curiosity and compassion as well as developing knowledge and skills. They also highlight that along with cognitive development, the program is concerned with students’ social, emotional and physical well-being, and with ensuring that students learn to respect themselves, others, and the world around them.

Teachers help students to develop these attributes over the course of their lower school experience and to demonstrate them in increasingly robust and sophisticated ways as they mature. The development of these attributes is the foundation of developing internationally-minded students who can help to build a better world.

The program provides a detailed and developmentally appropriate curriculum or curriculum framework that is broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected. The Primary Years Programme at CDS offers students access to a broad and balanced range of academic studies and learning experiences. It promotes conceptual learning, focusing on powerful organizing ideas that are relevant across subject areas, and that help to integrate learning and add coherence to the curriculum.

The program emphasizes the importance of making connections, exploring the relationships between academic disciplines, and learning about the world in ways that reach beyond the scope of individual subjects. It also offers students authentic opportunities to connect their learning to the world around them.

In the Primary Years Programme, learning aims to transcend traditional boundaries between subject areas. Students explore six transdisciplinary themes of global significance: who we are, where we are in place and time, how we express ourselves, how the world works, how we organize ourselves, and sharing the planet.

The program also requires the completion of a culminating project, the Primary Years Programme
exhibition. This project provides an opportunity for students to showcase their knowledge, understanding, and skills.

Meaningful assessment supports curricular goals. Assessment is, therefore, ongoing, varied, and integral to the curriculum. The school uses a range of strategies and tools to assess student learning.
Emphasis is placed on the importance of analyzing assessment data to inform teaching and learning, and on
recognizing that students benefit by learning how to assess their own work and the work of others. These rigorous assessments help to maintain the CDS hard-earned reputation for high standards and challenging programs.

The approaches are centered on relationships and a cycle of inquiry, action and reflection—an interplay of asking, doing and thinking—that informs the daily activities of teachers and learners.

Approaches to Learning (ATL)
Our focus on ATL is grounded in the belief that learning how to learn is fundamental to a student’s education.
The five categories of interrelated skills aim to empower students of all ages to become self-regulated learners who know how to ask good questions, set effective goals, pursue their aspirations and have the determination to achieve them. These skills also help to support students’ sense of agency.

The five categories are:
• thinking skills- critical thinking, creative thinking and ethical thinking
• research skills- comparing, contrasting, validating, and prioritizing information
• communication skills- written and oral communication, effective listening, and formulating arguments
• social skills- forming and maintaining positive relationships, listening skills, and conflict resolution
• self-management skills- organizational skills, and affective skills,
The development of these skills plays a crucial role in supporting the school's mission to nurture each student in mind, body, and spirit.

Approaches to Teaching (ATT)
The six approaches are deliberately broad and designed to give teachers the flexibility to choose specific strategies that best reflect the student needs.
 Teaching is:
• Based on inquiry.
• Focused on conceptual understanding.
• Developed in local and global contexts.
• Focused on effective teamwork and collaboration.
• Designed to remove barriers to learning.
• Informed by assessment.