As an independent school in New Brunswick, Eastgate Academy can set its own curriculum. While the board of directors has committed to establishing the IB programmes at all grade levels, only the IB Diploma Programme (DP) includes a prescribed curriculum. The Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) are both curriculum frameworks through which any locally-prescribed – or locally-developed – curriculum can be delivered.
There are two key benefits to using the British Columbia curriculum as a basis for developing the Eastgate Academy curriculum. The recently redesigned curriculum is modern, effective and very compatible with the IB programmes. British Columbia students regularly perform near or above the Canadian average in large-scale assessments like the OECD’s Program for International Student Assessment.
The new British Columbia curriculum also has many similarities with the IB programmes:
- Both are based on student-centred, inquiry-driven learning, that keeps students actively engaged.
- Both use a concept-based approach to learning in order to foster deeper, more transferable learning.
- Both are designed to help students develop skills that are specific to disciplines such as mathematics, arts and languages, as well as skills that transcend the disciplines, like communication and critical thinking.
More information about the BC curriculum is available here.
