NEW PROJECT: MYP

Education during the Secondary Education Stage (ESO) is crucial for the development of skills and competencies that will prepare students for their future.

It is the stage of major decisions, which can shape a life, and therefore it is crucial to accompany young people so they can confidently face the challenges presented to them in an increasingly dynamic and challenging world.

Starting from the academic year 2024/2025, 1st-year students of ESO at Mater Salvatoris begin the Middle Years Programme (MYP), where the content is taught using the methodology of the International Baccalaureate® (IB).

In this way, Mater Salvatoris becomes a pioneering school in Lleida, implementing a unique methodology aimed at fostering critical thinking and the integral growth of students.

WHAT IS THE INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB) ORGANIZATION

The International Baccalaureate (IB) Organization is an international educational foundation established in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland. It offers four programs aimed at students from ages 3 to 19. These programs are taught in schools and institutes worldwide, and in most countries, the Diploma Program (DP) is widely accepted as sufficient qualification for university admission.

Currently, there are more than 5,000 IB World Schools in 158 countries. Being part of this IB community provides Mater Salvatoris of Lleida with an international reputation for excellence and quality, making us a benchmark school.

 

THE PHILOSOPHY OF IB WORLD SCHOOLS

The philosophy of IB World Schools coincides with the principles of Company of the Saviour Schools as it aims to “educate solidary, informed, and knowledge-hungry young people, capable of creating a better world within the framework of mutual understanding and intercultural respect.”

We seek to develop all dimensions of the individual, so that our students are curious and reflective, with critical thinking skills and an open mind, good communicators, integral and solidary.

GLOBAL EDUCATION

The MYP is an educational program designed for students aged 11 to 16 that emphasizes intellectual challenge and encourages them to establish practical connections between their studies and the real world.

The MYP aims not only to enhance academic performance but also the personal and social development of our students. It is a program designed to cultivate young people who take an active role in their learning and have an international mindset. As a result, young people become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers.

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) of the International Baccalaureate® (IB) offers opportunities that help students increase their understanding of language and culture, and engage more deeply with global issues.

THE PURPOSE OF THE MYP

The purpose of the MYP is to help students develop their personal understanding, their perception of themselves, and their responsibility in the community.

CURRICULUM

Comprises eight subject groups:

  • Language Acquisition
  • Language and Literature
  • Individuals and Societies
  • Sciences
  • Mathematics
  • Arts
  • Physical and Health Education
  • Design

CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING: THE QUEST FOR MEANING

In the MYP, concept-driven education helps students develop structured inquiry around important ideas and later evaluate their real knowledge.

It creates a culture of thinking that invites students to see connections, contradictions, alternative perspectives, and different ways of thinking. This way, the conceptual understanding inherent to the MYP adds a dimension of depth to students’ educational experience.

LEARNING IN CONTEXT. KNOWING HOW TO INTERPRET THE WORLD

The MYP aims to develop young people who take an active role in their learning and have an international mindset. As a result, young people become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers.

Students learn optimally when their learning experiences have context and are related to their lives and their experience of the world they know.

The use of global contexts allows MYP students to understand the commonality that binds them as human beings and the responsibility they share in caring for the planet.

 

INQUIRING STUDENTS. ADMIRERS IN THE FACE OF REALITY

Philosophy begins with admiration,” states Aristotle at the beginning of his Metaphysics. The ability to approach inquiry with a lively and eager impulse is the foundation of knowledge, and thus, one of the fundamental pillars of the MYP – and IB schools – is its focus on active inquiry.

In MYP classrooms, students engage in a process of questioning, investigating, and reflecting. Inquiry statements are open-ended and challenging questions that stimulate critical thinking and promote active investigation. These questions guide students to explore and delve deeper into the topics they are studying.

 

APPLICATION OF KNOWLEDGE. RESPONDING TO CHALLENGES

Learning in context, a unifying element across all subject groups in the MYP, forms the basis for independent learning and encourages the application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar situations.

The development and application of these social, thinking, research, communication, and self-management skills help students learn how to learn.

 

INTERNATIONAL MINDSET. BECOMING AWARE OF THE WORLD

Mater Salvatoris fosters in its students an international mindset, meaning a more global view of the world, where a sense of responsibility towards all peoples and nations is assumed.

Therefore, in addition to seeking a better understanding of the issues affecting our world, a service-learning program is proposed to develop greater sensitivity towards those in need.

 

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY. PERSONALIZED ATTENTION

The design of the MYP is inclusive; students, regardless of their interests and academic abilities, can benefit from participating in it. The management team and teaching staff, through planning and monitoring by the guidance department, work to address the specific needs of students, providing personalized educational attention.