TOWER BRIDGE PRIMARY SCHOOL IPC POLICY
The IPC is a skill based, thematic, cross curricular approach to learning where subjects are separated yet
integrated.
Great teaching, great learning, great fun!
Aims

to help children learn the subject knowledge, skills and understandings they need to become aware
of the world around them

to help children develop the personal skills they need to take an active part in the world throughout
their lives

to help children develop an international mindset alongside their awareness of their own nationality

to do each of these in ways which take into account up to date research into how children learn and
how they can be encouraged to be life-long learners.
Structure
Everything is based on clearly defined learning goals or standards which lay out the subject, personal and
international knowledge, skills and understandings children need at different stages of their primary or
elementary school life.
Units of work provide practical activities which teachers can use in the classroom plus a wealth of other
supportive information. Each unit is structured to make sure that children’s learning experiences are as
stimulating as possible. In this way, the IPC provides two of the three main stages of planning. It provides
both the curriculum map which sets out what children should learn and what they will do at different stages of
their school life. It also provides the detailed curriculum planning for teachers to take into the classroom.
Coverage
 English and Maths are taught separately in the mornings.
 All other subjects (with the exception of RE and PE) are delivered through the IPC. The subjects are
taught in discrete blocks through an integrated thematic unit.
 RE is taught separately using the agreed Southwark syllabus except in EYFS where it is taught
through knowledge and Understanding of the World. Teachers may decide to teach RE in a block or
as weekly session. It is a legal requirement that 1 hour of RE is taught per week (or equivalent
amount of time in a block).
 PE is also taught separately (apart from in EYFS, where it is integrated) When the IPC does include
PE these lessons are taught in PE sessions across a series of weeks rather than in a block. See
overview grid for termly coverage.
 Science is fully integrated into the IPC; there is a strong emphasis on skills and developing
understanding as well as acquiring knowledge. Separate science teaching does not need to be
undertaken. If learning goals are missing from a particular unit, this has been highlighted and
teachers should cover these goals additionally.
 ALL learning targets need to be taught, however teachers are free to use IPC suggested activities
or their own.
 Teachers can use additional resources such as the science folders and Greenwich ICT lessons to
support the delivery of the objectives but all learning should be through the IPC theme.
 ICT is at the core of the International primary curriculum. The IPC encourages the use of ICT for both
research and recording in many subjects within EVERY thematic unit. The IPC also provides a
specialist subject programme for ICT to support the technical skills children require to use ICT
effectively.
Organisation
 In years 1-5 the IPC is taught for a total of 6 hours per week, IPC units vary in length and are NOT
dependent on the length of a half term, many units will span across a term.
 In year 6 it is taught for 4 hours only in the build up to SATs (see overview) this is to allow for science
revision to be taught separately for 2 hours per week.
 Teachers can decide how work is to be recorded and presented, this will sometimes mean teachers
preparing their own resources
1
Resources
 Every IPC unit has 2 resources boxes, 1 contains consumable resources and 1 contains nonconsumable resources needed for the unit. Each box contains an inventory of resources and
teachers should check items in the box against this inventory before the start and at the end of each
unit. Inventories should be handed in to the IPC coordinator at the end of each unit so that stock can
be reordered.
Storage and Presentation of work
 All work is stored in individual A3 zip wallets.
 Each IPC unit has a front cover which precedes the knowledge harvest.
 At the start of each subject block, learning targets are inserted before the work on that unit is begun.
These target sheets are for assessment and monitoring purposes and as such do not need to be
made “child friendly”, they can be photocopied as they are from the units.
 All work is dated and display the learning target/s for that lesson.
 Work is marked using the marking code.
 Photos from trips are be printed and stuck into books and children are given the chance to comment
on what they have learned from these additional experiences.
Planning
 The knowledge harvest is used to inform planning.
 ALL planning is handed in at the end of each SUBJECT block and includes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Annotations
Dates
Key vocabulary (especially for science and ICT)
Key questions
Differentiated activities/groupings
Clearly identified intro and plenary
Additional resources e.g. websites that have been used.
Monitoring
 The IPC is monitored once a term
 They will be looked at by a subject manager and the overall IPC manager
2