Welcome to EARLY YEARS
Welcome to EARLY YEARS
NAVIGATION MENU
The Early Years building at the Western International School of Shanghai is home to Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students. Our bright, spacious, and inspiring Early Years building provides the perfect environment for your young child’s introduction to education. Those fascinating first steps in a classroom are integral to starting a healthy, exciting, and fun educational journey.
Here at the Western International School of Shanghai, we place the student at the center of learning. By developing a curriculum that supports the natural curiosities of this stage of development and meeting the child where they are in their holistic development, we build an effective learning community that honors and supports the well-being of all its members.
We see children as unique and agentic individuals with the capacity to be a partner in their learning as they respond to their teachers, peers, physical environment, and resources that surround them. By engaging in authentic experiences that value their prior knowledge and construct and build upon it, children develop naturally, organic, and excitingly.
The Early Years building at the Western International School of Shanghai is home to Pre-Nursery, Nursery, Pre-Kindergarten, and Kindergarten students. Our bright, spacious, and inspiring Early Years building provides the perfect environment for your young child’s introduction to education. Those fascinating first steps in a classroom are integral to starting a healthy, exciting, and fun educational journey.
Here at the Western International School of Shanghai, we place the student at the center of learning. By developing a curriculum that supports the natural curiosities of this stage of development and meeting the child where they are in their holistic development, we build an effective learning community that honors and supports the well-being of all its members.
We see children as unique and agentic individuals with the capacity to be a partner in their learning as they respond to their teachers, peers, physical environment, and resources that surround them. By engaging in authentic experiences that value their prior knowledge and construct and build upon it, children develop naturally, organic, and excitingly.
WELCOME MESSAGE | EARLY YEARS PRINCIPAL
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a curriculum framework for young learners aged 3–12. Like all International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, the IB Learner Profile permeates all facets of school life in the Early Years and Primary.
The PYP is based on recognizing a child’s natural curiosity, creativity, and ability to reflect. It generates a stimulating, challenging learning environment to nurture the whole child and foster a lifelong love of learning. The PYP is transdisciplinary, meaning students learn across subject areas while inquiring into big ideas.
Young learners are intelligent, resourceful, and creative. They need a curriculum and environment that supports critical learning during these crucial early years. Through our inquiry-based approach, we engage and stimulate curious minds to explore, question, and wonder from a place of security. Classroom communities foster a growing sense of safety, well-being, and warmth.
Our daily interactions as a community focus on building secure and confident communicators who have a growing realization of their agency as they interact with the world around them. Using purposeful play as a vehicle for learning, we enable students to make personal connections to inquiries organically and authentically, building on existing knowledge and understandings as they develop transferrable skills in a facilitative environment.
Children engage in a balanced Early Years curriculum that meets the IB Primary Years Programme‘s standards and practices. Through carefully planned units of inquiry, children engage with big ideas in science and social studies, enabling them to develop transferable conceptual understandings. This foundation of knowledge and understanding is the platform on which they continue to grow as they build upon their learning from year to year and beyond the Early Years.
The immense benefit to parents and students is that WISS is the only school in mainland China where young learners can progress from kindergarten through to high school, completing every IB Programme. By offering all four Programmes, the skills endorsed in students during kindergarten flourish and bloom as they progress through the IB, with each level building upon their abilities.
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) is a curriculum framework for young learners aged 3–12. Like all International Baccalaureate (IB) Programmes, the IB Learner Profile permeates all facets of school life in the Early Years and Primary.
The PYP is based on recognizing a child’s natural curiosity, creativity, and ability to reflect. It generates a stimulating, challenging learning environment to nurture the whole child and foster a lifelong love of learning. The PYP is transdisciplinary, meaning students learn across subject areas while inquiring into big ideas.
Young learners are intelligent, resourceful, and creative. They need a curriculum and environment that supports critical learning during these crucial early years. Through our inquiry-based approach, we engage and stimulate curious minds to explore, question, and wonder from a place of security. Classroom communities foster a growing sense of safety, well-being, and warmth.
Our daily interactions as a community focus on building secure and confident communicators who have a growing realization of their agency as they interact with the world around them. Using purposeful play as a vehicle for learning, we enable students to make personal connections to inquiries organically and authentically, building on existing knowledge and understandings as they develop transferrable skills in a facilitative environment.
Children engage in a balanced Early Years curriculum that meets the IB Primary Years Programme‘s standards and practices. Through carefully planned units of inquiry, children engage with big ideas in science and social studies, enabling them to develop transferable conceptual understandings. This foundation of knowledge and understanding is the platform on which they continue to grow as they build upon their learning from year to year and beyond the Early Years.
The immense benefit to parents and students is that WISS is the only school in mainland China where young learners can progress from kindergarten through to high school, completing every IB Programme. By offering all four Programmes, the skills endorsed in students during kindergarten flourish and bloom as they progress through the IB, with each level building upon their abilities.
EARLY YEARS CURRICULUM Overview
EARLY YEARS CURRICULUM Overview
Play
based
learning
PLAY BASED LEARNING
PLAY BASED LEARNING
Play-based learning
The Early Years Learning Framework defines play-based learning as ‘a context for learning through which children organize and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations’.
Play-based learning appeals to children’s natural curiosity and desire to engage in experiences based on their unique interests as they make sense of the world around them. In our play-based learning programs, our experienced educators tailor their teaching opportunities to align with the type of play children engage in.
Play
based
learning
Dear Early Years Families,
In Early Years at the Western International School of Shanghai (WISS), teachers and students shape the learning environment together to transform each learning experience. Our Early Years Team nurtures each child’s holistic development by building a strong foundation for continuous learning and respectful relationships. We offer a safe environment where children are encouraged to feel valued as members of a diverse community. Children learn English and Chinese in a natural way that is supported by our units of inquiry.
We foster each child’s natural curiosity by encompassing the students’ individual interests along with opportunities for playful inquiry supported by the IB PYP framework. Every step of a child’s learning journey is important; students are able to build upon their previous experiences through explorations, inquiry, questions, and discoveries. We inspire our students to challenge and learn more about themselves and their community. This learning doesn’t stop in school, and we develop strong home-school partnerships that help students to connect their learning to experiences at home and beyond!
Every step of a child’s learning journey is important, and we cultivate each child’s future pathway by building their foundations as lifelong learners.
We look forward to welcoming you to the WISS community very soon!
Fiona Morris
Early Years Principal
Elements of play-based learning
Elements of play-based learning
Students choose what they play and how they play. Educators will supervise, accompany and suggest ideas, but the student decides the rest.
Students are allowed to explore for themselves and select objects or activities based on their own interests.
Play must be enjoyable for students. Educators do not force certain activities as it’s important that the child is enjoying what they are doing.
It is the process of the play that is important, there is no end goal or correct response.
Students choose what they play and how they play. Educators will supervise, accompany and suggest ideas, but the student decides the rest.
Students are allowed to explore for themselves and select objects or activities based on their own interests.
Play must be enjoyable for students. Educators do not force certain activities as it’s important that the child is enjoying what they are doing.
It is the process of the play that is important, there is no end goal or correct response.
BENEFITS of play-based learning
BENEFITS of play-based learning
Students immersed in a Play-Based Learning Environment develop a range of skills and reach key developmental milestones in the process.
Language & Literature Development
Social & Emotional Skills
Creativity & Imagination
Confidence
Positive Attitude Towards Learning
Motor Skills
Students immersed in a Play-Based Learning Environment develop a range of skills and reach key developmental milestones in the process.
Language & Literature Development
Social & Emotional Skills
Creativity & Imagination
Positive Attitude Towards Learning
Confidence
Motor Skills
PLAY BASED LEARNING
INQUIRY based
Approach
Students learn key STEM and life skills through inquiry-based learning.
Inquiry-based learning begins with a question, problem or idea. Students are involved in the planning and execution of investigations, proposing explanations and solutions, and communicating their understanding of concepts in a variety of ways.
Throughout the inquiry process, students observe, raise questions, and critique their practices. It is an approach that encourages collaboration and supports trans-disciplinary learning across subject areas.
PLAY BASED LEARNING
Inquiry-based approach
Students learn key STEM and life skills through inquiry-based learning.
Inquiry-based learning begins with a question, problem or idea. Students are involved in the planning and execution of investigations, proposing explanations and solutions, and communicating their understanding of concepts in a variety of ways.
Throughout the inquiry process, students observe, raise questions, and critique their practices. It is an approach that encourages collaboration and supports trans-disciplinary learning across subject areas.
THE inquiry based learning APPROACH cultivates
THE inquiry based learning APPROACH cultivates
Social Interaction assists with improving student attention span and develops reasoning skills. Social interaction encourages students to generate their own ideas while developing agency, ownership and engagement with student learning.
Social Interaction assists with improving student attention span and develops reasoning skills. Social interaction encourages students to generate their own ideas while developing agency, ownership and engagement with student learning.
Exploration allow students to investigate, design, imagine, and explore. As a result, students develop curiosity, resilience and optimism.
Exploration allow students to investigate, design, imagine, and explore. As a result, students develop curiosity, resilience and optimism.
An Inquiry Based approach creates a safe and supportive environment for students to engage in meaningful discussion. It promotes student engagement in scientific discussion and improves learning of scientific concepts. It encourages students to generate questions, formulate positions and make decisions.
An Inquiry Based approach creates a safe and supportive environment for students to engage in meaningful discussion. It promotes student engagement in scientific discussion and improves learning of scientific concepts. It encourages students to generate questions, formulate positions and make decisions.
The iterative and evaluative nature of many STEM problems means failure is an important part of the problem-solving process. A healthy attitude to failure encourages reflection, resilience and continual improvement.
The iterative and evaluative nature of many STEM problems means failure is an important part of the problem-solving process. A healthy attitude to failure encourages reflection, resilience and continual improvement.
Units of enquiry
Units of enquiry
The IB standards offer rigorous guidelines that allow for school and classroom practices to align with the IB educational philosophy and values. The PYP is a framework for schools and their approach to learning and teaching. Students explore significant concepts through units of inquiry. The six transdisciplinary themes that guide units of inquiry in each school year* are:
The IB standards offer rigorous guidelines that allow for school and classroom practices to align with the IB educational philosophy and values. The PYP is a framework for schools and their approach to learning and teaching. Students explore significant concepts through units of inquiry. The six transdisciplinary themes that guide units of inquiry in each school year* are:
Who
We Are
Who
We Are
How
We Express
Ourselves
How
We Express
Ourselves
How
The World
Works
How
The World
Works
How
We Organize
Ourselves
How
We Organize
Ourselves
Sharing
The Planet
Sharing
The Planet
Subject areas
Subject areas
Units of inquiry authentically interweave ideas and skills from the relevant subject areas:
Units of inquiry authentically interweave ideas and skills from the relevant subject areas:
Language
Language
Social Studies
Social Studies
Mathematics
Mathematics
Music & The Arts
Music & The Arts
Science
Science
Personal,
Social & Physical Education
Personal,
Social & Physical Education
This approach encourages students to make their own connections between what they know and how it relates to the world around them.
The school outlines its specific knowledge content and academic curriculum within the framework of the PYP including:
This approach encourages students to make their own connections between what they know and how it relates to the world around them.
The school outlines its specific knowledge content and academic curriculum within the framework of the PYP including:
1
Knowledge content organized by the transdisciplinary themes. Each school decides specific concepts and topics studied through each theme based on their local context.
2
Approaches to learning skills aimed to help students become independent and self-motivated learners.
3
Action initiated by learners that is authentic, meaningful, mindful, responsible and responsive of their learning and the world they live in.
1
Knowledge content organized by the transdisciplinary themes. Each school decides specific concepts and topics studied through each theme based on their local context.
2
Approaches to learning skills aimed to help students become independent and self-motivated learners.
3
Action initiated by learners that is authentic, meaningful, mindful, responsible and responsive of their learning and the world they live in.
ACTIVITIES & Special Programs
Students in Early Years have the opportunity to work with Art, Music, Physical Education, and Library specialist teachers as part of their weekly schedule. All areas of schooling are planned in a transdisciplinary way to ensure strong connections between all learning experiences and disciplines. As language learners, our Early Years students are immersed in an English language environment, and at WISS, we value translanguaging – the use of different languages together.
Chinese language acquisition is embedded in every aspect of the EY students’ academic experiences. By expanding the use of Chinese into a range of educational contexts, students are given a well-rounded perspective and understanding of the language and its applications in real-life situations. This application of translanguaging results in confident and motivated communicators.
Early Years students also use our spacious outdoor environment, engaging in outdoor learning experiences designed to create opportunities that promote inquiry-based and investigative attainment of knowledge.
We have open blocks of time that enable in-depth inquiry and allow children to engage in sustained play. These experiences are essential to learning and development for our youngest learners. The Pre-Nursery and Nursery children’s timetable includes a daily nap as part of a balanced sleep schedule.
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Routines
Students in Early Years have the opportunity to work with Art, Music, Physical Education, and Library specialist teachers as part of their weekly schedule. All areas of schooling are planned in a transdisciplinary way to ensure strong connections between all learning experiences and disciplines. As language learners, our Early Years students are immersed in an English language environment, and at WISS, we value translanguaging – the use of different languages together.
Chinese language acquisition is embedded in every aspect of the EY students’ academic experiences. By expanding the use of Chinese into a range of educational contexts, students are given a well-rounded perspective and understanding of the language and its applications in real-life situations. This application of translanguaging results in confident and motivated communicators.
Early Years students also use our spacious outdoor environment, engaging in outdoor learning experiences designed to create opportunities that promote inquiry-based and investigative attainment of knowledge.
We have open blocks of time that enable in-depth inquiry and allow children to engage in sustained play. These experiences are essential to learning and development for our youngest learners. The Pre-Nursery and Nursery children’s timetable includes a daily nap as part of a balanced sleep schedule.
Enquire
Apply Now
Book a tour
Contact us
The Student Experiences
HOME-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP
A smooth transition from home to school is paramount. We pride ourselves as an open, caring community that believes in the importance of strong home-school communications to ensure the success of every one of our students, placing home-school relationships as a priority to meet the best interests of the student for their overall happiness and comfort.
We are focused on providing clear and easy communication channels for our parents to stay up to date on school news and information. Our communications with the family are centered on building our understandings of your child as we continue the learning journey together with you.
TEACHING APPROACH
Our homeroom teams consist of an international teacher, a Chinese teacher, and a teaching assistant. This provides a high adult-child ratio, enabling learning and teaching to be student-centered and responsive to children’s interests. Using an inquiry-based approach, teachers facilitate various hands-on activities that provoke curiosity, questioning, and wonder, co-constructing learning alongside children as they explore.
Our EY children learn through purposeful play, which is planned and designed to develop age-appropriate skills and conceptual understandings around science, math, language, and personal and social development. We value teachers as learners, too, and continually seek to improve and enhance our teaching through engagement with global early childhood research, pedagogy, and child development.
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A Typical Day in Early Years
Children arrive, settle in and participate in various learning activities
Integrated Inquiry (Math, English, Chinese, Units of Inquiry)
Library Time
Physical Education | Swimming
Art | Music
Lunch time
Integrated Inquiry (Math, English, Chinese, Units of Inquiry)
Integrated Inquiry (Math, English, Chinese, Units of Inquiry)
Integrated Inquiry (Math, English, Chinese, Units of Inquiry)
WISS FEATURED NEWS
The Early Years Learning Framework defines play-based learning as ‘a context for learning through which children organize and make sense of their social worlds, as they engage actively with people, objects and representations’.
Play-based learning appeals to children’s natural curiosity and desire to engage in experiences based on their unique interests as they make sense of the world around them. In our play-based learning programs, our experienced educators tailor their teaching opportunities to align with the type of play children engage in.
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WESTERN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SHANGHAI
555 Lian Min Road, Xujing Town, Qing Pu District,
Shanghai, PRC, 201702
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WESTERN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF SHANGHAI
555 Lian Min Road, Xujing Town, Qing Pu District,
Shanghai, PRC, 201702
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Introduction message from the Director of Admissions & Marketing.
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WHY WISS
A roadmap from 2006 to now. 15+ Years as a leader in international education in Shanghai.
From Dance Studio’s to Forest School, WISS offer top-quality facilities that enhance and support the student learning experience.
The inspiration behind the founding of WISS.
Learn the qualities we nurture within our students every day.
Get to know the highly-qualified and experienced faculty at the Western International School of Shanghai.
Develop your career as an educator and explore available positions at the Western International School of Shanghai.
Interactive Campus Map to help parents and students discover what has to offer.
ACADEMICS
A Pre-Nursery through Kindergarten Education for Children aged 2.5 - 5 Years Old
A look at the IB Programmes and how it’s rigorous academic programmes benefit student learning at WISS.
Primary Education for Children aged 6 - 12 Years Old
Support, Guidance, and Student Pathways to University.
Secondary Education for Children aged 13 - 18+ Years Old
Programs unique to WISS that truly enhance the student learning experience.
Dear Early Years Families,
In Early Years at the Western International School of Shanghai (WISS), teachers and students shape the learning environment together to transform each learning experience. Our Early Years Team nurtures each child’s holistic development by building a strong foundation for continuous learning and respectful relationships. We offer a safe environment where children are encouraged to feel valued as members of a diverse community. Children learn English and Chinese in a natural way that is supported by our units of inquiry.
We foster each child’s natural curiosity by encompassing the students’ individual interests along with opportunities for playful inquiry supported by the IB PYP framework. Every step of a child’s learning journey is important; students are able to build upon their previous experiences through explorations, inquiry, questions, and discoveries. We inspire our students to challenge and learn more about themselves and their community. This learning doesn’t stop in school, and we develop strong home-school partnerships that help students to connect their learning to experiences at home and beyond!
Every step of a child’s learning journey is important, and we cultivate each child’s future pathway by building their foundations as lifelong learners.
We look forward to welcoming you to the WISS community very soon!
Fiona Morris
Early Years Principal
