Primary Years Programme
Golden Gate American School is a Candidate School* for the IB Primary Years Programme. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that GGAS believes is important for our students. *Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org
Small Class Sizes
13-21 students per class
Primary Years Programme
Students aged 3 to 12 years
Dedicated School
1:9 Average Staff to Student Ratio
Athletics
Sports teams and competitions
Your Child Will Be Known At Golden Gate American School
With a focus on knowledge, character and belonging and with an understanding of learning styles, talents and abilities our dedicated faculty celebrate each student’s individual journey.
Primary Years Programme
What Is PYP?
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for children aged 3 - 12 nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.
Students in the PYP will complete 6 Transdisciplinary Themes throughout the year. Each unit is completed over a period of 6 to 8 weeks. Within each unit, subjects will be interconnected, and not taught separately.
What Are The Benefits Of PYP?
- Students learn to take responsibility of their own learning
- Think critically and solve complex problems.
- Develop strong academic, social and emotional characteristics.
- Improve students’ confidence and motivation.
- Interact with other students from around the world.
- Become more culturally aware
We are proud to be a candidate school for PYP International Baccalaureate world school for kindergarten to grade five.
The curriculum is split into three sections
Written: What the students will be learning. Taught: How the teachers will teach the lessons. Assessed: How the students will be assessed.
PYP Written contains five essential elements:
- knowledge, which is both disciplinary, represented by traditional subject areas (language, maths, science, social studies, arts, PSPE) and transdisciplinary.
- concepts, which students explore through structured inquiry in order to develop coherent, in-depth understanding, and which have relevance both within and beyond subject areas.
- skills, which are the broad capabilities students develop and apply during learning and in life beyond the classroom.
- attitudes, which contribute to international-mindedness and the wellbeing of individuals and learning communities, and connect directly to the IB learner profile.
- action, which is an expectation in the PYP that successful enquiry leads to responsible, thoughtful and appropriate action.
Who is the PYP for?
For students who want to gain more knowledge, and expand their learning around the world.
Why Choose PYP?
encourages students to learn to appreciate knowledge, conceptual understandings, skills and personal attributes as a connected whole.
We look forward to many fun and enriching opportunities for our students and community. Our school is committed to a focus on fostering a close-knit family atmosphere, supporting learners that are known and that care for others, building a strong academic program, encouraging curiosity in learning, and growing courageous socially responsible citizens.
GGAS is committed to the Primary Years Programme (PYP) – an internationally devised programme administered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). The Primary Years Programme offers an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework that builds conceptual understanding. It is a student-centred approach to education for children aged 3 – 12 focusing on the total growth of the developing child, encompassing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs, in addition to academic welfare.
Students in the 21st century are faced with the challenge of learning about an interconnected world where knowledge is constantly developing. The PYP prepares students to be active participants in a lifelong journey of learning and focuses on the development of the child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside.
Primary Years Programme
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
The Primary Years Programme (PYP) is for children from 3 to 12 years old. This stage prepares children for Middle Years Programme, immersing them in an English, Khmer and Chinese speaking environment and developing confidence and familiarity to help them succeed at school.
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
At Golden Gate American School, the Primary Years Programme focuses on developing the whole child as an inquirer—both in the classroom and beyond. Children learn through exploration, curiosity, and meaningful engagement with the world around them.
Our PYP is delivered through a bilingual model, with learning taking place in English and Khmer, and Chinese offered as an additional language. Students experience a rich environment where multiple languages are valued and used purposefully to support understanding and communication.
Learning is structured around Units of Inquiry, where students explore transdisciplinary themes through concept-based learning, critical thinking, and hands-on experiences. Teachers guide students to take ownership of their learning, collaborate with peers, ask questions, and make connections across subjects.
To ensure every child succeeds, our programme is taught by qualified international and local PYP educators who plan collaboratively to support language development, inquiry skills, and personal growth. Khmer and Chinese teachers play an active role in the development of language and cultural understanding in all grade levels.
Students are exposed to a wide range of learning experiences, including experiments, field trips, arts, sports, technology, and individual and group activities. These opportunities strengthen language proficiency, creativity, and confidence while fostering the IB Learner Profile attributes.
The goal of our PYP is to nurture confident, caring, internationally minded learners who are prepared to thrive in the increasingly interconnected world.
