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SOVO International School

Anyone can write that we believe in “learn by doing” on a website.The harder part is building a school week around it.

Here’s exactly how we do that.

Fifth Gear Friday.

Learning moves beyond the classroom so children understand where ideas matter in the real world.

How learning works

Explore our approach

What is the IB PYP?

The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme is followed by over 5,500 schools in more than 160 countries, a curriculum built around big, connected ideas children can actually inquire into.

  1. 01
    Students under a tree, looking up and pointing at what they notice

    Explore Through Inquiry

    Children begin with questions, observations and ideas rather than simply being given answers.

  2. 02
    Students outdoors with the cardboard school bus they built together

    Connect Ideas Across Subjects

    Math, language, science and social studies connect around one central inquiry rather than being treated as isolated subjects.

  3. 03
    Students building and testing a tower of interlocking blocks

    Build and Experiment

    Students make, test, investigate and improve their ideas through hands-on experiences.

  4. 04
    Students at the microphones during a visit to a radio studio

    Communicate What They Discover

    Students collect information, discuss ideas, create, present and explain their thinking.

  5. 05
    A young student paying for vegetables at a classroom market

    Apply It in Real Life

    Learning moves beyond the classroom so children understand where ideas matter in the real world.

01
Students under a tree, looking up and pointing at what they notice

Explore Through Inquiry

Children begin with questions, observations and ideas rather than simply being given answers.

Six big ideas. A world of connections.

Every unit our students explore sits within one of six big ideas that connect subjects, questions and real-world learning. These themes help children see how what they learn connects across the classroom and beyond it.

  • Who We Are

    Identity, beliefs, and what shapes the choices we make.

  • How We Express Ourselves

    Creativity, communication, and the senses.

  • How the World Works

    Science, systems, and cause and effect.

  • How We Organize Ourselves

    Community, responsibility, and connection.

  • Where We Are in Place and Time

    History, geography, and journeys.

  • Sharing the Planet

    Sustainability, rights, and shared resources.

Who We Are

Identity, beliefs, and what shapes the choices we make.

Learning grows with the child.

Mohali: Playclass to Grade 5. Panchkula: Playclass to Grade 3. Every stage builds on the one before it, while the philosophy and Fifth Gear Friday stay constant.

An educator sitting on the floor with a toddler doing a puzzle

Age 2 · Early Years

Playclass

Learning starts with the self.

  • Who am I, how do I feel, how do I connect with others?
  • Creative expression through play
  • Noticing the natural world and caring for people and places

Learning through play, inspired by Japanese, Montessori and Nordic approaches.

01 / 09

The layer on top.

IB PYP is our curriculum framework. The way we teach within it is shaped by three additional philosophies, each chosen deliberately for what it adds to a child’s learning experience.

  1. 01Japanese Early Years

    Responsibility through everyday life.

    Children in blue gloves preparing a snack of rice and grated carrot together

    Children build independence through meaningful everyday tasks, learning responsibility, respect, mindfulness and community by actively contributing to their environment.

    Independence · Responsibility · Community

  2. 02Nordic Learning

    Explore. Move. Connect with nature.

    Students looking up at a large tree on a farm visit

    Play, movement and outdoor experiences help children build curiosity, resilience, creativity and emotional wellbeing by understanding the world through direct experience.

    Play · Outdoors · Exploration

  3. 03Montessori

    Freedom with purpose.

    Young children each working at their own toy tool bench

    Purposeful environments and freedom within clear boundaries encourage children to make choices, solve problems and build confidence through independent action.

    Choice · Independence · Ownership

01Japanese Early Years

Responsibility through everyday life.

Children in blue gloves preparing a snack of rice and grated carrot together

Children build independence through meaningful everyday tasks, learning responsibility, respect, mindfulness and community by actively contributing to their environment.

Independence · Responsibility · Community

Who we’re raising.

Across every subject and every Friday, we quietly build ten qualities into every child.

  • Principled
  • Open-Minded
  • Inquirer
  • Balanced
  • Caring
  • Thinker
  • Communicator
  • Risk-Taker
  • Knowledgeable
  • Reflective

Four days to learn.
One day to apply.

Monday to Thursday, students learn the ideas in the classroom. On Friday, they put that same learning into practice in the real world.

  1. A teacher sitting with a small group at their table, a fruit and vegetable chart on the wall behind them

    Monday

    Learn

    Where does our food come from?

  2. Students reading books on a rug in their classroom reading corner

    Tuesday

    Learn

    Reading about healthy food

  3. Students working on worksheets at their classroom desks

    Wednesday

    Learn

    Counting and measuring

  4. Children writing and drawing on sheets of paper around a classroom table, seen from above

    Thursday

    Learn

    Planning our own recipe

  5. Students in hairnets and black gloves holding up handfuls of granola mix in a bakery kitchen

    Friday

    Apply

    Fifth Gear Friday

    Making granola bars from scratch, inside a real bakery’s production kitchen.

Connected subjects. Deeper understanding.

Each subject is taught with the same inquiry-driven approach. A single inquiry pulls maths, language and science together, so children see how ideas actually relate.

  1. LanguageEnglish, Hindi, and a third language: French, Punjabi, Spanish, or Korean
  2. Mathematics
  3. Science & Social Studiesthrough Units of Inquiry
  4. Personal, Social and Physical Education
  5. Information Technology
  6. Art and Music

Enrichment Classes

Starting from Grade 1

Beyond the core curriculum, students choose from a wide range of enrichment classes. Students can switch enrichment classes, but only once every 6 months. Persistence and grit come from sticking with a choice.

Sports & Movement

Lawn Tennis · Skating · Football · Cricket · Table Tennis · Pickleball · Gymnastics

Every sport is coached by a specialist, accomplished players of that discipline.

Performing Arts

Classical & Western Dance · Guitar · Keyboard · Theatre

Technology & Creative Media

Robotics · AI · Filmmaking & Photography · Visual Arts

Life Skills & Mindful Pursuits

Chess · Gardening · Fireless Cooking · Reading Club

Sports & Movement

Lawn Tennis · Skating · Football · Cricket · Table Tennis · Pickleball · Gymnastics

Every sport is coached by a specialist, accomplished players of that discipline.

Progress is a conversation.

Assessment at SOVO is continuous, not a single test at the end of a term.

  1. Continuous assessment

    Weekly feedback helps educators understand how each child is growing in real time.

  2. Student-led conferences

    Children explain what they have learned in their own words.

  3. Feedback and reflection

    Regular feedback helps students understand their progress and what to work on next.

See how learning looks in real life.

The best way to understand SOVO’s approach is to experience it.

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Apply for 2027-28