BIRRALEE
INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
TRONDHEIM
Teachers
& Staff
Primary Years: A place to grow, discover and love learning
Years 1–5 | Ages 6–11
The primary years are a time of discovery: building friendships, developing new skills and finding out how the world works.
At Birralee, we nurture children’s curiosity while helping them build strong foundations for future learning. Our teachers create engaging learning experiences, encourage thoughtful questions and help every student take their next step with confidence.
The IPC is our International Primary Curriculum for children aged 6 - 11 years old. It is used by over 1000 schools in over 90 countries worldwide.
Strong foundations. Meaningful connections.
Reading, writing and mathematics are essential foundations for learning. Alongside these core skills and Norwegian language learning, our International Primary Curriculum (IPC) helps students explore connections across subjects.
Through carefully planned thematic units, students develop subject knowledge, practise skills and deepen their understanding. A topic might bring together science, geography, history, art and technology, helping children see how their learning connects to the wider world.
Each unit has clear learning goals. Engaging activities give students opportunities to investigate, think critically and apply what they have learned.
Questions welcome. Curiosity encouraged.
Why does this happen? How does it work? What could we do differently?
These questions open the door to learning. At Birralee, students explore ideas, investigate problems, discuss different perspectives and apply what they learn. Our teachers guide and challenge them, helping curiosity grow into knowledge, understanding and new skills.
Learning in action
Our IPC units begin with an invitation to explore. As students investigate a topic, they build knowledge, develop skills and discover new questions along the way.
Example Unit:
The Magic Toymaker
(Year 1)
The children in Year 1 found some wrapped presents in their classroom when they came back from lunch one day. The presents had a note attached to them:
What’s inside the box, you ask
Why, this is your special task!
A toy, a toy for you to find
But remember, you’ll have to use your mind!
Example Unit:
Chocolate (Year 2)
Wouldn’t it be amazing if chocolate grew on trees? Well, it does! Wouldn’t it be amazing if I said we were going to make some chocolate? Well, we are! And we’re going to discover even more amazing things about chocolate…
Example Unit:
How Bodies Work (Year 3)
Your body is like an engine that never stops working. By knowing how your body works you can learn to look after it better and stay healthy.
In this unit, Year 3 will be finding out:
In Science:
-
That we need light in order to see
-
How human teeth compare to animal teeth
-
How our body uses food and water
-
How our heart works to keep us alive
-
All about skeletons and muscles
-
About the human life cycle
-
Why exercise is good for us
-
How tobacco and alcohol harm the body
-
Which foods keep us healthy and why
In Technology:
-
How to plan and prepare a healthy meal
In International:
-
About people’s health problems
-
If we can improve the health of the world's children
Example Unit:
Existing, Endangered, Extinct (Year 4)
From tiny tadpoles to giant squid, living things exist in an amazing variety of forms. Why is there so much variety and how do scientists sort, identify and classify the millions of species living today?
Year 4 students invited their parents to school so they could share their learning during their Exit Point on the unit Existing, Endangered, Extinct.
How we help your child make progress
Every child brings different strengths, experiences and learning needs. Our teachers use questions, observations, discussions and students’ work to understand what they have learned and what they need next.
Clear feedback helps students recognise their progress and identify ways to improve. Teachers provide support when learning is difficult and further challenge when students are ready to deepen their understanding.
Our values guide this approach:
Everyone Included
A welcoming classroom where students feel secure, valued and confident to participate.
Everyone Challenged
High expectations, meaningful tasks and appropriate support to help every student move forward.
Everyone Successful
Opportunities to experience achievement, recognise progress and develop the resilience to keep learning.
Come and see learning in action
Choosing a school means finding a place where your child can belong, grow and enjoy learning.
We welcome you to visit Birralee, discover our primary learning environment and talk with us about your child. If you are currently abroad, we can arrange a digital meeting to answer your questions.