Driven by the challenge of continuous improvement and enrichment of the ikastola’s educational project, we have initiated the application process to obtain the authorization that will allow us to become an IB (International Baccalaureate) World School and share a common philosophy: a commitment to a rigorous, quality international education, which we consider important for our students.
The IB programs, as we have done at the Ikastola so far, address not only cognitive development, but also social, emotional and physical well-being. The IB’s mission statement is to develop caring, knowledgeable, knowledge-hungry and versatile young people who are able to address the complex challenges facing society and contribute to creating a better and more peaceful world.
The IB framework coincides with the bets made over the years in Lauaxeta and its most relevant elements and perspectives: educational philosophy, principles, values… and above all, what refers to the characteristics of the profile of the school community, which directly guides and feeds the progress of our educational project. Therefore, during the coming courses, we will develop the necessary actions for the evaluation, verification and implementation of the IB Framework in Pre-school and Primary (with the Primary School Program, PEP – PYP) and in ESO (with the PAI- MYP)
IB’s Philosophy and mission statment
IB – An education for a better world
Lauaxeta Ikastola aims for its students to develop and become integrated within an increasingly complex society, and to help improve it. Some essential aspects of the Lauaxeta Ikastola education model are developing the students’ skills, innovation, advanced learning methods, different learning possibilities and personalised learning.
Each student’s learning process is structured around their personal, cognitive and social development, in three major stages called Sendotu, Jabetu and Erabaki. This structure makes it one of the most highly personalised learning projects.
Skills development is the key to Lauaxeta’s educational model. It involves developing the capacity to create knowledge, skills, attitudes, values and principles, so that the students can efficiently and responsibly resolve problems or tasks in certain contexts. The development takes place over three stages and leads to the design of a learning plan to suit the students and their real situation.
One of the keys to the overall improvement of any society is cooperation. Lauaxeta wants to focus on this aspect, because we know that collaborative work can lead to a better society. Collaborative learning involves the students working together to achieve goals that require a contribution from all of them. The group needs the knowledge and the work of all its members.. Additionally, the working environments of today and tomorrow need people who know how to cooperate and engage in teamwork. It is therefore essential for them to start learning to do so at an early age.
Under this learning model, the students prepare, incorporate and assess projects applied in the real world, i.e. outside the classroom environment. This makes the students think and act by designing a project, using the strategies established to create a plan and provide a solution to a challenge or problem. It aims to do more than just meet the curricular objectives.
They learn a series of problem-solving techniques in contact with people who have different approaches. This stimulates their emotional, intellectual and personal growth through first-hand experiences.
We believe that for the students’ skills development to be real and effective, their learning and growth must be related to their surrounding context. «Learning by doing» methodology introduces different real-life situations to the educational context, to make their learning process deeper and more significant.
The Lauaxeta students take part in different learning projects. These projects not only help them improve their knowledge, skills, abilities, attitudes and moral values, they also enable them to act as citizens committed to their environment.
Being able to communicate is one of the main skills needed for the twenty-first century. The Lauaxeta students therefore have the opportunity to become trilingual (in Basque, Spanish and English), learning and using all three languages in a balanced way. They also study other languages such as French, German or Latin.
We believe in our students, in their ability to improve and in their progress as students and as people. The tutoring system and personalised learning are therefore two vital keys to personal improvement. In accordance with this system, each student creates their own learning process and also builds their own curriculum and tailored model.
In the case of ESO and Bachillerato, the students have the co-tutorship of 2 tutors who are in charge of their follow-up and orientation.
Educating for creativity and entrepreneurship, educating for change and creating people rich in originality, flexibility, future vision, initiative, confidence: people willing to take risks and face the obstacles and problems arising at school and in their day-to-day lives. The tools for innovation are a vital part of this journey.
Reflective learning is the most effective way of guaranteeing that what is to be learnt – both attitudes and content – is learnt in depth. The students constantly analyse and assess the work process and draw conclusions for its improvement, which they later apply.