01
The unique child
Recognising each child's strengths, experiences, and next areas for growth.
An international approach to learning
Strong English foundations, with skills for the real world
The Oxford International Curriculum (OIC) places joy, wellbeing, and curiosity at the heart of learning. Children do more than remember content: they think, communicate, take action, and grow confidently through English.
Explore the curriculum
01 · The approach
A child-centred curriculum with clear year-on-year progression
OIC is a teaching and learning framework from Oxford University Press spanning Early Years, Primary, and Lower Secondary. Knowledge and skills connect across the years, so children revisit important ideas with increasing depth and complexity, building a structured foundation for lifelong learning.
English is both something children learn and a language they use to think, question, explore, and communicate in the classroom.
02 · A complete learning system
More than a set of books: curriculum, teachers, and assessment working together
According to the parent guide, OIC brings together curriculum materials, teacher professional development, learning-outcome assessment, and Oxford University Press resources. Together, these help teachers plan learning, understand progress, and design suitable next steps for each learner.
01
High-quality curriculum and materials
02
Ongoing teacher development
03
Assessment that makes progress visible
04
Teaching and learning resources
03 · Designed for Early Years
Purposeful play builds firm foundations for the road ahead
The Early Years curriculum nurtures curiosity, a love of learning, social skills, independence, and resilience. It balances adult-led and child-initiated experiences, with meaningful opportunities to learn indoors and outdoors.
Six characteristics of effective learning
Playing and exploringEngagementActive learningMotivationCreating and thinking criticallyThinking
Four principles behind every experience
02
Children develop differently
Adapting to different rates, readiness, and individual needs.
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Positive relationships
Building trust, emotional security, and wellbeing through relationships.
04
Enabling environments
Providing spaces, resources, and opportunities for independent exploration.
Seven areas of learning in the Foundation Stage
Weekly plans connect all seven areas. A spiral model revisits themes with greater depth, helping knowledge and skills develop with continuity and coherence.
- 01Communication and language
- 02Physical development
- 03Personal, social, and emotional development
- 04Literacy
- 05Maths
- 06Understanding the world
- 07Expressive arts and design
04 · The heart of OIC
Knowledge, life skills, and wellbeing grow together
These four elements connect learning to real life and help teachers understand the whole child.
01
Wellbeing
OIC values academic progress and mental wellbeing together. Care for the body, mind, relationships, self, and the wider world is woven through core learning rather than treated as an extra.
02
Global Skills Projects
Children work through projects and real-life problems, developing creativity and critical thinking, communication and collaboration, practical skills, and self-development.
03
Sustainability
Children build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed for a sustainable future: understanding life on Earth, taking responsibility for their impact, and making thoughtful change.
04
Assessment
Assessment frameworks track progress against learning outcomes, recognise achievement, and identify next steps. They are designed to be fair for learners who use English as a first or additional language.
05 · What children learn
Core subjects connected with skills for the future
OIC develops subject knowledge alongside critical thinking, creativity, communication, and responsibility, helping children see how ideas connect and how learning can be used in real life.
01
English
Language for communication, thinking, and literacy
02
Maths
Reasoning, patterns, number, and problem-solving
03
Science
Questioning, observing, investigating, and explaining
04
Computing
Understanding the digital world and systematic thinking
05
Wellbeing
Understanding and caring for self and others
06
Global Skills Projects
Collaborating on real-world challenges
07
Sustainability
Responsibility for the world and its future
08
Geography · 2026
Understanding places, people, and environments
09
History · 2027
Exploring the past and understanding change
06 · A connected journey
From early curiosity to readiness for the next stage of learning
The curriculum begins with familiar experiences, then gradually increases depth, independence, and responsibility for learning.
01
Early Years
Learning through play, language, experiences, and relationships builds confidence and curiosity.
02
Primary
Knowledge and skills progress systematically, linking subjects with authentic questions and contexts.
03
Lower Secondary
Greater depth, independent thinking, and responsibility prepare learners for pathways such as IGCSE, AS, and A Level.
07 · Full curriculum document
Read the full Early Years Curriculum Overview
This 16-page Oxford University Press document covers the Early Years approach, learning outcomes, weekly schemes, lesson plans, assessment, and recommended resources. The key ideas are already explained on this page; the original English document is provided below for further reading.
Full document preview
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Full 16-page document
If your device cannot display the PDF preview, open it in a new tab or download a copy.
OIC at Darawee Kindergarten
International standards in an environment that understands Thai children
Darawee integrates OIC with Thailand's early childhood curriculum and bilingual learning. Children listen, speak, read, and use English naturally through age-appropriate experiences, while teachers observe, support, and extend each child's thinking.
This page is an accessible summary of the Oxford University Press OIC Parent Guide and Early Years Curriculum Overview (2025), preserving the key ideas for families.