IB + EPIC · Forms 1–10

The IB framework.
Learning made personal.

EPIC is The Pupil’s approach to personalising learning within the IB framework. In Forms 1–10, students build understanding at their own pace, make guided choices and reflect on their progress.

A girl smiling as she works on her own plan at her desk.

01 / THE FILM

Every child’s next step.

Two children can need different next steps in the same lesson. EPIC begins with understanding what each child needs and giving both curiosity and confidence room to grow.

Two students experimenting with a classroom robot at The Pupil.
Film coming soon

A 75-second film is in development. The longer founder film will explore the thinking behind EPIC.

What the two words mean

The IB provides the framework.
EPIC makes the learning personal.

The IB already values inquiry, agency and reflection. EPIC is how The Pupil organises learning so that each child can make guided choices within that framework.

IB · the curriculum

Learning that is not limited by a textbook.

The IB brings together knowledge, concepts, inquiry and approaches to learning. It gives students a framework for understanding the world and acting thoughtfully within it.

EPIC · the pedagogy

Explore. Personalise. Inquire. Create.

Within the Primary and Middle Years, students work towards appropriate next steps, plan parts of their week with support, and reflect on what they have learned.

  1. Explore

    Many spaces, many ways in.

  2. Personalise

    Own level, own pace.

  3. Inquire

    Questions before answers.

  4. Create

    Real work, shown to real people.

One child, different starting points

Five subjects.
Five next steps.

A child can be ready to move ahead in one subject and need more time in another. Teaching starts with what they understand, not an assumption that every subject must move at the same speed.

Illustrative example, not a named student’s results. The school confirms each child’s learning plan.

An example learning profile

  • MathsReady for a greater challenge
  • ScienceBuilding on current understanding
  • EnglishExtending ideas and expression
  • TamilMore time to strengthen foundations
  • FrenchPractising and applying new skills

Progress is a next step, not a comparison with another child.

A week in EPIC

Choice.
Inside a clear structure.

Teacher-led workshops, guided choices and reflection work together. The school confirms the timetable for each class; this overview describes the learning rhythm, not fixed lesson times.

01

Plan with support.

Decide what needs attention and choose tasks with the teacher’s guidance.

02

Learn together.

Join workshops and learn with teachers, peers and older students.

03

Practise independently.

Use appropriate materials and spaces to work towards the next step.

04

Reflect and adjust.

Talk about what worked, use feedback and decide what to try next.

05 / LEARNING IN ACTION

A choice becomes
a next step.

EPIC is not simply working at different speeds. Teachers help students recognise a need, choose useful work, seek support and reflect on the result.

A teacher supporting pupils during a shared learning activity.
01

Notice

A child and teacher look at the work: what is understood, and what needs attention?

Students discussing an activity with one another.
02

Plan

Within shared commitments, the child helps choose a task, resource, person or place.

Students testing and discussing a classroom project.
03

Try

A workshop, a peer, an older pupil, a book or independent practice supports the next attempt.

A pupil concentrating on independent reading or writing.
04

Reflect

The child looks at what changed, describes what helped and identifies another useful next step.

Illustrative sequence using school photographs, not a documented journey of one child. Replace with a school-confirmed student story and actual work before presenting it as evidence.

People and places

Independent does not mean
learning alone.

Children learn from teachers, older students, peers and their own practice. The setting changes with the task, with guidance and support throughout.

A teacher working with a small group of children.

With a teacher.

Small-group workshops and individual follow-up help children take their next step.

An older student helping younger children with a robotics activity.

With other learners.

Working with peers and older students opens up different ways of understanding.

A quiet space for individual learning.

With room to focus.

Quiet spaces, shared tables and outdoor areas support different kinds of work.

Architectural visualisation of a proposed EPIC classroom with curved shared tables, flexible stools, floor mats and natural light.PROPOSED CLASSROOM · NEW CAMPUS

Architectural design visualisation. The final campus layout and finishes may change.

06 / THE NEW CAMPUS

Spaces designed around
how children learn.

At the planned campus on Poonamallee High Road, classrooms are being designed for movement between shared discovery, discussion, independent focus and practical work. Curved tables, flexible seats and places to pause support different ways of learning.

The design brings EPIC’s approach to life through the environment. Teachers will continue to guide how spaces are used and help each child choose what supports their next task.

07 / PEOPLE AND SPACES

A place for every
kind of learning.

Drawing on David Thornburg’s learning metaphors, The Pupil is planning spaces where students can listen, discuss, think quietly and apply ideas.

01

Listen

Learn from a teacher or an expert, ask questions and build shared understanding.

02

Discuss

Compare approaches with peers and learn through conversation.

03

Reflect

Read, think, revise and work independently when a task needs quiet attention.

04

Apply

Make, test, practise and connect ideas to meaningful work.

These are learning needs, not labels for dedicated rooms. Details of the proposed campus are subject to school confirmation.

Outcomes

What growth looks like.

Video stories coming soon.

A teacher working with a small group of children.

Exercises choice

Video coming soon
An older student helping younger students with robotics.

Learning with others

Video coming soon
A quiet space for individual learning.

Independent learning

Video coming soon
Saveetha mam, seated at home.
Saveetha mam · Founder, The Pupil International

Where EPIC began

“In New Zealand I met a child in Form 4 who could do calculus.”

If a child is ready for that, the school should let them go further. Another child may be in Form 8 and need Form 4 maths. We stay with that child until the basics are right. And the same child can be at different levels in different subjects. So we look at each subject: what does this child understand, where do they need help, what are they ready for next?

Good questions about EPIC

What EPIC is,
and is not.

Parents ask sharp questions. These are the ones we hear most.

Talk to admissions
An older student laughing with three younger children.
Is EPIC a gifted programme?
No. Every child has a curve, and every curve is respected. The child who needs more time on the basics gets as much of EPIC as the child who is ahead.
Is it open schooling, with no structure?
No. The curriculum is the IB, workshops and reflection are fixed, and a teacher checks every child’s plan. Choice lives inside a frame.
Will my child still sit the IB exams?
Yes. EPIC runs from Form 1 to Form 10 and changes how the IB is taught, not what is assessed. The Diploma Programme and its examinations are unchanged.
What if a child chooses badly?
Some do, at first. That is part of the learning. The Friday check and the daily reflection catch it early, and the next week’s plan is better.
How do I see my child’s progress?
The same way the child does: a level tracker per subject, and the week’s reflections.
The Pupil International School campus in Chennai.Our campus · Chennai
Come and see EPIC

Come and see
learning in action.

Meet the team, see the learning spaces and ask how EPIC would work for your child. Contact admissions to arrange a conversation.

Contact admissions
Senneerkuppam, Chennai

Video coming soon.

In their own words

EYP Story

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