Develop and promote the learner profile
Build a shared responsibility across the whole community, with attributes permeating daily life.
IB Learner Profile
IB Learner Profile for Schools with NatureNurture
The IB learner profile is the IB mission in action. It describes ten attributes that go beyond academic success and shape a school’s culture: inquirers, knowledgeable thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risk-takers, balanced, and reflective. These attributes apply across all IB programmes and guide how learners think, act, and contribute to their communities.
Why it matters for school leaders
IB Curriculum Programme Standards and Practices expect schools to develop and promote the learner profile across the whole community. Planning, written curriculum, and classroom practice must foster these attributes. This is not optional. It is part of how an IB World School sustains quality.
Foster attributes in planning, curriculum, practice
Make attributes explicit in unit plans, feedback, success criteria, and portfolios.
Sustain quality as an IB World School
Meet Programme Standards and Practices with consistent implementation and evidence of growth.
How NatureNurture helps you implement the IB learner profile
NatureNurture partners with schools to embed expectations through a 21st-century, experiential approach that aligns with multiple boards and prioritises teacher support and curriculum design. Schools use us as a long-term partner to build a holistic learning ecosystem rather than a one-off vendor.
Curriculum mapping with ATL alignment
Map the ten attributes to unit plans and Approaches to Learning skills so teachers can teach the ‘how to learn’ alongside content.
Unit planners and resources
Ready-to-use lesson flows, discussion prompts, and reflection tasks ensure attributes are explicit in PYP, MYP, and DP.
Teacher professional learning
Workshops on making attributes visible in feedback, success criteria, and portfolios.
Assessment for growth
Attribute-aligned rubrics and student self-assessment capture evidence of dispositions without turning them into narrow grades.
Whole-school culture
Displays, assemblies, and parent communication plans build a shared language around the learner profile.
International-mindedness
In the Primary Years Programme, the learner profile permeates daily life and signals international-mindedness across the community.
Quick reference table for leaders
These cues align with the IB’s list of attributes and help teams make them practical in everyday teaching.
| Attribute | What it looks like in students | A simple classroom move |
|---|---|---|
| Inquirers | Ask better questions and plan investigations | Start lessons with student-generated questions |
| Knowledgeable | Connect new ideas to prior learning | Use concept maps to show links across subjects |
| Thinkers | Analyse and evaluate before deciding | Build in “think time” and visible reasoning |
| Communicators | Present ideas clearly in many modes | Rotate roles in group tasks to practise speaking and listening |
| Principled | Take responsibility for actions | Co-create class agreements and revisit them |
| Open-minded | Consider multiple perspectives | Use viewpoints routines with real examples |
| Caring | Act with empathy and kindness | Plan peer-support roles in projects |
| Risk-takers | Try new approaches with forethought | Invite low-stakes trials before final submissions |
| Balanced | Manage time, health, and commitments | Set weekly balance goals in planners |
| Reflective | Set goals and act on feedback | End units with student-led reflection conferences |
FAQs
Is it still called ‘risk-takers'?
Yes. IB’s current learner profile lists ‘risk-takers’ as one of the ten attributes on its official page, most recently updated in 2025.
How are attributes assessed?
The IB does not require academic grading of attributes. Schools evidence growth through reflection, portfolios, planning notes, and community practice, as part of standards and practices and programme guidance.
How do attributes link to ATL skills?
Approaches to Learning are strategies and skills that support learning and are intrinsically linked to the learner profile. Teaching them together helps students learn how to learn.
Ready to integrate the learner profile school‑wide?
If you want a school-wide plan to integrate the IB learner profile with unit mapping, ATL, and assessment, we can help you set it up and train your team through the term.
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