Advanced Accredited Thinking School

A Cognitive Approach to Education

As part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, we take pride in the unique approach we take to education: we provide our children with the skills and tools they need to think in a variety of ways and become lifelong learners. The transferrable Thinking Tools that we teach our pupils are designed to prepare them for the range of scenarios, dilemmas and circumstances that they may face in later life as part of modern society.

On our journey toward being acknowledged as a centre of best practice in this field, we recently gained Level 2 Advanced Accreditation as a Thinking School from University of Exeter’s prestigious Cognitive Education Development Unit. We are delighted to be part of this illustrious company with only a handful of schools in the country having received this accreditation. 

 

The University of Exeter’s report highlights a wide range of other strengths, including:

  • Best practice sharing “within the school, across all curriculum areas, with all sections of staff participating in regular formal development sessions and more informal staff training events.
  • “Students are able to make independent choices for particular thinking tools, dependent on the task ahead and they are able to utilise their thinking skills in a wide variety of contexts.”
  • Students “display sophisticated levels of understanding of Thinking Skills, both in terms of their ability to use the wide variety of thinking tools, but also in their awareness of the reasons behind Teaching Thinking.”
  • The report also noted that it is “particularly impressive to see staff engaging critically in the exploration and evaluation of new ideas for teaching and learning, as well as with underlying educational and psychological mechanisms such as meta-cognition.”
  • The school shares its “extensive expertise and outstanding practice of thinking skills with other schools.”

What is a Thinking School?

A Thinking School is unique in their focus to share with your child the tools to become a life-long learner, and to develop the best possible habits for success in life. It is an educational community which involves both students and staff learning how to think reflectively, critically and creatively. A Thinking School is more than just a title, to become one the school has to earn the Thinking accreditation from Exeter University.

We want every student in our schools to be inquisitive and confident in themselves. Our thinking toolkit is how we support them through this journey. These tools are used in tandem with an approach to teaching that instils a growth mindest and ‘can do’ attitude. Through their time in a Thinking School, students will develop the right habits to ensure they are successful throughout education and beyond.

More information on Thinking Schools, including our ‘Habits of Mind’ and ‘CoRT Tools’ can be found on our Trust website: https://www.tsatrust.org.uk/what-is-a-thinking-school/

Thinking Tools and Strategies

Thinking Maps

Thinking Maps are eight graphic organisers that foster students’ abilities to see connections across their studies and encourage lifelong learning. Taken together they form a visual language of learning that is shared by staff and students.

Thinking Maps - A Guide

Thinking Keys

Thinking Keys are a set of twenty different ways of approaching an issue or subject designed to engage and motivate learners in a range of thinking activities.

Thinking Keys - A Guide

Thinking Hats

Thinking Hats provide a practical method of directed cognition. Each of six distinct types of thinking are represented by a different coloured hat. When an individual is ‘wearing’ a specific hat they focus their thinking in the associated manner. Consequently the method helps people be more productive, focused, and mindfully involved.

Thinking Hats - A Guide