Our Journey Towards Becoming a Thinking School

At Sir John Heron Primary School, we are committed to developing not just students' academic abilities but their thinking skills as well. Our mission is to nurture curious, reflective, and independent thinkers who can navigate the complexities of the modern world. To achieve this, we are embarking on an exciting journey to adopting a Thinking School approach.

What is a Thinking School?

A Thinking School places the development of thinking at the heart of its approach to teaching and learning. By creating a culture that values critical, creative, and reflective thinking, we aim to empower our students with the tools to think deeply, solve problems effectively, and engage meaningfully with the world around them.

Why Are We Becoming a Thinking School?

In today’s fast-paced, ever-changing world, the ability to think critically is more important than ever. At Sir John Heron Primary School, we believe that equipping students with strong thinking skills will enable them to:

• Solve complex problems with creativity and innovation.
• Adapt to new situations and challenges with confidence.
• Collaborate effectively with others to achieve shared goals.
• Reflect on their learning and continuously improve their skills.
• By embedding these habits of mind into every aspect of school life, we prepare students for lifelong learning and success.

How We’re Doing It: The Thinking School Approach

Our Thinking School journey is guided by research-based strategies and best practices in cognitive education. Some of the key elements of our approach include:

• Thinking Tools: We teach students how to use thinking maps, graphic organisers, and other visual tools to organise their thoughts and understand complex concepts.
• Questioning Techniques: Our teachers use a range of questioning strategies to encourage higher-order thinking and help students explore ideas deeply.
• Metacognition: We encourage students to be aware of their own thinking processes (thinking about thinking) and to reflect on how they approach tasks and challenges.
• Collaborative Learning: Group work and peer-to-peer interactions are central to our classrooms, helping students learn from one another and build collaborative thinking skills.
• Visible Thinking: We make thinking visible by encouraging students to share their thought processes, ask questions, and make connections between ideas.

The Benefits for Our Students

Becoming a Thinking School will help us cultivate an environment where students can:

• Become self-directed learners who take ownership of their education.
• Develop resilience by learning how to approach problems from multiple perspectives.
• Grow in confidence as they become skilled at reasoning, decision-making, and problem-solving.
• Improve academic performance through more engaged and reflective learning.

Our Next Steps

Our journey towards Thinking School status is ongoing and involves the whole school community—students, teachers, and parents. In the coming months, we will be implementing professional development programs for staff, integrating thinking skills across the curriculum, and engaging students in exciting new initiatives that foster a love for thinking and learning.

We look forward to sharing our progress and successes with you as we continue on this path to becoming a Thinking School. Together, we will create a learning environment that not only builds knowledge but also the skills and mindsets that will serve our students throughout their lives.