“Education is the adventure that never ends, always leading you to new discoveries.” “Through education, we plant the seeds of curiosity that grow into the trees of knowledge.” Allan Bloom

 

At our school, we are committed to developing children as thoughtful, reflective, and independent learners. As part of this, we are proud to adopt a Thinking Schools approach, which places thinking at the heart of everything we do.

This approach helps children to understand not just what they are learning, but how they learn best. Through the use of clear thinking tools, strategies, and a shared language of learning, children become more confident in organising their ideas, solving problems, and making meaningful connections across subjects.

We encourage our pupils to ask questions, think deeply, and reflect on their learning. By explicitly teaching skills such as reasoning, collaboration, and metacognition (thinking about thinking), we aim to equip children with the tools they need to become resilient, lifelong learners.

Our classrooms are environments where curiosity is celebrated, mistakes are valued as part of the learning process, and every child is supported to develop their own voice as a learner.

We are excited to continue embedding this approach across the school, ensuring that all children are empowered to think independently and achieve their full potential.

Thinking Tools We Use

As part of our Thinking Schools approach, we use a range of practical tools and strategies to help children organise their ideas, deepen their understanding, and become more independent learners.

These include:

• Graphic organisers– visual tools that help children structure their thinking, such as organising ideas, comparing concepts, sequencing events, and showing cause and effect
• A Shared Language of Thinking – we use consistent vocabulary across the school to help children talk about their learning, for example using words such as analyse, evaluate, reflect, and justify
• Questioning Techniques – including open-ended questions and prompts based on approaches such as Bloom’s Taxonomy, encouraging deeper thinking and reasoning
• Collaborative Learning Strategies – giving children opportunities to discuss, share ideas, and learn from one another
• Metacognition Strategies – supporting children to think about how they learn, set goals, and reflect on their progress.
• Planned for Retrieval Practice

By using these tools consistently across subjects, we help children to build confidence in their thinking, take ownership of their learning, and develop skills that will support them both in school and beyond.

The six effective strategies for learning.

The six effective strategies for learning help pupils remember more and understand their learning deeply. These include retrieval practice, spaced practice, interleaving, elaboration, concrete examples and dual coding. Together, they support pupils to build confidence, strengthen memory and make steady, meaningful progress.

Graphic Organisers.

Graphic organisers are clear, visual tools that help pupils organise and understand their ideas. They can take many forms, such as thought showers,  brain dumps, charts or diagrams, and support learners in breaking down information, making connections and structuring their thinking. By using graphic organisers, pupils are better able to plan their writing, summarise key points and develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning. This approach helps build confidence, supports clear communication and ensures learning is both accessible and meaningful.

 

Retrieval Practice.

Retrieval practice helps pupils remember learning by actively recalling information rather than just re-reading it. Often carried out as low-stakes activities—such as short quizzes, questioning or flashcards—it removes pressure while strengthening memory over time. This approach helps pupils build confidence, retain knowledge more effectively and make steady progress.

Leitner

The Leitner flashcard method is a simple and effective way to help pupils remember key information over time. It works by sorting flashcards into groups based on how well each one is known. Cards that are answered correctly are reviewed less often, while those that are more difficult are revisited more regularly. This is one of our favourite strategies in school. The approach helps children focus on what they need to practise most, building confidence and supporting strong, long-lasting learning. Click on the link below to see this in practice.

Leitner- click here.

Oracy

Oracy is a key part of our Thinking Schools approach. We believe that developing strong speaking and listening skills is essential for learning and for life. Through structured talk opportunities, children are encouraged to express their ideas clearly, listen carefully to others, and build on different viewpoints. We explicitly teach skills such as using appropriate vocabulary, speaking with confidence, and engaging in respectful discussion and debate. By embedding oracy across all areas of the curriculum, we help children to deepen their understanding, strengthen their reasoning, and develop their voice as confident communicators.