Teaching & Learning

Thinking School

Priory Integrated College is an accredited Thinking School. A Thinking School aims to share with pupils 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.

Below are the strategies we are using as a Thinking School:

1. Using Thinking Frames to support our students

Teachers adopt thinking frames which make thinking visible using a graphic organiser. Like a writing frame, a thinking frame uses prompts to help students work through an activity. Thinking Frames motivate and engage children by giving them a vehicle to share their thoughts, aid in higher order thinking and ultimately help with oral and written work.

2. Teachers adopt the role of cognitive coaches

Teachers understand the science of learning and with that adopt a range of learning and teaching strategies to strengthen the cognitive processes of pupils including how information is presented and disseminated; the use of skilful questioning and regular giving expert feedback for pupil improvement.

3. Using metacognitive strategies

Metacognitive strategies empower students to think about their own thinking. The College supports metacognition through regular and ongoing opportunities for pupils to reflect on the performance and consider strategies and approaches to improve this.

4. Embedding learning behaviours for successful learning

Not only are we interested in how many answers students know, but also in knowing how they behave when they DON’T know. The College are developing key habits of mind in pupils to teach pupils responses to questions and solutions to problems which are not immediately know. We are interested in observing how students produce knowledge rather than how they reproduce it!