Thinking Matters Consultant, Lorna Gardiner, recently met with Angela Sandow, Headteacher and Bex White, Assistant Headteacher and Drive Team Leader at Saxon Way Primary School to find out how they have taken forward the Thinking School approach during their first year and what impact they are seeing to date.

A film documentary by Neasa Ní Chainaín and Declan McGrath

A review by Lorna Gardiner, Consultant, Thinking Matters

Kenneth Branagh’s film ‘Belfast’ has received much critical acclaim and box office success, but another recently released film based in the city of Belfast is also worth a watch – especially for anyone interested in education.

Young Plato is an observational documentary which tells the story of a dedicated and charismatic school principal, Kevin McArevey, who introduced the teaching of Philosophy as a way of encouraging students to think critically and creatively, outside their existing community mindsets.

In October 2019, one of our senior teachers attended a workshop that introduced Thinking Matters and a whole school approach to metacognition at the National Education show in Cardiff. The clear links between the Thinking School approach and the new Curriculum for Wales excited us so, as a leadership team, we decided to do some further research.

Richard Cummins retires after 20 years of founding, leading and growing Thinking Matters – he leaves a lasting legacy.