January 8, 2024 10:30am
Moorings Way Infant School has been recognised for its excellence in delivering cognitive development teaching to its pupils, a report has said.
Moorings Way Infant School, a member of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, has been awarded Thinking Schools accreditation for the first time by the University of Exeter.
The award recognises the school's unique and effective approach to learning and education, providing pupils with the skillset and tools needed to think in a variety of ways and become lifelong learners.
The use of ‘Thinking Tools’ within lessons prepares the children for a range of situations that they may face as part of modern society, contributing to the school’s mission to support every child in being their best selves.
Thinking Schools at Exeter leads the way in research in metacognition, thinking skills, creativity, and dialogue in education, providing a structure for schools to become recognised Thinking Schools.
Moorings Way Infant School has worked hard to weave this framework into everyday life at the school, and this was recognised throughout the school’s assessment and subsequent accreditation.
The University of Exeter said in their report:
“The school has a prominent and visible thinking culture, and this is due to the excellent organisational structure and visual presentation. Questioning for Enquiry is used daily in order to develop reflective communication skills. The excellent ‘Be Your Best Self’ (BYBS) reflective journal adds further to the reflection dimension.
“Thinking Hats are also used in order to reflect on behavioural aspects. These reflections are subsequently shared with teachers and parents. This ensures that the thinking partnership between the school and parents is strong. Indeed, parents are fully involved in their children’s thinking successes.
“They also get an opportunity to actually see their child’s work via a range of engagement opportunities.”
The school joins Meon Infant School and Meon Junior School, are members of the same Trust and Meon Way Federation as a Thinking School.
Sara Paine, Executive Headteacher at Meon Way Federation, which leads Moorings Way, praised the staff and children for their hard work to achieve this accolade.
She said: “I’m delighted Moorings Way Infant School has received their Thinking Schools accreditation, and I’m particularly pleased about the reports praise for our collaboration between all three Meon Way Schools and others from across our Trust.
“We are fully committed to the implementation of the cognitive development agenda, which will prepare our children for the skills and knowledge they need to think about their thinking and be their best.”
Ruth Vonk, Head of School at Moorings Way, added:
“I want to congratulate the staff for all of the efforts they have put into helping Moorings Way Infants become a Thinking School, learning about these tools and imparting that knowledge to the children within their classes.
“This school has been on quite a journey over the years, but now when you look around the school, you can clearly see the signs of the Thinking School approach, as many of the pupils are engaged in active learning, and that’s the difference a Thinking School makes.”