Thinking & Learning Day

Forms I – VI were off-timetable for a whole day as they learned how to put Growth Mindset principles into practice.

After an assembly which conveyed the basic ideas behind Growth Mindset and showed how practising skills actually makes your brain grow, the children were divided into mixed age groups and headed for their first activities.

They practised how to give and receive feedback and created some beautiful butterfly drawings in the process. Another session had them collaborating in the building of a paper straw tower upon which a marshmallow was balanced – sometimes successfully…

The children loved learning to make various creatures out of paper in an origami class, as we tried to help them embrace challenges. Learning German numbers and tackling some very hard maths word problems led to discussions on mistakes and failure. We were able to reinforce how these things are okay and how we can learn from them. 

One for the most popular sessions involved setting up 500 dominoes in various shapes and then watching how they all toppled down. Resilience – a key component of Growth Mindset - was vital when they fell down of their own accord!

All-in-all, it was a hugely valuable day which has certainly given all the children a better idea of what Growth Mindset actually is and how it can really help them learn and succeed.

Adrian Downie
Director of Studies