Inset

If you’ve had a look around our website at the courses that we offer for students, you’ll have gathered by now that we are really into the importance of developing skills in independent thinking and independent learning. So if you’d like to run an INSET session to inspire your staff with some ideas for how they can build more of this kind of thing into their lessons, we’ve got lots of practical ideas and educational theory to talk to them about. As you might have guessed, our INSET days are interactive, fun and practical too. We don’t do lengthy “sit and listen” presentations!

If you call us to ask about INSET, the first thing we will do is listen. Then we would make some suggestions and plan a programme for you that will fit your needs. To give you a general idea of the kind of topics and questions we could address see below:

For Whole Staff INSET:

Developing Skills in Independent Thinking

“Unthinking respect for authority is the greatest enemy of truth.” – Albert Einstein

Sample Questions

• What are the fundamental skills and attributes of a true independent thinker?
• What subtle changes can we make to our teaching style to continuously nurture these in the classroom without taking time away from the syllabus?
• How can we create a classroom culture of investigation and adventurous thinking?
• What techniques can we use to keep all students actively engaged and motivated?
• How can we stimulate students to think in more depth for longer?
• If a student asks an exciting question that interrupts the flow of our lesson, how should we deal with it?

Developing Skills in Independent Learning

Empowering students with the tools and motivation to take responsibility for their own academic success

Sample Questions

• What are the fundamental skills and attributes of a true independent learner?
• How do I give students freedom and still ensure that work gets done?
• How can we encourage students to gain a stronger sense of ownership when deciding how to interpret or structure a piece of work?
• What activities can we use to develop students’ skills in resourcefulness?
• How can we encourage students to become more consciously aware of how their work meets assessment criteria?
• What techniques can we use to get students into the habit of identifying their own areas for improvement?

For Middle Management or a smaller group of “Champions”:

Champions for Change

A 3-day progressive professional development programme staggered over one term. This programme focuses on empowering a smaller staff team of enthusiasts with techniques to try out themselves and then impart to other staff over time. We will visit your school on three separate days and provide support for how to mentor others.

Download a PDF of a programme we designed for one school.

Our mission and values

Wiser...

We wish to motivate young people to gain independence of mind, to think critically and analytically and to take pride in being mentally alert and logically disciplined. We hope to inspire a hunger for deeper understanding, an adventurous attitude in the exploration of ideas and an appreciation for the intrinsic value of education.

...Words

We aim to encourage young people to gain a stronger command of the language they use, to develop confidence in expressing themselves and to take pride in being articulate and well-presented.