Twitter @BartonCourtGS

07/06/23

Our talented caretaker, Mr Robinson, has taken some stunning footage of the school and surrounding countryside at sunset. Take a look!https://t.co/NHdjGjX7gZ pic.twitter.com/ERJO8OvCf0

25/05/23

Y7/8 students got creative making scenes featuring their favourite historical event/person using an egg, art materials & their imagination. Eva won with her Floregg Nightingale scene & Victor was runner up with his take on Henry VIII and his 6 wives. Look how creative they were! pic.twitter.com/kDEPYocv2O

24/05/23

Introducing our new Senior Prefect Team for 2023-2024. With Jack and Sienna as Head Students, Gracie and Jared as Deputies and Kamana and Ewan as Assistants, we're sure to see lots of positive impact around the School. pic.twitter.com/iNX8xpT34c

22/05/23

It was great to celebrate the last day with our amazing Y13 students. They have all been a credit to the School and we wish them all the best of luck with their upcoming exams and future careers. pic.twitter.com/GihTagnJOI

22/05/23

Well done to Will & Will who played for Canterbury U14s v Beeston in the Hockey National Plate Final in Nottingham. One was Captain of the Team & the other scored a hattrick to win 4-2 resulting in third overall. The Kent Team also won in the SE Regional league the same weekend pic.twitter.com/J4zJwsU0xP

19/05/23

A great one point perspective drawing by Noah in Y7 for our Art of the Fortnight. Students are learning how to use one point perspective to create a sense of depth in their drawings & will be moving onto drawing street views next before learning about two point perspective. pic.twitter.com/7FfExTKMFs

15/05/23

It's Mental Health Awareness Week so can we remind students & their families of the resources we've already directed them to ie Kooth, plus for parents, Parents Mental Health Support/Advice for Your Child/Young Minds for young people’s mental health & the adults they live with. pic.twitter.com/24Mf4B2J1q

15/05/23

Wonderful pic of the School's pond from our talented Caretaker and his drone! pic.twitter.com/dTJbiOFZU5

11/05/23

Thank you to all those who have booked their Y5 child onto our Taster Morning in June. This event is now full.We are looking to meeting everyone and having a fun morning.

10/05/23

Fabulous trips to London and with our Spanish exchange visitors! pic.twitter.com/EmkcQw36sE

05/05/23

Some of our Y13 & Y9 students were delighted to be invited back to play at the Kent MS Centre this week for a Coronation themed tea providing jazz music underneath red, white & blue bunting as guests arrived. Visit https://t.co/sblUyIM1GS for more information about their work. pic.twitter.com/ea9ePl9pvo

02/05/23

Year 5 students from local primary schools attended a Maths workshop at BCGS last month when they explored number theory as well as properties of negative numbers. Despite working in a new environment, they produced some superb team work and loved every minute! pic.twitter.com/hSdl67sSgW

28/04/23

This week Y8 students have been investigating the theme of their identity in art & have created a side profile portrait silhouette shape filled with complex overlapping drawn imagery & text, linking to their identity & favourite things. pic.twitter.com/7ilFIGkzIX

28/04/23

We're hosting our annual Y5 Taster Morning again this year on Saturday 24 June. Please go to our website to view the details & complete the electronic application form if you would like your Y5 primary school child to sample a small taste of life at BCGS.https://t.co/svYOEOxg5A pic.twitter.com/1lLnrT11kY

19/04/23

A date for your diaries - the Immunisation Team will be with us next week, on Thursday 27 and Friday 28 April pic.twitter.com/WFbSVAenSq

06/04/23

Well here's something a bit different - Kinball and Sitting Volley Ball in UV PE! Brilliant fun! pic.twitter.com/kPYIMHFMOi

05/04/23

Another fabulous pic from our talented Caretaker! pic.twitter.com/Uy0TCzlmZN

05/04/23

If you like the plans for the youth hub to support young people of canterbury click https://t.co/NCTyRshf3P to add your support to our planning application pic.twitter.com/43yCxu0JPL

05/04/23

An amazing visit by a group of Japanese Teachers who taught a group of Y8 students all about calligraphy, origami and the Japanese language. pic.twitter.com/orrZyNQMUH

03/04/23

Well done to our Y13 students who raised over £150 during the Y13 Charity Week and a big well done to one lucky winner in Y13 who won the “Guess the Name of the Bear”! pic.twitter.com/p4aXaaFUXJ

03/04/23

Maria Sibylla Merian, naturalist and scientific illustrator, was born in 1647. She collected insects and raised silkworms as a young girl, and was one of the first naturalists to observe insects directly and document metamorphosis. Watch our video with : pic.twitter.com/3Vy8HJWXmw

31/03/23

BCGS, BMS & SLBGS participated in the Debate Club Tournament won by BCGS with student prizes to BCGS/BMS for excellent debating skills:Guns should be outlawed in AmericaMobile phones should be banned for primary school children The death penalty should be reinstated in the UK pic.twitter.com/igFE3heMZf

30/03/23

Fantastic visit enjoyed by Y12 Mathematicians from BCGS to the School of Mathematics at the University of Kent, where they attended lectures and took part in hands-on activities. A very enjoyable and enriching day! Thank you pic.twitter.com/yRTMWXYF2E

27/03/23

Good luck to the BCGS Girls Netball Team taking part in the District Netball Tournament this week.

23/03/23

A new free & confidential scheme operated by Citizen Advice supporting people in Kent who are struggling financially or need support to manage the rising cost of living has been launched https://t.co/Rwyqt0zSEx. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, freephone 0800 808 5622 pic.twitter.com/9axqWCl69j

Why Thinking Schools?

Barton Court has chosen the Thinking School Approach because it is “transformational”.

Why?

  • “It is hard to achieve and therefore worth doing”
  • It has, at its heart, a complete focus on transforming learning rather than just teaching
  • It has sustainability
  • If successful it creates a common language of learning
  • Students use thinking tools independently
  • It has helped create an environment of “continuous improvement” and striving for the next challenge
  • “It breaks down geographical, political, cultural and financial disparities and barriers” (RGS)

In order to try to explain our decision to become a Thinking School, the information below has been organised using the De Bono’s 6 Hat Thinking Strategies. This Thinking Tool allows us to analyse and evaluate information from a variety of perspectives. The green and red hat thinking poses questions for you to consider.

Thinking Hat   WhiteThe White Hat (Facts and Statistics)

We are committed to the development of cognitive education and we invest, time, energy and money into research, development and evaluation of a broad range of thinking tools and activities. We have a team of teachers who are committed to develop the Thinking School approach. We have a Thinking Map accredited trainer who has trained all staff on the use of the 8 Thinking Maps and we have Lead Practitioners working on the development of Thinking Hats, Habits of Mind and Thinkers Keys. Whole staff have been trained in the use of the 6 Hats. We are proud to say that we have embedded the 8 maps in our curriculum, pastoral and leadership programmes and are starting to do the same with the Hats. We have been attending the International Thinking School Conference for the last two years where we have been given the chance to work with TSI (Thinking Schools International) and Kestrel Education. This allows us to make connections with other schools and to work with external consultants providing excellent CPD.

Thinking Hat   BlueThe Blue Hat (Organisational Aspects)

The idea of a Thinking School must transcend the entire organisation from the Head teacher and Governors, Senior/Middle Leaders, teachers, support staff and students. The Thinking agenda is largely driven by the Assistant Head teacher (Mrs Benard-Grosso) together with the Senior Lead Practitioner (Nick Harvey) and the Lead Practitioner team and Staff Drive Team driven by the Head teacher. We also have a team of motivated and committed Thinking School Representatives who are part of our Student Drive Team.  All these individuals have a real passion for developing cognitive education within the School.

All members of staff are expected to help with the implementation, development and assessment of thinking strategies. This applies to Form Tutors, Curriculum Leaders, the Senior Leadership Team, teaching staff and administrative staff. The commitment to cognitive education and ways of thinking are part of performance management for ALL staff.

Thinking Hat   YellowThe Yellow Hat (All the great things!)

So what has happened as a result of introducing these strategies and ideas?

  • Work has become more visual, structured, concise and more personalised
  • There are more transferrable skills between curriculum areas
  • There is a clear school vision
  • Increased dialogue between curriculum areas and teaching staff
  • Clarity of CPD and performance management
  • Student understanding of different thought processes
  • Lessons are more varied and more interactive
  • Students and staff are becoming even more reflective
  • Higher level questioning has become natural
  • Students are beginning to take more ownership and responsibility for their work
  • Our message is spreading to other secondary schools, partnership schools and feeder schools
  • Students are moving from what they know to how they know
  • Students are becoming more fluent in how to explain their own thinking
  • A pastoral programme that is meaningful and reflective

Thinkin Hat   BlackThe Black Hat ( The Challenges and Barriers/ Problems)

  • Implementing new ideas to begin with seems forced, disingenuous and ironically leads to a lack of originality in lessons
  • How to train whole staff and students? Through enrichment day?
  • Maps can be used as a graphic support and not as a thinking process.
  • Once a new strategy is embedded along comes another!  When do we stop and how do we sustain what we have?
  • Training new staff ( incl. NQTs, PGCEs)
  • New students - how do we induct them without increasing work for ourselves?
  • How to ensure consistency?
  • How to engage everyone without creating confusion/ irritation and lack of independence
  • Performance management – encourage teachers even if they do not agree with the principle of cognitive education.  The issue of the tick box approach?
  • Sustainability – staff turnover?

Thinking Hat   RedThe Red Hat (Emotional Response)

  • As a potential teacher/ leader, how do you feel about our thinking skills approach?
  • Ask yourself how well you would fit in. Does the thought of this inspire you or the opposite?
  • How do you feel about delivering this in the classroom/ curriculum/ pastoral?
  • What is your immediate reaction? Your “gut feeling”?

Thinking Hat   GreenThe Green Hat (Creativity/Solutions)

  • Take a look at the Black Hat again. What ideas could you bring to knock down some of these brick walls?
  • What experience have you had with similar problems? How did you solve or approach these?
  • Have you used any thinking strategies in your previous jobs? Were they successful? What can we learn from your experience
  • What can you offer to BCGS as a thinking school?