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

Breadth Thinking Tools

CoRT Thinking Lessons have been taught in schools since the mid 1970s. They have since become the most widely used school materials for the direct teaching of thinking as a basic skill worldwide.

All of this experience has contributed to developing CoRT Thinking Lessons that:

1. Are practical and hands-on in nature.

2. Can be taught as a separate subject–thinking skills–or embedded in existing curriculum to strengthen student learning and develop independent thinkers.

3. Are focused on equipping students to become effective, open-minded thinkers–critical, creative, constructive, and comprehensive.

4. Address the increasing interest and recognition for the need to teach thinking as a basic skill along with reading, writing, and mathematics; the traditional basics.

5. Can be used in a wide variety of situations from schools in disadvantaged areas to elite schools to students being home schooled.

6. Appeal to a wide range of ages (6-adult) and abilities (IQs of 75-140).

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Think of a person setting out to learn to be a carpenter. Each carpenter's tool is designed to carry out a specific function. The carpenter learns when and how to use each of the tools one-by-one. A lot of practice is required to become a skilled carpenter. Learning to become a skilled thinker is the same approach: to make the basic operations of thinking second nature so that they are carried out automatically, smoothly, and without fuss or effort.

P4C – is short for Philosophy for Children.

Children are taught how to create their own philosophical questions. They then choose one question that is the focus of a philosophical enquiry, or dialogue.  For example the question might be 'is it ever ok to steal? 

The teacher, as facilitator, supports the children in their thinking, reasoning and questioning, as well as the way the children speak and listen to each other in the dialogue.  After the enquiry the children and facilitator reflect on the quality of the thinking, reasoning and participation, and suggest how they could improve; either as individuals or as a group (community).

P4C is intended to be a regular activity so that the children develop their skills and understanding over time.  The role of the facilitator is crucial to ensuring quality dialogue and progress, as well as integration with the curriculum.

It is well documented that P4C has an impact on children's cognitive, social and emotional development. P4C is about getting children to think and communicate well; to think better for themselves.

P4C is a thorough pedagogy with considerable academic pedigree. Professor Matthew Lipman, frustrated by his students’ lack of engagement with learning and thinking, was influenced by educationalists and philosophers such as Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey as well as the tradition of Socratic dialogue.

"If we expect pupils to engage in more creative and stimulating thought process, we, as teachers must encourage them by asking higher level questions."

 

Linking higher order Questioning with higher order Thinking.

- Developed initially in 1050's by Benjamin Bloom, readapted and significantly improved by Lorin Anderson in 1990's.

- Hierarchy of 6 developmental stages of thinking which become increasingly complex and demanding.

- The levels of thinking can be applied to developing questioning across all levels of schooling and in areas of learning.

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Deeper questioning and anticipated deeper response is developed from top left to bottom right.

Get pupils to come up with their own questions by choosing a word from the left-most column followed by a word from the top row.

Eg.

What Is… the time / the name of… etc

When Will… the reaction stop if I use X grams of Y?

How Might… we use photosynthesis to overcome the impact of burning fossil fuels?