Mount Kelly is an Accredited ‘Thinking School’
Curiosity is at the heart of learning at Mount Kelly. Our dedicated teachers inspire pupils to think critically, solve creatively, and achieve their personal best. With small class sizes and tailored support, we empower every pupil to excel academically and embrace a lifelong love of learning.
Key extracts from the accreditation report
Pupil progression through phases has high priority at Mount Kelly. Indeed, the all-through educational vision is a true reality. The school’s Thinking School journey started in earnest in 2021 when it pursued its Thinking School vision via high-quality training and consultancy. This has continued to intensify, and developments have been rapid and impactful. A number of foci have been skilfully introduced. This is illustrative of the school’s commitment to foster creative deep thinking for all pupils.
Mount Kelly has a visible thinking culture, and this is due to the excellent organisational structure where metacognitive developments are prioritised. This is captured well in the school’s curriculum where the pursuit of lifelong learning in an integral element. Mount Kelly also demonstrates a holistic approach to this where emotional, physical, academic, social, moral, spiritual and cultural development are prioritised. Sports, Science and the Arts add to this rich educational provision. High quality communications with parents ensure that the thinking partnership between the school and parents is strong. Public forums provide rich opportunities to share children’s thinking successes. The high premium placed on celebration and displays further strengthen the Thinking School ethos and culture. Children are explicitly encouraged to become independent learners where the use of metacognitive tools and strategies are the norm. As a consequence of these actions, the whole learning community is equipped to support children’s learning.
There is ample evidence to indicate that Mount Kelly is receptive to change and innovation. The development of cognitive approaches has been part of the school’s vision and drive for improvement for a number of years in response to ensuring that the school has an explicit purpose based upon inclusive educational values that would serve as the foundation for a strategic move forward.
It is clear… that Thinking Skills are embedded within the culture of Mount Kelly. Indeed, thinking serves as a ‘golden thread’ throughout the school.
The school’s Learning and Teaching approach is built on evidence-based cognitive principles embracing elements drawn from Cognitive Science. Of particular note, is the integration of Thinking Tools with the rich curriculum offer. Mount Kelly has a clear ‘Learner Profile’ and thinking language. Mount Kelleians are encouraged to take the risk of being more than what they think they are and to show resilience when things go wrong. The Mount Kelly Critical Thinking Policy operationalises this wonderfully and it specifically identifies key 21st century skills such as:
• Collaboration and Communication
• Creativity and Innovation
• Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
• Digital Literacy and Information Fluency
• Flexibility and Adaptability.
