Furzeham Primary celebrates Thinking School status with top accreditation

Thinking serves as a ‘golden thread’ at Furzeham, creating lifelong learners through metacognitive tools

Furzeham Primary and Nursery School has been awarded the esteemed Thinking School Accreditation by the University of Exeter, placing the school among 17 other schools within its multi-academy trust and one of the first in Brixham to have attained Thinking School status.

As part of the Thinking Schools Academy Trust, Furzeham Primary and Nursery School has a unique and effective approach to education by providing pupils with the skillset and tools needed to think in a variety of ways and become lifelong learners. These transferrable ‘Thinking Tools’ prepare pupils for a range of situations that they may face as part of modern society.

After joining the Trust in November 2022, the school embarked on its journey towards achieving Thinking School status. Accredited by the University of Exeter, Thinking Schools leads the way in research in Metacognition, Thinking Skills, Creativity and Dialogue in Education, providing a structure for schools to become recognised Thinking Schools.

In May 2024, the school hosted a ‘Celebration of Learning’ event, showcasing its commitment to embedding thinking tools such as Habits of Mind, Thinking Hats, Thinking Maps, and Thinkers Keys. A standout initiative was "Mini Thinkers Drive Team," a group of pupils from Year 2 to Year 6 who are dedicated to promoting the 16 Habits of Mind that enhance their critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills.

The innovative approach to learning was reflected in the school’s recent SAT results which were above the national average in Reading, Writing and Maths and the combined results as well as other areas such as Phonics, Science, grammar, punctuation and spelling.

The accreditation report praised the school’s evidence-based approach to cognitive learning, which integrates elements such as cognitive load, memory, and schema development, into everyday teaching strategies. Beyond this, Furzeham Primary School was also lauded for its inclusive approach, extending learning outside of the classroom by providing parents with resources to support cognitive development at home.

In Furzeham’s assessment report, the University of Exeter commended the school for embedding Thinking Skills within the school's culture, stating: “Thinking Skills are embedded within the culture of Furzeham Primary School. Thinking serves as a ‘golden thread’ throughout the school. Since the school set out to gain Thinking School status, it has gone from strength to strength with its work surrounding metacognitive development. These tools have been skilfully introduced and embedded including Habits of Mind, Thinking Hats, Thinking Maps, and Thinkers Keys.

“Furzeham Primary School is relentless in pursuing high standards of achievement. However, it is lifelong holistic learning that is placed at the core of the educational provision at the school and not just the end result. Subject specific learning sits alongside wider dimensions such as the development of psychological wellbeing and dispositional growth. Underpinning this provision is a fully inclusive pastoral care provision embracing children, parents, staff and the community. This has the school’s values firmly at its core.”

Claire Thompson, deputy head at Furzeham Primary School, who led the school’s application to achieve the Thinking Schools Accreditation, said: "It’s been such a rewarding journey leading this accreditation process. The dedication from our team and the enthusiasm from our pupils has been incredible. Our focus on embedding deep thinking into everyday learning has been recognised, and I'm excited to see how we can build on this accomplishment and aim for the advanced accreditation in the future."

Paul Adams, Headteacher of Furzeham Primary and Nursery School said: “I'm incredibly proud of the amazing effort from both our staff and pupils over the last two years, which has led to us being the first school in the South West within our Trust to achieve this fantastic accreditation. We've worked really hard to make thinking an everyday part of life here at Furzeham Primary, and I'm excited to continue to enhance the learning experience for our pupils."

Jay Davenport, director of education in the South West at Thinking Schools Academy Trust, said: “I want to congratulate the staff for all of the efforts they have put into helping Furzeham Primary and Nursery School become a Thinking School. The staff have embraced these tools and passed that knowledge on to their pupils, creating an environment where active learning thrives. You can clearly see the signs of the Thinking School approach, as many of the pupils are engaged in active learning, and that’s the difference a Thinking School makes.”