Our Learning Powers 

Inspired by the attitudes and values of the Saints, our learning powers are embedded within all aspects of school life, including policies, procedures and a broad, balanced, curriculum: equipping children with a positive mindset and the skills needed to ‘have life and have it to the full.’ John 10:10

Growth Mindset

🌱 What Is a Growth Mindset?

The idea of a growth mindset comes from psychologist Professor Carol Dweck, who discovered that the way children think about learning and intelligence can have a big impact on how they grow and succeed.

Children with a growth mindset believe that:

• Their abilities can improve with effort, practice, and learning.
• Mistakes are part of learning, not something to fear.
• Challenges are opportunities to grow their brain — like exercise for the mind!

In contrast, a fixed mindset is when children believe:

• They’re either “good” or “bad” at something, and that won’t change.
• If something is hard, it means they’re not smart.
• They should avoid trying in case they fail.

🧠 Why It Matters

Research shows that children who develop a growth mindset:

• Are more resilient and confident.
• Try harder when things get tough.
• Learn from feedback instead of feeling discouraged.
• Are more likely to enjoy learning and take pride in progress.

👨‍👩‍👧 How Parents Can Help

You don’t need to be a teacher to nurture a growth mindset at home. Here are a few simple ways:

• Praise effort, not just results: Instead of saying “You’re so smart,” try “I’m proud of how hard you worked.”
• Celebrate mistakes: Talk about what went wrong and what can be learned.
• Model persistence: Share your own challenges and how you overcame them.
• Use “yet” language: If your child says “I can’t do this,” reply with “You can’t do it yet — but you’re learning!”

Growth mindset isn’t about pretending everything is easy — it’s about helping children believe they can improve and grow, even when things are hard. It’s one of the most powerful gifts we can give them.

Metacognition

• What is Metacognition?

  The process of learning how to think reflectively, critically and creatively is called Metacognition. Metacognition is often described as the process of ‘Learning to Learn’ or ‘Thinking About Thinking.’ It is something many of us do every day without even noticing, but reflecting on our own thoughts is how we gain insight into our feelings, needs, and behaviours. Understanding our metacognition can be such a powerful tool; positively affecting how we learn, make decisions, manage situations, overcome obstacles and adapt to new experiences, challenges, and setbacks.

• Why Develop Metacognition in our Children?

  Metacognition has been proven to improve the performance and outcomes of pupils from all age groups and abilities. More and more educational research confirms that children who are taught to use metacognitive strategies early on in their lives are more resilient, have better mental health and are more successful, both in and out of school. They demonstrate high levels of independence, achievement, questioning and problem-solving, co-operative learning skills and enjoyment and satisfaction in learning.