Critical thinking is a skill that is embedded at the heart of the International Baccalaureate. This is why, within our classrooms, we endeavour to promote and enhance this through daily learning experiences within inquiry but also independent critical thinking sessions. Critical thinking skills include, but are not limited to, problem solving, being open-minded, analysis, communication and being creative.

In essence, critical thinking requires you to use your ability to reason. It is about being an active learner rather than a passive recipient of information.

Critical thinkers rigorously question ideas and assumptions rather than accepting them at face value. They will always seek to determine whether the ideas, arguments and findings represent the entire picture and are open to finding that they do not.

Critical thinkers will identify, analyse and solve problems systematically rather than by intuition or instinct.

It is imperative that we continue to embed this skill so as to further develop children’s critical thinking which, as a result, encourages an essential explorative mindset to challenge and question concepts and ideas that they are approached with. As an essential life skill, it’s the one that often differentiates IB students from others, particularly with the additional inquiry-based learning which the IB promotes.

Where possible, we ensure there are always consistent opportunities for students to expand their understanding of how to pull apart a concept or idea using their critical thinking skills. We have been collaborating as a staff team to develop ways to incorporate our children’s lines of inquiry with critical thinking questions. For example: Do you think that refugees should have a choice over which country they settle in? Should each country be forced to look after refugees? If you were a Roman Emperor, would you believe it’s correct to cut off someone's hand if they had stolen an animal?

At home, there are a number of ways adults can help to nurture the critical thinking skills, such as:

• Debate things that you see or hear in the news.

• Explore the benefits of critical thinking and how it can enhance their inquiry skills.

• Practice how to use evidence to support your ideas

• Make critical thinking a game.

Some questions you could discuss at home, could be:

• Can we have happiness without sadness?

• What is Art?

• What is freedom?