Christ Church has scooped a Gold Award from national education charity SAPERE P4C to mark its outstanding commitment to and progress in Philosophy for Children (P4C). We are very proud to be the first school in Kent to achieve this award.
P4C is an approach to teaching and learning which, research has shown, enhances children’s thinking and communication skills and boosts their self-esteem.
The SAPERE P4C Gold Award is the charity’s highest award and is only given to those schools which have fully embedded P4C in their ethos, strategy, teaching and learning and which have met the strict criteria for the award. The award celebrates the hard work of students and staff at Christ Church to develop and sustain critical, creative, caring and collaborative thinking across their school.
What do we do in P4C?
In P4C sessions, teachers use a stimulus, such as a picture book, video clip, or photograph, to help children to explore big philosophical concepts such as fairness, bravery, friendship, conflict and respect. Children are supported to create philosophical questions about the concepts, questions such as:
- Is it ever OK to lie?
- Do we have to respect everyone?
- Can good people do bad things?
The children then choose the question they would most like to explore. Teachers encourage students to think about the ideas and concepts behind the questions, and to discuss and challenge ideas as a group – a community of enquiry. As the questions grow more philosophical and imaginative, children learn to recognise and explore different perspectives.
Amelia Foster, CEO of SAPERE P4C, said: “The young people of Christ Church CEP Academy really impressed us, not only with their ability to think deeply and to share their thoughts with eloquence and passion, but also with their willingness to really listen to and build on the ideas of others. Both teachers and students have worked hard over the past few years – and especially during the pandemic – to really embed P4C across the school, and we are delighted that the school is the first in Kent to receive our Gold Award.”
SAPERE’s three award levels – Bronze, Silver and Gold – celebrate a school's progress in establishing high-quality, sustainable P4C across the school. Each application undergoes rigorous scrutiny and only those which meet the criteria will receive an Award.
For more information contact please contact our school or Clare Woodcock, Communications Manager at SAPERE P4C on clarewoodcock@sapere.org.uk, tel 01865 408333/07591 181386.
