Growth Mindset

At St Mary’s we know that pupils who have a positive attitude towards their learning will make good progress and be successful. Consequently, instilling all our pupils with 'growth mindsets' has become a key part of developing our children as learners. We used the theories of Dr Carol Dweck  alongside others such as Daniel Goleman to embed its ideas within our school ethos. 

We want all our pupils to relish challenges, embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process, value the importance of effort, respond carefully to feedback and take inspiration from others. This will help them to achieve, not only with us, but also in their future lives as adults.

Encouraging children to become confident and resilient learners

We know that in order to fulfil the potential of our pupils and encourage them to become confident and resilient learners we, as a team of parents and staff, need to be modelling the mindset of a learner who is not afraid of making mistakes but who thrives upon them, knowing that this is all part of the learning process. The way in which we encourage children to learn and explore is vital to their success, not only at school but at home as well.

At St Mary’s, we consistently endeavour to challenge and develop the attitudes of all pupils and staff towards learning by considering what makes a successful learner. We have dedicated sessions in class to address what kind of learners we want to be and how we can positively approach challenges inside and outside the classroom. The school is buzzing with talk of perseverance, challenge, risks and celebrating mistakes. This is where we developed and continue to use our school Learning Powers.

Central to this attitude and approach to learning, are the theories and proven evidence of Growth Mindset. This is a term coined by psychologist Carol Dweck and her research has identified the characteristics of learners with a fixed and a growth mindset:

The following video explains the concept in more detail: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUWn_TJTrnU

For further information on how to encourage confident and resilient learners at home, have a look at some of the links below.

https://www.mindsetworks.com/parents/growth-mindset-parenting https://www.oxfordlearning.com/growth-mindset-tips-for-parents/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/help-your-child-try-new-things