Philosophy for Children (P4C)

Going for Gold

Embed regular and sustainable P4C in your

school

Boost your students’ educational, personal and

social development

Give your teachers new strategies and skills

P4C is a proven enquiry based pedagogy, where the students take the lead and the teaching style is facilitative. The foundations of P4C are creative, critical, caring and collaborative thinking. During a P4C session, a teacher will initiate and facilitate a philosophical discussion in the classroom. P4C is suitable for all key stages.

Our Going for Gold programme is a structured three-year programme of training and support for your school.

We will help your staff get started with P4C and achieve the Foundation Level 1 qualification. Some will go on to complete Advanced training. We will guide your school through the Bronze, Silver and Gold Levels of the School Award Scheme.

Year 3

2 days of Foundation training (Level 1) for new teachers

2 days of Advanced training (Level 2B) for 2 teachers

2 days of coaching: leading and planning P4C

In a nutshell

P4C Benefits for Students• Higher order thinking and reasoning

• More confident speaking and listening

• Literacy and numeracy gains

• More challenging questioning

• Increased resilience

If you would like to know more

For further information please contactAmelia Foster: amelia@sapere.org.uk or Alison Allsopp: alisonallsopp@sapere.org.uk or go to www.sapere.org.uk or

P4C Benefits for Schools• Motivational CPD for teachers

• Dialogic teaching skills

• Improved student engagement

• More respectful relationships

• Improved educational outcomes

Society for the Advancement of Philosophical Enquiry & Reflection in Education

Registered Charity No 1144595 and a Company Limited by Guarantee No 7821030

Going for Gold Programme

Year 1

2 days of Foundation training (Level 1)for up to 22 teachers

3 days of coaching and demonstration

Online resources throughout the programme

Year 2

1 day Tools for Thinking Together coursefor up to 22 teachers

2 days of Advanced training (Level 2A) for 4 teachers

2 days of coaching according to needs

GoldSilverBronze

How to become a Gold Award School

Success with P4C requires commitment from SAPERE and from the school

At the outset, the SAPERE trainer will agree a training and support programme with the Headteacher and P4C leader. Throughout the programme, we will work with the P4C leader to ensure that the school’s needs are being met. Our Bronze, Silver and Gold award criteria will guide the programme and be the basis for monitoring progress. We will review outcomes annually with the P4C leader and Headteacher. The programme is designed to cover a whole school in primary and a whole phase or faculty in secondary.

School commitments

• Head builds P4C into strategic plan

• P4C leader designated as champion

• Teachers released for P4C training

• Regular P4C sessions timetabled

• P4C evaluation data shared with SAPERE

• P4C practice sharing with other schools

Schools with a Gold Award

Here is an example of a primary school and of a secondary school that have taken a long-term approach to P4C.Both have benefitted hugely by embedding P4C into their curriculum. Both have received our Gold Award.

Gallions Primary School

• Originally introduced P4C to address chronic behaviour problems• Has been practising P4C for 10 years• All teachers trained in P4C• Weekly P4C enquiries across all year groups• Became SAPERE’s first Gold Award school• Supports the development of P4C in the local area• Active parents’ P4C group bridging traditional ethnic boundaries

• 580 pupils from 3-11

• Highly deprived catchment

• 38% pupil premium

• 61% EAL

• Outperforms national averages for

disadvantaged students in reading,

writing and maths

Rokeby Secondary School

• Launched P4C in English and Humanities in 2009• Subsequently introduced P4C across the whole curriculum• Rapid improvement in attitudes to learning and respect for others• Regular P4C days across the whole school• Trains staff and selected students in P4C• Student P4C champions facilitate P4C with younger age groups• Students develop most P4C resources and lesson plans.

• 840 boys from 11-16

• Inner London catchment

• 66% pupil premium

• 82% EAL

• In top 20% nationally for progress

in Maths and English

The programme

• 2 days of Foundation training for all teachers

• 7 days of support, coaching and planning

• P4C Tools for Thinking Together training for

all teachers

• 4 days of Advanced training for P4C leader and

nominated teachers

• Online resources and implementation support

• P4C award programme

Costs

• Guideline of £5,000 per year for 3 years

• Equivalent of 4 pupil premium payments

• Staged commitment is possible

• Payments can be made annually or termly

• Preferential terms for schools with high levels

of deprivation

• Help in applying for funding for schools with

high levels of deprivation

The standard programme enables up to 22 teachers

to practise P4C. More can be accommodated by

agreement. The programme plan and budget will be

agreed at the outset and reviewed annually to ensure

that it is meeting the school’s requirements.

SAPERE commitments

• Programme tailored to school’s needs

• Trainer continuity over 3 years

• Access to latest P4C teaching resources

• Quality assured delivery

• Support in gaining P4C awards

• Shared accountability for outcomes