Colleagues from across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust came together at this year's Festival of Metacognition to share expertise, learn from leading practitioners, and contribute to national conversations around teaching, learning, and pupil development.
The event, held at Barton Manor School in Canterbury, saw staff from several of our academies and central teams attending, reflecting our trust-wide commitment to continuous improvement and evidence-informed practice.
Representing the Thinking Schools Academy Trust as speakers were Beth Woodward and Steven Hulme from Lodestar Academy in Devon, who presented on their work around the hierarchy of habits of mind in response to Social, Emotional, and Mental Health Difficulties (SEMHD), while Sarah Wilkinson-Crute from Maritime Academy in Strood, shared insights into metacognitive journalling and its impact on learning. These presentations provided an opportunity to showcase innovative practice taking place within our schools while contributing to wider professional dialogue across the education sector.
Reflecting on the impact of the festival, Sarah Wilkinson-Crute shared: “I found the session incredibly informative and came away with a range of practical strategies I’m excited to implement across the school and within the curriculum, particularly in my role as Teaching and Learning Lead.”
Alongside our speakers, colleagues from New Horizons Children's Academy, Maritime Academy and Cedar Children's Academy attended the festival, creating a strong trust presence and demonstrating the value we place on professional collaboration and development. The event brought together staff from different roles, settings and phases, united by a shared commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people.
The festival embodied one of the trust's greatest strengths: togetherness. Whether presenting to peers, learning from others or engaging in professional discussion, colleagues from across our organisation came together to reflect, challenge thinking and explore new approaches that can benefit pupils in our classrooms.
Laura Gladstone, Head of Curriculum, Thinking, Teaching and Learning at the Thinking Schools Academy Trust spoke about the event, saying: "It was fantastic to see colleagues from across our trust represented at the Festival of Metacognition, both as speakers and attendees. Opportunities like this demonstrate the depth of expertise that exists within our organisation and highlight the power of colleagues coming together to learn from one another.”
Laura Gladstone, Head of Curriculum, Thinking, Teaching and Learning at the Thinking Schools Academy Trust spoke about the event, saying:
"It was fantastic to see colleagues from across our trust represented at the Festival of Metacognition, both as speakers and attendees. Opportunities like this demonstrate the depth of expertise that exists within our organisation and highlight the power of colleagues coming together to learn from one another.”
Events such as the Festival of Metacognition provide valuable opportunities to both share and gain expertise. By contributing to sector-wide discussions and learning from fellow educators, our staff continue to strengthen their practice, bring fresh ideas back to their settings and support our collective mission of transforming life chances through education.
The strong representation from across the Thinking Schools Academy Trust also highlights our commitment to developing talent at every level of the organisation. By investing in professional growth and encouraging colleagues to share their expertise beyond their own schools, we help build a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement that benefits our entire trust community.
Laura continued to praise the sharing of best practice from our experts, saying: “By sharing our practice, engaging with new ideas, and collaborating across schools and roles, we continue to strengthen what we do for the benefit of our pupils and communities."
Laura continued to praise the sharing of best practice from our experts, saying:
“By sharing our practice, engaging with new ideas, and collaborating across schools and roles, we continue to strengthen what we do for the benefit of our pupils and communities."
As a trust, we are proud to see colleagues contributing to important educational discussions while learning alongside professionals from across the sector. Their involvement reflects not only the quality of practice within our schools, but also our shared belief that working together and thinking together leads to better outcomes for the children and communities we serve.