Primary Schools

"Lessons in philosophy encourage pupils to reflect and think more deeply. This has a direct and positive impact on the R.E. curriculum."

St Winifred’s Infants RE Ofsted Report

"These sessions have been extremely helpful with my class. They are much more willing to listen to each others views and comment on them in a positive way. They have thoroughly enjoyed the memory techniques that they were taught and we have used them in the classroom. It was also an ideal opportunity to be able to observe the children in a different learning environment. I am very interested in continuing to use the strategies and ideas that I have observed - philosophy is now firmly on my weekly timetable."

Jane Walker, Primary Teacher, Brindishe

"Philosophy has developed our more able, but also given great confidence to those children who struggle with the more conventional curriculum.  Our children are going into such a changing world. We can’t predict what they’re gong to need in terms of knowledge, but one thing we can give them is confidence and a sense of how to learn. Philosophy gives them those skills."

Kathy Palmer, Headteacher, Eliot Bank

"[Philosophy should be compulsory at primary level] Children are always asking the question ‘why?’ and we want to encourage that questioning all the way through. We see the children using philosophy in all their other subjects and it has improved behaviour because the children learn to respect each other’s opinions."

Sharon Lynch, Headteacher, St. William of York

"I have been fortunate enough to participate in the philosophy lessons at Grinling Gibbon’s School for the last 3 years.
    Even from the very first session the children grow in confidence when they realise that the primary resource for the group is not regurgitated fact, but rather their own independent opinions. Their delight and absorption in coming to use their analytic skills is obvious, and their quick adaptation to the individuality and originality that real thinking requires is impossible to miss.
    It seems strange that our education system requires so little reflection, and in watching the quality of introspection and deliberation that the facilitator elicits from the children so easily, one cannot but feel he is meeting a valuable and overlooked need on their part.
He brings to them a wide range of subjects for attention –classic philosophical issues from epistemology, metaphysics, ethics and philosophy of mind. And all the while training them to attend to the quality of each journey and exploration, instead of this or that particular destination. They learn to relate differently to their thoughts –to value them as things of intrinsic worth, to listen to them and to savour them. They also widen their sense of the scope of thinking: it is notable how comfortable they become with the ambiguous, the open-ended and the unknown.
    Children need practice at thinking, just like everything else and the facilitator models for them and leads them into a wide variety of its forms. Quite frankly these sessions are clearly so empowering for them that at least once in every single one I find myself wondering why on earth this type of education is not occurring simultaneously in every school in the country."

Eugene Romain, Primary Teacher, Grinling Gibbons

"The main thing for me has been their willingness to sit and remain focussed for longer periods of time as the sessions progressed. Many members of the class who are often reluctant to speak have really engaged with the materials that you have used and so want to be involved with the Q & A sessions. These children rarely volunteer in class. These sessions have sort of replaced our circle time activities as many of the issues and dilemmas are in keeping with it.
    I have been impressed with certain children in terms of the progress that they have made in their thinking. Child A really impressed me all week especially with your session. She clearly has a lot to say for herself and is starting to let her guard down with us in the class as well. T's progress is remarkable: she is almost fluent now having started in September with few words in English but I have been impressed with how she has gained greater confidence and speaks out all the time.
    I have really enjoyed the sessions too and have learnt lots by getting the chance in the first couple of weeks to watch them without being directly involved."

Jenny Fraser, Primary Teacher, Hither Green

"Philosophy sessions are always a highlight in our week in Y5, although no written work ever takes place, the amount of learning being undertaken is immense.
    Over the weeks I began to notice that the concentration span of certain children began to increase, and the language being spoken in session time was being thought through on a more regular basis before being offered to the group. Within all classes there are dominant speakers, and outgoing children often take the lead – especially within such practical sessions. Philosophy however, allowed other children to take a chance and have vital input into sessions.
    A higher level of respect was found towards those who normally opt out of joining in, and for those who were nearly always right in academic subjects, a new light was shone upon learning (even if it caused much frustration, and a lack of final answers!)
Philosophy traits spilt over into other curriculum areas, most noticeably in our RE and Science sessions. Children are actively encouraged to ask questions and challenge. In a society which strongly focuses on the correct and incorrect (especially with so many exams and tests in schools) I feel it important to show children there is another way of learning and finding out, and those who have mastered the art of questioning are on an exciting life path."

Karen Large, Primary Teacher, Holy Trinity

"The greatest impact on the class as a whole has been to improve their ability to think about issues in terms other than absolutes of right or wrong, fair or unfair, good or bad. The follow-on effect of that has meant that even children with significant special needs have felt confident in expressing opinions and thoughts about quite complex ideas that they might never have been given the opportunity to consider in any other area of their lives."

Amanda Crook, Primary Teacher, John Ball

"[The Philosophy Foundation] has been running sessions with all of our split year 5/6 classes since the beginning of the autumn term 2008. Each class had a block of 5 sessions which built on the previous sessions and linked in to our current curriculum work (Numeracy, Literacy and PHSE). The children hugely enjoyed the sessions (so much to the point where all children were on time for their Wednesday philosophy session!) and it was extremely interesting as a class teacher to see how the children’s thought process grew over the sessions when dealing with abstract concepts. The lessons were delivered in a lively way that fully engaged all pupils and consolidated their speaking and listening skills along with group working skills. Also I myself learnt an awful lot about the phrasing of questions to children from watching the Specialist teach.
    Since the sessions ended I’ve noticed a marked improvement in how children think before they answer more complex questions across the curriculum. I’m looking forward to working with [The Philosophy Foundation] again in our next sessions which will be linked to our SATS preparation."

Dean Houson, Primary Teacher, St. Mary’s

"The philosophy sessions have helped our children focus their thoughts and they are beginning to listen more carefully, think and answer questions more readily. I noticed a difference from the first to the fourth session."

Sue Norvill, Year 3 Teacher, Eagle House School