Learning how to learn
NHP is the first and only independent prep school in England to be awarded Advanced Thinking School status.
A Thinking School is one in which teachers and pupils understand and know how to learn and think effectively. This approach lies at the heart of all teaching and learning at NHP. It gives our pupils a true yearn to learn and an intellectual curiosity which empowers them to drive their knowledge and skills forward with passion and enjoyment. They understand the importance of understanding rather than simply being passive recipients of knowledge.
We have been a Thinking School since 2014. In 2021, we achieved accreditation as an Advanced Thinking School by the Cognitive Education Development Unit of the University of Exeter and were reaccredited in March 2024.
Questioning and knowledge
Building both knowledge and an understanding of the application of knowledge
Both of these functions are fundamental to a successful education. A child’s question is almost always the first stage in the learning process, At NHP we celebrate this curiosity and demonstrate the way in which questions lead to answers. Teachers are skilled at asking questions of the pupils whilst also encouraging the pupils themselves to question what they are learning. In this way, they can build both knowledge and the all-important application of knowledge.
The process of learning
Learn and develop by failing and trying again
The process of learning is as important as the outcome. The right kind of mistakes are encouraged and our pupils learn and develop by failing and trying again. A Thinking School curriculum builds resilience and flexible thinking and so, when exams and tests do come along, our pupils see them as opportunities to celebrate their learning.
In the classroom
Ideas and strategies to ensure a dynamic and inspiring atmosphere
NHP has a Thinking School drive team dedicated to improve continuously the learning and teaching within the school. We monitor and apply the best new pedagogical ideas and strategies to ensure a dynamic and inspiring atmosphere in the classroom, where all our teachers aim to ignite fires that will burn for life.
Our pupils develop an awareness of themselves as learners from their first days with us. This quickly becomes second nature. Their Thinking School toolbox includes strategies such as Thinking Maps, De Bono’s Thinking Hats, Philosophy for Children (P4C) and our NHP Habits and Values.
For more information about Thinking Schools, please see www.thinkingmatters.com
NHP Habits
Help pupils understand themselves, their learning and their emotions
At NHP we want our pupils to discover who they are and how they can use their unique qualities to make a positive impact on the world.
We are educating our children for a rapidly changing world and if the speed of change continues, many will ultimately pursue careers that currently don’t exist! We know that the education we provide needs to be more than the simple acquisition of knowledge. We aim to develop skills and qualities in our pupils that will help them to succeed in the world beyond school.
We promote a set of core habits of mind that underpin the children’s learning, self-development and well-being during their time at school. The NHP Habits provide a toolkit which enables the children to make the right decisions in different situations and to be considerate and useful members of their community. These habits are also instrumental in supporting successful transitions to senior school and in helping to craft the leaders of the future.
The NHP Rabbit with the Habits are used throughout the school from Reception through to Year 8.
