Philosophy for children (P4C)

At Pelham we want all pupils to:

• Be curious and question the world around them.
• Be good listeners and communicators.
• Be empathetic and respectful of others opinions and differences.
• Be able to explain their reasoning clearly and confidently.
• Be critical thinkers.
• Be well-rounded, open-minded citizens of the world.

We will do this by:

• Facilitating philosophical enquiries and moral debates.
• Presenting children with thought-provoking stimuli as an opener, to encourage exploratory talk. Ensuring we as teachers, provide pupils with a vast range of stimuli including books, art work, objects and photographs, which the inquiry will centre around.
• Encouraging a ‘have-a-go’ attitude, using positive reinforcement to build self-esteem in pupils.
• Asking higher-order, open-ended questions to challenge children and have them engaged in a ‘deep’ level of learning.
• Ensuring children employ the crucial 4 C’s of P4C in their lessons, namely to be critical, creative, caring and collaborative as learners.
• Promoting a culture of questioning and curiosity throughout Pelham. We will work hard to be a school which develops children’s thinking skills, their ability to reflect and an openness to have one’s mind broadened through philosophical inquiry.