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P4C training and further reading
Most schools doing philosophy for children have arranged training in order to learn about the key practices and principles involved. We think this is essential. All the co-directors of p4c.com are experienced teachers and trainers. If we can’t cater for your training needs, then we will be able to put you in touch with someone who can. Please contact Kay Williams to find out more.
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What will philosophy for children (p4c) help my school to achieve?
On the Benefits of p4c page, we argue that philosophising with children and young people is a good thing in itself as well as developing:
- Cognitive ability
- Critical reasoning skills and dialogue in the classroom
- Emotional and social awareness
However, we also know that headteachers need to justify their decisions to governors, parents and government. So, here is a brief outline of some of the ‘agendas’ and areas of the curriculum to which p4c could make a significant contribution.
Effective teaching and learning, including challenging and engaging all learners and helping them to develop key skills and concepts for critical thinking, communication and decision-making.
Innovation and creativity: A key aspect of p4c is to stimulate learners to consider alternatives and to generate new ideas together. This makes it an excellent vehicle for developing creative thinking across the school. The concentration of p4c on critical skills and concepts also helps learners to analyse and assess their creative products.
Inquiry-led learning: at the heart of p4c is inquiry. P4C is an outstanding approach for supporting an inquiry-led curriculum in any subject and particularly in the sciences, arts and humanities.
Personalised learning, including meeting the diverse needs of learners and enabling the design of resources and curricula around their needs, interests and questions. P4C actively engages and stretches learners.
Pupil voice: Many schools have found that p4c lends itself superbly to developing student voice, class and school councils, decision-making processes and democratic communities.
Social and emotional well-being: important dimensions of p4c include thinking with others (collaborative thinking), thinking of others (caring thinking), thinking about thinking (metacognition) and thinking about what matters to oneself and others (reflection).
Thinking skills and critical thinking: In addition to p4c being regarded as a key approach to developing thinking skills, it has also been cited by Dr van den Brink-Budgen, a chief examiner of critical thinking in England, as one of the best ways to develop students’ ability to think critically.
Curriculum frameworks: Additionally, in England. p4c fits very nicely within the new Key Stage 3 curriculum with its emphasis on key concepts, processes and skills, as well as within the Primary Framework with its focus on children becoming independent inquirers, creative thinkers, reflective learners, team workers, and self-managers.
Is p4c suitable for all learners?
P4C is most often used in primary schools because it is easier to organise it into primary timetables than secondary ones. But p4c works with students of all ages and abilities. An increasing number of secondary schools are using p4c to underpin ‘learning to learn’ programmes. P4C has been, and continues to be, used successfully in nurseries, primaries, secondaries, special schools, colleges of further and higher education, and even prisons û as well as with community and youth groups.
For further information from someone in a similar context to your own, do not hesitate to contact us. We can happily put you in touch with someone willing to talk about the logistics as well as the advantages of p4c. Contact Kay Williams.
What do inspectors make of p4c?
We have yet to come across a negative response from inspectors. The following quote typifies how p4c is received:
‘The thought provoking and exciting curriculum the school has developed over the last two years is an outstanding component of the school’s success (this includes) the development of ‘Philosophy for Children’, a powerful tool which both excites the pupils and gives them the confidence to explore stimulating and challenging ideas and concepts. It not only strengthens their academic learning, but also encourages their empathy for others and gives them insights into the adult world.’ (Extract from Ropsley Primary School Ofsted Report, Feb 2007 (quoted with permission from the headteacher, Ian Wilkinson
What’s the best way to start p4c?
Though there are many excellent books about p4c, there really is no substitute for training. This should include an introduction to the principles and practices of p4c, combined with the experience of taking part in a community of inquiry. All the co-directors of p4c.com are experienced teachers and trainers who accredited training in the UK and overseas. If we can’t cater for your training needs, then we will be able to put you in touch with someone who can. Please contact Kay Williams to find out more.
Furthermore, IAPC (the Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children) lists the organisations throughout the world that support and accredit p4c training.
Introductory courses typically involve 12 taught hours, plus additional reading and possibly observation of a demonstration lesson. Additional courses are available beyond this, lasting anything from a further 24 to 60 taught hours. These longer courses can count towards MA degree awards.
Should all staff be trained?
Ideally yes but there are many factors to consider. Among the most important is the mindset of teachers. Members of staff (teachers or support staff) who use p4c most effectively are those how want their students to learn to think for themselves. They are willing to give students space to pose questions and help them inquire together into the answers. One could call this an ‘inquiry’ mindset.
The schools that are making the greatest strides with p4c are those that begin with a whole staff training day and follow it up with steady advancement led by those teachers with an inquiry mindset and an enthusiasm for p4c. As ever, support and commitment from the headteacher and leadership team is of paramount importance.
How could/should p4c be organised?
P4C is best practised with students and teacher sat in a circle together in a room conducive to reflection and rigorous thinking. If those sessions are regular and timetabled, then the focus can be entirely on the development of philosophical thinking and a community of inquiry, thus ensuring the greatest gains.
However, many schools are feeling the pressure of an already-crowded curriculum and so choose to integrate p4c, in some way, into other subjects such as humanities, science, citizenship or personal and social education — whether because of its emphasis on critical thinking, its focus on the use of concepts, its concern with values or its development of dialogue in the classroom.
There are many ways for both primary and secondary schools to include p4c in the curriculum. P4C.COM will report on various approaches in the members section of the website.
How do we ensure progress?
It was in trying to answer this question that p4c.com was formed. The original materials written by Professor Lipman and his associates at the IAPC were part of a comprehensive curriculum that sequenced concepts and skills into a coherent programme.
However, this focus of progression has been weakened with the more flexible and varied approach to p4c that has emerged in many countries, including the UK. Thus the publishing of new sequences of lessons, ideas, exercises and resources on p4c.com is our attempt to enable variety and progression to be achieved side by side. All that schools need do now is encourage their enthusiastic p4c-ers to continue training and practising p4c with the support of these materials.
Who can I talk to and what should I read to find out more?
As well as the co-directors of p4c.com, there are many headteachers who would willingly converse with you about the pros and cons of p4c. Contact Kay Williams for details. In the meantime, we can recommend the following links and books about p4c:
- History of p4c
- Teacher’s guide
- Benefits of p4c
- Phil Cam (1995) Thinking Together: Philosophical Enquiry for the Classroom, Hale and Iremonger
- Steve Williams and Rupert Wegerif (2006) Radical Encouragement: Creating Cultures for Learning, Imaginative Minds Ltd
- Karin Murris and Joanna Haynes (2000) Storywise: Thinking Through Stories, DialogueWorks
- Sara Stanley with Steve Bowkett (2004) But Why: Developing philosophical thinking in the classroom, Network Continuum
- Sara Stanley (2006) Creating Enquiry Minds, Pocket Pal
- Phil Cam (2006) 20 Thinking Tools, ACER