Growth Mindset

At Whitehall Park School, we know that pupils who have a positive attitude towards their learning will make good progress and be successful. Consequently, instilling all our pupils with ‘growth mindsets’ has become a key priority for the school. We have introduced the theories of Dr Carol Dweck to staff and pupils and are determined to embed its ideas within our school ethos.

We want all our pupils to relish challenges, embrace their mistakes as part of the learning process, value the importance of effort, respond carefully to feedback and take inspiration from others. This will help them to achieve, not only with us, but also in their future lives as adults.

What is Growth Mindset and why is it important?

In developing a growth mindset, we believe that our most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment. Virtually all people who achieved top performance had these qualities. Re-search shows that people with this view reach higher levels of success than people with fixed mindset beliefs. Teaching a growth mindset creates motivation and productivity in the worlds of business, education, and sports. It enhances relationships, and increases achievement.

Please support us in developing our growth mindsets; you could discuss the β€˜Growth Mindset’ approach with your child at home and help your children to see that mistakes are feedback (not failure). They provide a great opportunity and motivation for growth. Recognise that when working outside of their comfort zone, they are likely to make mistakes that they can learn from.

We are encouraging our children to challenge themselves and see mistakes as a positive step in their learning journey’s, developing their independence and resilience to become lifelong learners. We have already had some fascinating discussions in the classroom around our amazing, ever growing brains and we cannot wait to see the impact that this strategy will have on our children’s learning in the future!

Which mindset do you have?

For further information on how to encourage confident and resilient learners at home, have a look at some of the links below.

https://www.mindsetworks.com/parents/growth-mindset-parenting

https://www.oxfordlearning.com/growth-mindset-tips-for-parents/

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/help-your-child-try-new-things