Mindset
The attitude children bring to their learning in general and to particular subjects is crucial to their success. If pupils believe they cannot achieve something, they will limit themselves significantly. If they approach subjects with confidence, they are likely to try harder and cope better with setbacks. In education we refer to ‘fixed’ or ‘growth’ mindsets. A fixed mindset is an attitude which assumes we are either good at things or not. This attitude leads us to feel demotivated and put little effort into things we have decided we cannot do. A growth mindset recognises that we can become better at anything through effort and practice. It focuses not on a limiting sense of who we are now, but on an enabling sense of our potential. At our school we aspire to build growth mindsets in all our pupils. We encourage positive attitudes to mistake making, actively develop resilience in children and focus our praise on their efforts.