Hannah Richardson — Philosophy sessions 'boost primary school results'

Liberal education being rethought?

Weekly philosophy sessions in class can boost primary school pupils' ability in maths and literacy, a study says.

More than 3,000 nine and 10-year-olds in 48 UK schools took part in hour-long sessions aimed at raising their ability to question, reason and form arguments.

A study for the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) found pupils' ability in reading and maths scores improved by an average of two months over a year.

For disadvantaged children, the study found writing skills were also boosted.
The trial of the Philosophy for Children programme (P4C) focused on children in Years 4 and 5 - aged nine and 10.

It was part of efforts by the charity, EEF, to evaluate ways in which schools are spending pupil premium money beneficially on children from poorer backgrounds.

The disadvantaged pupils in the trial, those on free school meals, saw their reading skills improve by four months, their maths by three months and their writing ability by two months.…

In a typical session, pupils and teachers sit together in a circle. The pupils are shown a video clip or newspaper article to stimulate their interest in a subject. This is followed by a short period of silent thinking time.

The class then splits into pairs or small groups to discuss questions on the subject before coming back together for a whole-class discussion.

Subjects covered included whether a healthy heart should be donated to a person who has not looked after themselves.

BBC
Philosophy sessions 'boost primary school results'
Hannah Richardson | BBC News education reporter