Our intent in the teaching of growth mindset is for our pupils and staff to love challenges and remember it’s always OK to make mistakes as mistakes will help us improve. We will encourage ourselves and others to be motivated and keep on learning by using different approaches or using a different strategy so that we never give up. Our intent is to challenge ourselves and take risks and to join in as much as possible, asking questions and remembering we can learn more this way, remembering our brain is making new connections all the time.

At Yew Tree we are firm believers in the power of the growth mindset, and approach each year with the belief that all of our students are capable of learning and growth. As part of this approach, we have been be encouraging pupils to develop a Growth Mindset.

It is worth emphasising that a Growth Mindset is not a new course but an approach to school and lifelong learning. What is growth mindset? Simply put, it is the belief that intelligence and ability are not fixed traits or that we are born with only so much of them. Rather, with effort and perseverance all students are capable of academic achievement.

Every day, your child will be immersed in the growth mindset in our classrooms. Students will be asked to take educational risks. They will be praised not for their mental quickness or natural intelligence but for approaching the process of learning with grit and determination, growing in ways they never thought possible.

Here are some things you can do to extend and promote growth mindset in your home:

• Encourage your child to take risks and tackle new challenges at school

• Praise your child not for the ease with which he or she learns a concept but for the amount of effort put into learning it.

• Emphasise perseverance and effort in extracurricular activities.

Thank you for joining us on this growth-mindset journey.