Cognition

Cognition Education launches affiliate schools project

Cognition is pleased to announce that it will be establishing an affiliate schools project in 2012. The aim of the project will be to connect Cognition directly with schools to pilot and test new types of professional development that will cause impact on student achievement, teaching practices, school leadership, and community and parental engagement. General Manager Chris Sullivan says "Cognition wants to develop deeper and stronger links with schools, and the affiliate schools project will be a win-win in this regard. We will be working with schools to trial new approaches to teaching and learning, and then taking this new knowledge and applying it through the work we do with other schools". The schools will have access to Cognition's consultants and a range of programmes. Schools will also have the chance to develop their own ideas and models which can be shared through Cognition's national and international networks.

Initially this project will focus on a small number of schools in Auckland, New Zealand. However over time this initiative is expected to spread across New Zealand and then internationally. The full list of schools participating in the programme pilot will be announced at an event in February, but all have been identified as having a commitment to ongoing improvement, to raising levels of student achievement, and to strong leadership. One such school is Stonefields School which opened its doors to students in February 2011. It is a decile 9 School located in the new Stonefields development in Mt Wellington, Auckland. Together the staff have tackled the challenge of establishing a new School by questioning and critiquing 'how School's have always been'. The School has four vision principles that is all encompassing and provides a common language, direction and aspiration to guide it's core business of LEARNING.

* Building Learning Capacity
* Collaborating
* Making Meaning
* Breaking Through

The School has been established during optimal times - a recognised international paradigm shift in educational thinking, access to a world class curriculum and research about what has a positive impact on student outcomes. Cognition is currently working with Stonefields School to develop a range of Visible Learning Plus professional development programmes and tools. Visible Learning Plus is a whole school professional learning and development change programme based on the research of Professor John Hattie. The School is forward thinking in it's philosophy of learning, purposeful in selecting the right staff and creatively utilises open modern learning environments to ensure learning is social, open, engaging and real for every single learner. 'Think Big and Be Brave' is a mantre that continues to help staff remain courageous and true to the School's purpose of serving learners and causing learning. .
For more information please contact: Chris Sullivan, General Manager This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it