Ask It!

Of the four Open Futures strands, Ask it is that which most closely defines the programme as a whole. By helping children to develop their ability to question, to reason, to hypothesise and, above all, to communicate, Ask it has a meaningful role to play not just in terms of primary level personal development, but also in the way in which it enriches their approaches to, and experiences of, Grow it, Cook it and Film it.

Ask it equips children with the ability to explore options and to make decisions more effectively as a team. It engages children with their learning and, by offering them the chance to explore important new concepts, helps to improve thinking, appreciate points of view and develop a rational approach to critical judgement. The strand contributes particularly well towards literacy, citizenship, RE, PSHE, science and the humanities.

Ask it was developed from the well-known and highly respected Philosophy for Children programme, which has been proven to improve a wide range of learning outcomes, including behaviour, collaboration and writing across a broad age range. It aims to build ‘Communities of Enquiry’, where pupils develop the ‘Four C’s’: creative, critical, caring and collaborative thinking skills.