Wiser Wales was a three-year project, building on the work that WCIA had been doing since 2004 to develop the Philosophy for Children (P4C) approach in classrooms across Wales.
P4C encourages children to think critically and creatively and also boosts their communication skills. It has been shown to have a profoundly positive impact on behaviour and self-esteem, as pupils are encouraged to air and explore their own views, as well as to listen to and respect those of their peers. In short, P4C helps children to become active, responsible, thinking citizens of the world as well as helping them to achieve their academic goals. The benefits are proven and potentially enormous. That’s why we chose to focus our work in this area!
Our Wiser Wales project, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Paul Hamlyn Foundation, aimed to raise teachers’ awareness of P4C and to enable them to use the method confidently with pupils of all ages and abilities. P4C can enhance the delivery of all subjects, so we worked with teachers across Wales to develop teaching resources for all Key Stages and various subject areas. By delivering training sessions and practical demonstrations in schools, we hoped to inspire teachers to begin using P4C regularly and effectively in their classrooms.