"Our vision is to cultivate a community of learners who can use their voice for success in school and in life. They will be both creative and critical thinkers, capable of understanding diverse perspectives and rigorously evaluating sources of information. We believe that learning to actively listen can lead young people to being open-minded, thorough in their reasoning, conscientious in their responses and therefore enable them to embrace the nature of true democracy.

Through structured oracy and developing students’ vocabulary, we aim to empower our students to engage intellectually with the world around them, equipping them with the skills necessary to discern truth from 'fake news' and to navigate complex ideas and concepts. Our goal is to foster thinkers who can not only comprehend but also critically evaluate and challenge the ideas they encounter, thereby becoming intellectually resilient and adaptable individuals." 

Intention: 

1. Enhance Oracy Skills: Improve students' ability to articulate their thoughts through speaking and listening, engage in constructive dialogue, and explain complex concepts. 

2 . Develop Critical Thinking: Equip students with the ability to analyse and evaluate ideas and arguments from various perspectives. 

3 . Foster Intellectual Engagement: Encourage students to engage with complex ideas and understand varying viewpoints, promoting intellectual curiosity and openness. 

4 . Build Information Literacy: Teach students to discern and scrutinize the reliability and validity of information sources. 

5. Promote Self-Reflection: Encourage students to reflect on their own beliefs and opinions, understanding their biases and limitations. 

Implementation: 

1. Curriculum Design: Integrate challenging and thought-provoking ideas and topics into the curriculum to stimulate intellectual engagement. 

2. Facilitated Discussions: Implement structured discussions focusing on giving reasons, responding to others, seeking disagreement, and re-evaluating ideas based on new evidence or perspectives.

3. Skill Development Exercises: Regularly incorporate activities that focus on critical thinking skills such as analysing arguments, evaluating sources, and constructing reasoned arguments. 

4. Collaborative Learning: Foster an environment where students work together in exploring ideas, thereby learning from each other’s perspectives. 

5. Assessment and Feedback: Utilize diverse assessment methods to gauge students' progress in critical thinking and communication skills, providing constructive feedback for continuous improvement.

6. Professional Development: Offer ongoing training and resources to teachers to effectively facilitate discussions and guide students in developing these skills.