Nord Anglia Education becomes first international schools group to create new ‘Thinking Routines’ in collaboration with Project Zero

Leading international schools group Nord Anglia Education today announced it has created a set of new ‘Thinking Routines’ in collaboration with researchers from Project Zero, a research centre at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

‘Thinking Routines’ are simple, structured strategies that help students organise their thoughts, ask better questions, and reflect more deeply. Originally developed by Project Zero, they are now used in classrooms around the world to support purposeful, student-led thinking.

A total of 17 new routines were created by Nord Anglia Education and Project Zero, built around Nord Anglia’s six Learner Ambitions: Creativity, Curiosity, Compassion, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Commitment. These are the key life skills that Nord Anglia believes help students to become reflective, future-ready learners. 

The newly developed Thinking Routines include:

• Curiosity: ‘Know, Not Know, Want to Know’ – helping students identify gaps in their understanding and formulate meaningful questions.
• Compassion: ‘Suppose It Were Me’ – encouraging empathy by prompting learners to consider others’ experiences.
• Collaboration: ‘Dodging Groupthink’ – supporting independent thinking within group settings.
• Critical Thinking: ‘Think That. Stand Back. Push Back.’ – guiding students to examine assumptions and challenge ideas constructively.
• Commitment: ‘Appointments With Myself’ – promoting self-reflection and personal goal setting.
• Creativity: ‘Think. Share. Think Again.’ – encouraging iterative thinking and idea development.

Dr Kate Erricker, Group Head of Education Research at Nord Anglia Education, said: “Our new Thinking Routines aren’t just improving how students learn, they’re nurturing some of the most important skills people can have in life. By developing empathy, curiosity, and resilience, we’re helping students grow into thoughtful, confident individuals, ready to lead, collaborate, and make a meaningful impact in society.”

Dr Flossie Chua, Principal Investigator at Project Zero, said: “Our collaboration with Nord Anglia and their teachers has been deeply inspiring. Together, we’ve created new Thinking Routines that not only support student thinking but also nurture the kind of compassionate, curious, and collaborative learners our world needs. It’s exciting to see how these routines are already sparking meaningful reflection and dialogue in classrooms around the globe.”

The routines were developed as part of Nord Anglia’s DELTA research initiative (‘Dispositions for Engaging Learning Today’), with 30 Nord Anglia teachers from around the world and Project Zero researchers working to tailor each routine to the needs of today’s learners. At a time when artificial intelligence continues to shape the future of learning, these routines reaffirm the importance of nurturing distinctly human intelligences as essential skills for the next generation.

Nord Anglia’s commitment to the professional development of its teachers gives them the opportunity to share classroom impact and exchange ideas by working with some of the most influential minds in education.

To find out more about Nord Anglia’s approach to metacognition, click here: https://clearancesale.club/metacognition.