In this week’s Lunch & Learn session, we explored how to support students in developing critical thinking skills at KS5, preparing them for university interviews, academic seminars, and higher education in general. The analogy of learning to cook was used to illustrate the stages of building critical thinking skills from KS3 through to KS5, making the concept more tangible and relatable for all.

One of the standout discussions was inspired by Heston Blumenthal’s experimental approach to cooking, particularly his reinvention of a traditional English breakfast, served entirely cold belive it or not! This example encouraged us to reconsider how pushing beyond conventional methods can lead to new perspectives, a fundamental aspect of advanced critical thinking. Personally, this reminded me of a summer in Italy, where such a dish would have been perfect in the heat, challenging my own expectations of what a ‘breakfast’ should be.

Reflecting on the session, I found that the critical thinking skills discussed could have been better related to Bloom’s Taxonomy as a structured way to develop higher-order thinking. Abby provided a fantastic analogy using the process of baking a cake, which gave the audience something tangible to relate to rather than focusing on just one specific subject or lesson. This made it clear how expectations at the highest levels of education should push students to explain and justify their reasoning rather than simply accepting surface-level responses .Another fascinating discussion point was the comparison between the themes of Beloved and Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Half Time Show, exploring how mainstream media reacts to politically and socially charged performances. This level of analysis resonated with my experiences teaching IB group discussion

Another aha moment came when I connected these ideas to my IB teaching days, where integrating Theory of Knowledge (TOK) into lessons encouraged students to question how they know what they claim to know. This broadening of subject knowledge fosters a deeper engagement with learning, prompting students to reflect more critically on the world around them. Encouraging this kind of intellectual curiosity should be a priority in all learning environments.